What could possibly be said about India ??

We all now about the sacred cows, Gandhi and the Taj Mahal.

We all know that India is a very religious and spiritual country, hosting over 2 million Hindu temples and being the birth-place of Ayurveda and Yoga and their ancient healing systems.

We all know India is the second most populated country on earth, second only to China, with roughly 1.37 billion people. (It’s estimated that by the year 2050, India will have surpassed China to become the most populated country in the world.)

We all know Indians are vegetarians (between 15% and 30% of India’s population follow a strict vegetarian diet), eat with their fingers; that Indian food is delicious and has become one of the most widespread cuisines in the world.

We all know that India hosts some of the most amazing festivals on earth like Holi, also known as the festival of colors.

We all know about the Maharajas, their amazing castles, the caste system.

We all know about the British colonization and the nonviolent movement of non-co-operation leading to the country’s independence in 1947

So … What else ? Let’s find out

Shampoo originated in India

Image credits: kamini.id

The word “shampoo” comes from the Sanskrit word “champu,” which means “to massage.” Ground herbs mixed with water were the very first forms of shampoo. Not until later, when the idea caught on were commercial bottles produced.

India was the first country to refine and consume sugar

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Sugar was first produced from sugarcane plants in Northern India sometime after the first century AD. The derivation of the word “sugar” is thought to be from Sanskrit śarkarā, meaning “ground or candied sugar,” originally “grit, gravel”. Sanskrit literature from ancient India, written between 1500 – 500 BC provides the first documentation of the cultivation of sugar cane and of the manufacture of sugar in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. The Sanskrit name for a crudely made sugar substance was guda, meaning “to make into a ball or to conglomerate.”

The most ancient surviving city in the world

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The holy city of Varanasi, also known as Banaras or Kashi, is believed to be one of the oldest living cities in the world. In fact, it is believed that this place was once the home of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
As Mark Twain puts it, Varanasi is “older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.”

This city’s connection with eternity doesn’t end here, for it is believed that the person who inhales his final breath here actually attains salvation.
This is why so many devout Hindus pilgrimage to Varanasi to spend their last days on Earth. At the same time, many other devotees flock to the city throughout the year to experience its divinity.

The world’s largest sundial

The town of Jaipur is home to the largest sundial in the world, which is a towering 27 meters (90 feet) tall! If that’s not impressive enough, the sundial is constructed from beautiful polished stone to create a truly impressive work of architecture. It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Every year, it attracts thousands of visitors, who come to witness the shadow moving at about six centimeters per minute.

The safest village on earth

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The village of Shani Shingnapur is famous for not having a door or lock on a single house. Beyond that, there has not been a recording of a criminal act for almost 400 years.

Many people think that the shared vulnerability has created a neighborly trust between the residents, which has formed a protection stronger than a deadbolt or heavy gate.

Diamond mining

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India was the first country to mine diamonds
From the 4th century BC for around 1,000 years, India was the only source of diamonds in the world. The original diamonds were found in the Krishna River Delta.

In the 18th century, more diamond deposits were discovered in Brazil, and soon after, in South Africa, adding to the market of diamonds.

The world’s highest motorable road

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At over 19,300 feet, the Ladakh road is the highest motorable road in the world.

The wettest inhabited place on Earth

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Meghalaya village has won the Guinness world record title for the wettest place on Earth, with about 11,873 milliliters of rain annually. The monsoon season lasts six months

World’s longest hair on a teenager

Image credits: www.guinnessworldrecords.com

Since 2018, Nilanshi Patel, from Modasa, Gujarat, India, has held the Guinness World Records title for the longest hair on a teenager. At the time, she was 16 years old, and her hair measured 170.5 cm (5 ft 7 in). In July 2021, just before her 18th birthday, Nilanshi’s hair was measured for the last time and reached an incredible 200cm (6ft 6.7 inches), securing her the iconic title for the longest hair ever on a teenager as well.

World’s longest journey by public transport within a country

Jotshna Mishra and Durga Charan from Odisha have set the record for the longest journey by public transport within a country. The couple travelled 29,119 km across India from February 18 to March 30, 2018.

World’s smallest cow

Image credits: www.amarujala.com

Manikyam, owned by Akshay NV of Kerala, continues to hold the Guinness record for being the shortest cow, measuring 24.07 inches (from hoof to withers).

Lonar Lake

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Lonar Lake (Buldana, Maharashtrathe) is the world’s oldest Meteoric Crater Lake and third largest in terms of the size. This is one of the best natural marvels of the country. It nestles around temples and scenic beauty. This lake is alkaline and saline in nature, which has attracted many scientists’ attention towards it.

World’s Longest Solo Dance Marathon

An amazing Indian dancer Ms. Kalamandalam Hemaletha danced for about 123 hours and created a record of longest solo dance marathon at Kerala Sangeetha Nadaka Academy.

World’s Most Expensive Wedding

The record for the most expensive wedding is held by steel tycoon Mr. Lakshmi Mittal’s daughter, Vanisha’s wedding. The total amount spent was approximately USD 60 million in 2004. The guests were welcomed in Bollywood style by the famous actor, Shah Rukh Khan. It actually is not a surprise as Indians are known to spend lavishly during weddings.

World’s Shortest Woman

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A lady holding dual record for being the shortest woman and the tiniest teenager alive is Ms. Jyoti Ange. She measures only 61.95 centimetres or 2 feet.

World’s longest moustache

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The Guinness World record for having the longest moustache is held by a Jaipur resident, Mr. Ram Singh Chauhan. He has been toiling hard and has grown the moustaches for 32 years and it is 14 feet long.

World’s longest turban

Image credits: www.life.hu

An amazing record held by an Indian is Mr. Avtar Singh Mauni from Patiala, Punjab for wearing the longest turban in the world. A turban stretching almost 645 meters, weighing 100 pounds takes almost six hours to be tied on his head.

World’s tallest statue

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The Statue of Unity, located in Kewadyia in the Indian state of Gujarat, stands at a height of 182 meters and is known as the tallest statue in the world. It was built in honor of Sardar Vallabhbhain Patel, the statesman who succeeded in creating the Indian Union after 1947, bringing independence to over 500 states that were once under the control of the British Empire.

World’s biggest family

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India holds the record of having the world’s biggest family: 39 wives, 94 children, and 33 grandchildren. The family lives in a 100-room, four-story house in Baktwang village of Mizoram.

World’s largest religious gathering

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Kumbha (Kumbha means pot) Mela (means fair) is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage that takes place at the following four locations of India. The pilgrimage occurs four times every twelve years, once at each of the four locations. Legend has it that in the mythological times, during a waging war between the demigods and demons for the possession of nectar of eternal life, a few drops of it had fallen on to four places that are today known as Prayag, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik.
The most recent Kumbh Mela was in 2016 in Ujjain and around 70 millions of pilgrims took a holy dip in river Shipra.
It is the largest religious gathering in the world!

With documents dating back as early as 5,500 BCE, Hinduism is also considered the oldest religion in the world.

Takshila University

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The first-ever university in the world, Takshila, was started around 700 BC in India.

Snakes and Ladders

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The game, Snakes and Ladders, was invented in India in the 13th century by a poet saint Gyandev. The game was designed on the basis that good deeds take you to heaven while bad deeds take you to hell.

Mathematics

The decimal system and place value system were developed in India around 100 B.C. And ‘Zero’ in the number system was invented by an Indian mathematician, Aryabhatta. Calculus, Trigonometry, and Algebra are originated in India.

Information and communication

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Over 4700 daily newspapers are produced in India in more than 300 languages.

And Sanskrit is considered the oldest language in the world, the “mother of all languages.” Every Hindu book is written in Sanskrit, and it is said that Sanskrit is the language of the demi-Gods.

India is divided into 29 states and has 22 recognized languages. However, the official languages are English and Hindi.

Bollywood

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The Indian entertainment industry produces the largest number of films across the world (1200 movies produced every year !!)

Cows are sacred but …

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India is the world’s largest milk producer, with 16% of global production !!

Piplantri village

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A village (Piplantri) in Rajasthan, India plants 111 trees every time a girl is born, ensuring the tree’s survival over the years. The village has planted over 250,000 trees.

Maximum retail price

Image credits: www.ibtimes.co.uk

All packaged products sold in India have a “maximum retail price” printed on the package by the manufacturer and that it is illegal for a store to charge more than that. India is the only country with this system.

The Gulabi gang

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There is a gang of women dressed in pink (Gulabi gang) in India that go after abusive husbands and fight to stop child marriages.

Thuggees

Image credits: www.columbia.edu

The word “thug” comes from Thuggees, who were professional robbers and murderers that terrorized India for 600 years. They were eventually destroyed by the British

Mukesh Ambani’s house

Image credits: www.ndtv.com

India’s richest person, Mukesh Ambani, built a $1 billion home. It has 27 habitable floors, including six parking floors for the capacity of up to 168 cars. A staff of 600 maintain the home.

Honey urine

Image credits: www.medisite.fr

In ancient India, Diabetes was called “madhumeha” or “honey urine” as the urine would attract ants. Indian physicians Sushruta and Charaka identified Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes as separate conditions for the first time in 400-500 CE

Chess village

Image credits: www.lifewire.com

Villagers in the India village of Marottichal began playing chess as an alternative to drinking after a ban on alcohol.The village is now known as ‘Chess Village’ due to its near 100% chess literacy.
Btw … Chess were invented in India !!

Robert Fortune

Image credits: archive.kuow.org

In 1848, the British East India Company sent Botanist Robert Fortune on a trip to China’s interior, an area forbidden to foreigners to steal tea seeds from China to India. He succeeded and within his lifetime, India surpassed China as the world’s largest tea grower.

Baba Umer Dargah

Image credits: onebighappyphoto.com

The Baba Umer Dargah is a famous Islamic shrine in Solapur, India. It is known for a baby throwing ritual, in which infants are dropped from a 15-meter platform onto a cloth held by both Muslim and Hindu men. This practice is five to seven hundred years old

70% of the spices used in the world come from India !!

Image credits: healthylivingassociation.org

Love Commandos

Image credits: www.nripulse.com

In India, there is a Guardian Angels-style vigilante group (Love Commandos) that protects young couples who fall in love across different castes. They are called the Love Commandos

Mumbai blood type

Image credits: allindiaroundup.com

There is a rare blood group known as ‘h/h’ or ‘Oh’ which was first discovered in 1952 at Bombay, India, hence christening another name ‘Bombay Blood Group’. This blood is so rare that only 4 in a million would have it globally; however, every 1 in 10,000 have it in Bombay.

Dolphin shows

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India banned captive dolphin shows as “morally unacceptable”. They believe they are highly intelligent & should be seen as “non-human persons” with their own specific rights.

The world’s largest soup kitchen

Image credits: www.ravishingindiaholidays.com

The world’s largest soup kitchen is the Golden Temple, the holiest temple for Sikhs, which is located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. The Golden Temple can serve free food for up to 100,000 – 300,000 people every day, regardless of faith, religion, or background.

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