Top 18 Interesting Facts about India
India is all about beauty and history. One of the cultural spots of ancient world, India holds numerous beauties and wonders, than one can even imagine. If you were looking out to find reasons to choose India as your next vacation destination, these facts would be the best way to determine and valuate your options.
Get here about Top 18 Interesting Facts about India.1. 32 Heritage Sites around Country
We are all aware of Taj Mahal. However, it is not the only attraction of the country. There are around 32 UNESCO heritage sites including Taj Mahal. 32 might not look like a big number. To give a better view of comparison, here is a fact. US (a continent) has just 23 heritage sites, while India (country) has 32 sites. This is a testimony to the diversity and rich history of the country. Starting from the serene monasteries of Ladakh to the secluded islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, this land is filled with hill forts, palaces, watch towers, mangrove forests, dams, bird parks, salt deserts, mountain passes, living root bridge, tri-color sea, basilica, backwaters, ancient monuments, temples with erotic sculptures, cave temples and much more.
Read More : Top 10 World Heritage Sites In India
2. The Secular State
India might have the majority of Hindus of the world. However, the country holds large mosques, Golden temples, Buddhist monasteries, basilica, incredible churches and so on. Christian communities are common along the seaside of southern borders of the country. You can find remains of St. Francis Xavier in Goa, which is an important tourist attraction. Starting from Sanchi Stupa to Sarnath, Buddhism thrived in India during the ancient times. Although not prominent as earlier, it is an integral part of the country. Tourists take pilgrimage trip by scaling the footsteps of Lord Buddha in India. Not just the main religions, India gives importance to smaller ones too. Mumbai is famous for Parsi sites like Fire Temple, Tower of Silence and others. Delhi, Gujarat and Rajasthan are famous for Jain structures. Sikhism thrives in Punjab and, Amritsar is the pinnacle of Jain pilgrimage. If you are looking for a general religion without any emphasis on God but, peace and love itself, again India has sites for you like Lotus temple, Pondicherry Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville and others.
Read More : India’s Top 5 Hindu Temples
3. Being Vegetarian Is A Culture Here
India holds the largest population of vegetarians in the world. Around 20-40 percentage of Indians choose vegetarian as a part of their culture or religious belief. So, if you are traveling to India in a vegan diet or meat-free diet, you need not worry about your meal time. You can find numerous delicacies and iconic dishes for you.
4. The Postal Of India
India has the largest postal system of the world. The Himachal Pradesh’s Hikkim holds the highest post office of the world at 15,400 ft above sea level. It also holds the highest polling booth in the world.
Dal Lake of Kashmir holds the only floating post office in the world. Rajasthan towns have camel post office and Darjeeling has mule post office.
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5. One Of The Oldest Inhabited City Is Still Thriving
Humans started civilization thousands of years ago and initially, they started small communities at certain regions, which then became ruins or archeological excavation points. However, certain cities of these early civilizations still thrive and one such city is Varanasi or Benaras. Thriving for more than three thousand years, this city is assumed to be built by Lord Shiva, himself. It is located on the banks of Holy River Ganges.
It is the place of temples. You can find ancient temples of various styles and forms here. You can also find vedic schools in this region. If you are looking for a cultural visit, pilgrimage or a photographic trip, Varanasi is the best place to start your vacation. The Ganga Arti ritual of Varanasi is the most photographed event of the country.
Also Read : Top 11 Things to Experience in Varanasi
Suggested Tour : 3 Days - Varanasi Tour including Sarnath
6. India Is Next To The Native English Speakers
India is joked to be the land of customer support offices. However, it is due to the fact that India holds the second largest English speaking population in the world, next to USA. India has around 22 official languages and no national language. However, Hindi and English are commonly used in many central government processes. If you know English, you can easily scale the country, with no issues. Everyone from the cab drivers to the porters know a minimal amount of English to get a bare understanding of your requirement.
7. The Land Of Language
India has 22 official languages. However, it does not mean that it has only 22 languages. There are more than hundred languages spoken in India. People are polyglot, given the opportunity and environment. Indians encourage tourists to speak their language. Just saying namaskar or vanakkam (welcome) to the locals will make them happy. Because of this spaghetti of language options, nobody cares whether you speak with the right grammar or preposition. All that matters here is the meaning and respect.
8. Wildlife Beauty
The country holds numerous wildlife parks and natural reserves, thanks to the lush Eastern and Western Ghats of the southern region and the diverse landscape of northern region of the country. This richness provides home to many exotic and rare animals in India. You can spot many rare animals here, which might be extinct or unknown to other parts of the country. The best of all is the Asiatic lion or the Persian lion, which once thrived in the Middle Eastern countries. Today, it is an endangered species and thrives only in Gujarat of India.
Also Read : Top 20 Wildlife Sanctuaries to Visit in India
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9. Population In Excess
India is next to China in population. Although the government has taken many measures to curb the population growth, India is still up in the list. Uttar Pradesh holds more than 200 million people. To give a clear view of the population, here is a comparison. The number of people living in Uttar Pradesh (state) is higher than the individual population of Japan, Mexico and Russia (countries). Uttar Pradesh is the size of Michigan but very densely populated.
10. Largest Human Gathering Of The World
India once housed the world’s largest human gathering, which could be spotted from the space. Kumbha Mela is a Hindu festival, which takes place once in 12 years. This is the holiest festival of all and people gather at Allahabad, the spot where Ganga and Yamuna River join to bath and remove their sins. The gathering of Kumbha Mela in 2013 had at least 100 million people and this group of pilgrims were visible from space.
Also Read : Kumbh Mela – The Largest Religious Gathering in the World
11. Fashion Country
Although West is considered as the birthplace of new fashion, India is catching up. In the past, India had thriving civilizations, which gave many fashion elements to the rest of the world. In the past, India was the center for producer of silk and cotton. Today, you can find many extraordinary fashion accessories and textile items starting from heirloom Benaras silk articles to embroidered leather slippers. Top places to buy fashion items are Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and other metro cities. If you are looking for traditional items, choose Varanasi, Kanchipuram, Jaipur, Mysore, Hyderabad and others.
Also Read : Best Shopping Destinations in India with Specialties
12. Carved Step Wells Of Desert
While the entire world considered wells as just a source of water, India thought to decorate it with craved sculptures. The western part of the India has a dry climate and thus, people had to dig massive wells. This led to the architectural discovery of step wells. Kings did not stop there. They knew that the wells would be dried out during the summer season and they did not want the wells to be simpler. They decorated it with carved structures, pillars and other structures like temples, with tunnels, balconies and others at each level. These step wells became the meeting point for local women to enjoy time, around 500AD. Now, these are incredible architectural beauties of bygone era.
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13. The Wettest Part Of The World
Yes, the western part of the country is desert-filled region. On the other hand, the eastern part of the country holds the world’s wettest place, which is inhabited. Meghalaya holds Mawsynram village, which receives 467 inches of rainfall, every year. Can you guess where the second wettest inhabited region is located? Well, it is again India. Cherrapunji village holds the second position. This ecosystem helps the region to have lush natural beauties, exotic plant species and much more. If you are looking for a green vacation, away from commercialization, this is the best place.
14. Living Bridges
As stated before, Meghalaya has a unique eco system because of the heavy rainfall, throughout the year. The locals live a secluded life; keep them away from the modernity, to safeguard their culture. This led to unique attractions in these regions, including living bridges. The double-decker living bridge is an important tourist attraction. However, the state is covered with numerous living bridges, made with live vines and roots trained for many years to grow across canyons. It is much durable than wooden bridges, as wood would rot in the wet climate easily.
Also Read : Top 10 Places To Visit In Meghalaya
15. The Richest Religious Place
Padmanabhaswamy Temple of Kerala is the richest temple and the richest religious site in the world. In 2011, many ancient vaults of the temple were opened after 130 years revealing hundreds of millions of dollars in silver, gold, precious stones and others. Most of the temples in Kerala restrict people of other religion to enter the premises. However, one can get a good view of the temple from the Kuthiramalika Palace of the royal family, close to the temple.
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16. Largest Sundial Of The World
King of Jaipur had an interest in astronomy and he sailed to distant lands to learn the art of making astronomical instruments out of masonry building items. He built five astronomical centers named Jantar Mantar, which holds numerous ancient instruments, which were used in the past to find the position of sun, earth, other planets and others. The Jantar Mantar of Jaipur holds the world’s largest stone sundial.
17. 140 Dishes And Counting In Sweet Section
India is the land of celebration. Take any Indian festival, you would find that the tradition links the festival to a unique delicacy. Each state of the country creates unique desserts based on the local ingredients. The halwa of Kanyakumari, Agra’s pumpkin dessert, Delhi’s daulat ki chaat, Bengal’s rasagulla, Kerala’s payasam and the list goes on and on. Indian cuisine also borrowed many desserts from European continents, which are famous in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Goa. Indian desserts are made with ghee, cardamom, saffron, coconut and other exotic ingredients. Before you pack dozens as souvenir, ask about the shelf life. Milk sweets do not last longer.
18. The Spice Market Of India
India was once sought as a wealthy region rich with resources like silk, spice, minerals and others. Spice is an important part of India’s history, tradition and future. The oldest spice market in the world resides in the old streets of Delhi. Working for four centuries, this spice market is an important historic site. You can find almost all kinds of spices and dried fruits in this market.
These eighteen are just an introduction to this amazing land, which was sought with dear life by the western countries, many centuries ago. India is not just some tropical land with beaches and hill stations. It is the land of beauty, mystery, heritage, color and excitement.
