Facts about India

Know some interesting facts about India before you visit the place. Facts about Indian history, geographical diversity, its achievements in the field of technology, sports, arts and many more.   

• India was only the target of invasions, her 100000 years of history do not record her as an invader.
• The earliest culture in India, the Indus Valley Civilization was developed when several other cultures were still nomadic forest dwellers.
• India is home to  the largest number of Post Offices in the world.
• The 'Decimal System' and the 'Place Value System' are of Indian origin.
• The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu.
• The game of Snakes and Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices.
• The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.
• Chess, Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus originated in India.
• The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.
• The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
• Bhaskara  rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart.
• India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
• The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi, a 10th century construction , is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. It has overtaken  Rome and  Mecca and receives 30,000 visitors and  $6 million  to the temple everyday.
• Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
• The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.
• India, houses over 300000 active mosques more than any other country, including the Muslim world.
• Anesthesia was integral to ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy,  metabolism, physiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.
• Yoga originated in India as a school of philosophy.
• Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the Ancient City" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
• Over 2600 years ago Sushruta, the Father of Surgery and his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries.
• India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution.
• Martial Arts took root  in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
• India exports software to 90 countries.
• Navigation  was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
• The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.