100 Interesting Facts About India

1. INDIA
100 Interesting
Facts

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3. INTERESTING FACTS
India is abundantly
rich with culture,
history, talent,
personality, and
charisma.
It has broken
multiple world
records, made
cinematic history,
and has some of the
best food
00

4. THE POPULATION OF INDIA
IS 1.3 BILLION
Second, only China. To be
precise, the population of India
accounts for a 1/6th of the
population worldwide. Yet, India
only occupies approximately
2.4% of the world’s land area.
01

5. INDIA IS PREDICTED TO
PASS CHINA’S
POPULATION BY 2028
02
In fact, given the
precipitous growth in
population size, India is
predicted to overtake
China as the most populous
country by 2028.
The issue is that we’re not
even close to as big as
China in land size.

6. INDIA IS THE
7TH LARGEST
COUNTRY AND
THE LARGEST
DEMOCRACY IN
THE WORLD
India’s area is 3.1
million square
kilometers
(Excluding Kashmir).
India is also the
largest democracy
and has the sixth
largest economy in
the world.
03

7. 20 DIFFERENT OFFICIAL
LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN
DIFFERENT PARTS OF
INDIA
04
In 1961, there were
over 1,500 different
languages, if you
include dialect as well.
Now, in addition to
English and Hindi, there
are 21 different
official languages in
India.
Individual state
legislatures can adopt
any regional language
as the official language
of that state.
The Constitution of India now recognizes 23 languages.
English plus 22 Indian languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri,
Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam,
Meitei, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi,
Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

8. THE NAME
‘INDIA’ IS
DERIVED
FROM
INDUS
The name India was
indeed derived from
Indus, which is actually
further derived from
Sindhu.
Early civilizations first
settled in the valley
around Indus..
05

9. THE GUINNESS
BOOK OF WORLD
RECORDS - INDIA
HAS THE 3RD
HIGHEST
NUMBER OF
RECORD
APPLICATIONS
06
In 2011, India made the 3rd
greatest number of record
applications to Guinness World
Records, behind only America
and The United Kingdom.
In the early 2000s, the number
of actual record-holders from
India grew over 250% in a
period of five years.

10. INDIA IS THE ONLY COUNTRY THAT
HAS A BILL OF RIGHTS FOR COWS
Cows are believed to be holy in Hinduism.
As such, in 2017 a Cow Protection Bill was
introduced, preventing the sale and slaughter of
cows.
07

11. INDIA HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER
OF VEGETARIANS IN THE WORLD
38% of India’s population is vegetarian.
Not following India closely at all is Israel, with 13%
of its population being vegetarian.
08

12. INDIA HAS THE LARGEST POSTAL NETWORK IN
THE WORLD
With 1,54,866 post offices, each of
which individually serves over 7,000
people
Nearly 89% of all these post offices are
in rural areas.
09

13. INDIA HAS
THE LARGEST
FILM
INDUSTRY IN
THE WORLD
10
India produces over
1,100 movies per
year, which is more
than any other film
industry.
Bollywood itself only
releases around 200
films a year, which is
still a lot.

14. INDIA HAS THE SECOND
LARGEST ACTIVE ARMY. AFTER
THE CHINA
US -3RD RANK
11

15. THE
GATHERING OF
KUMBH MELA
IS SO LARGE
THAT IS
VISIBLE FROM
THE SPACE
12
Indeed, over 75 million
people gather at a
sacred location on the
Ganges River, 15 km
from Allahabad, for
more than a month of
bathing rituals.
The Kumbh Mela is held
every 12 years.
In 2011, this religious
gathering was so huge
that it was indeed
visible from space
through a satellite.

16. MAWSYNRAM RECEIVES THE HIGHEST
RECORDED AVERAGE RAINFALL IN THE
WORLD
Located on the Kashi Hills in
Meghalaya, and known as
the wettest village,
Mawsynram gets about
11,873 millimeters of rain
owing to its proximity to the
Bay of Bengal.
13

17. INDIA IS THE SECOND LARGEST
ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRY IN THE
WORLD (125 MILLION SPEAKERS)
Yes everyone, over 125 million people
in India speak English, and this is
second only to the United States.
This statistic is expected to quadruple
in the next decade.
14

18. INDIA HAS 300,000 ACTIVE
MOSQUES
India happens to have the
greatest number of mosques
in the world.
A few famous ones you might
have heard of are, Jama
Masjid(New Delhi), Mecca
Masjid (Hyderabad), Taj-Ul-
Masjid (Bhopal).
15

19. WE OWE INDIA THE DECIMAL NUMBER
SYSTEM AND THE NUMBER ZERO
Astronomer and mathematician, Aryabhata, devised
a number system that included absolute zero.
While he did not invent the number zero itself, the
knowledge of zero was implicit in Aryabhata’s place-
value system as a place holder for the powers of ten
with null coefficients.
16

20. FIRST ROCKET MADE IN INDIA
WAS TRANSPORTED BY A CYCLE
In 1963, ISRO launched its first rocket from a church
in Thumba, on the outskirts of modern-day
Trivandrum.
This rocket was small enough to be transported on a
bicycle.
The launching pad later came to be known as Vikram
Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC).
17

21. SHAMPOO WAS
INVENTED IN INDIA
Not commercial liquid ones, but the
method by use of herbs.
The word shampoo comes from the
Sanskrit word Champu, which means
‘to massage’
18

22. SWITZERLAND
CELEBRATES SCIENCE DAY
ON THE 26TH OF MAY,
HONOURING ABDUL
KALAM
Indeed, the whole day is set aside in honour of APJ Abdul Kalam,
who studied physics and aerospace engineering.
He was also called “The missile man” because of his development
of ballistic missiles.
19

23. CHESS WAS INVENTED IN INDIA
BEFORE THE 6TH CENTURY AD
The original word for “chess”
is the Sanskrit chaturanga,
which means “four members
of an army.” This is probably
in reference to four chess
pieces, elephants, horses,
chariots and foot soldiers.
20

24. INDIA IS THE WORLD’S LARGEST MILK
PRODUCER, WITH OVER 21% OF GLOBAL
PRODUCTION
21

25. INDIA’S ROAD NETWORK IS
THE SECOND LARGEST
WITH 4.8 MILLION MILES
OF ROADS CONSTRUCTED
22

26. THE HIGHEST CRICKET GROUND IN THE WORLD,
AT A LEVEL OF 2,144 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL
IN CHAIL, HIMACHAL PRADESH.
23

27. THE FIRST SATELLITE OF INDIA
24

28. INDIAN RAILWAYS EMPLOY
MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE
25

29. THE HIMALAYAS PEAKS
26

30. THE WORLD’S HIGHEST RAIL BRIDGE IS IN
JAMMU KASHMIR, INDIA (1,178 FEET
OVER THE RIVER CHENAB)
27

31. USB WAS DEVELOPED BY AN
INDIAN-AMERICAN COMPUTER
ARCHITECT (AJAYBHATT)
28

32. BANDRA-WORLI SEA LINK
(MUMBAI) HAS STEEL WIRES
EQUAL TO EARTH’S
CIRCUMFERENCE
29

33. THE INDIAN NATIONAL “KABADDI”
TEAM HAS WON ALL WORLD CUPS
30

34. INDIAN MILLIONAIRES COUNT
TO GROW 63% OVER NEXT 5
YEARS.
SOURCE: ECONOMICTIMES.INDIATIMES.COM | DT: FEB 24, 2021
31
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/indian-millionaires-count-to-grow-63-over-next-five-years-report/articleshow/81188222.cms

35. GANGA IS THE LONGEST RIVER IN INDIA,
LENGTH OF 2525 KM
32

36. CALCULUS AND
TRIGONOMETRY CAME
FROM INDIA
33

37. INDIA HAS BEEN THE 5TH
LARGEST TROOP CONTRIBUTOR
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS
34

38. OVER 4700 DAILY NEWSPAPERS
IN MORE THAN 300 LANGUAGES
ARE PRODUCED IN INDIA.
35

39. THE LARGEST WHOLESALE
SPICE MARKET OF ASIA IS
IN INDIA – KHARI BAOLI,
NEW DELHI.
36

40. INDIA HAS A SPA JUST
FOR ELEPHANTS,
LOCATED IN KERALA
37

41. 38
KANCHENJUNGA IS THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN PEAK
Altitude - 8,586 meters

42. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TRAVELLING
IN THE INDIAN RAILWAYS EVERY DAY
IS EQUAL TO THE POPULATION OF
AUSTRALIA
39

43. INDIA HAS A MYSTERIOUS
ANTI-GRAVITY HILL, IN
LADAKH, CALLED
MAGNETIC HILL
40

44. MOST HISTORIANS AGREE THAT THE
FIRST RECORDED ACCOUNT OF
PLASTIC SURGERY IS FOUND IN
ANCIENT INDIAN SANSKRIT TEXTS
41

45. SAMOSAS, THE MUCH-LOVED INDIAN
SNACK ARE BANNED IN SOMALIA
42

46. THE CITY
MONTESSORI
SCHOOL IN
LUCKNOW IS
THE WORLD’S
LARGEST
SCHOOL
43
NUMBER OF STUDENTS- 9,437 STUDENTS
AND 2,500 TEACHERS – YR 2011

47. THE HUMAN CALCULATOR,
SHAKUNTLA DEVI, WAS
GIVEN THIS TITLE AFTER
SHE DEMONSTRATED THE
CALCULATION OF TWO 13
DIGIT NUMBERS:
7,686,369,774,870 ×
2,465,099,745,779, PICKED
AT RANDOM.
SHE ANSWERED
CORRECTLY WITHIN 28
SECONDS
44

48. YOGA
45

49. DESPITE BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS,
INDIA’S SPACE PROGRAM IS ONE OF
THE TOP 5 SPACE PROGRAMS IN THE
WORLD
46

50. ACTOR BEN KINGSLEY’S BIRTH
NAME IS KRISHNA PANDIT
BHANJI AND HE IS OF INDIAN
DESCENT
47

51. THE INDIAN CULTURE IS ONE
OF THE OLDEST IN THE WORLD,
GOING BACK TO ABOUT 4,500
YEARS
48

52. RABINDRANATH
TAGORE ALSO
WROTE THE
NATIONAL ANTHEM
FOR BANGLADESH
49

53. DHYAN CHAND WAS OFFERED GERMAN CITIZENSHIP-
AFTER DEFEATING GERMANY 8-1 IN THE 1936 BERLIN
OLYMPICS
MAJOR DHYAN CHAND, THE WIZARD OF HOCKEY, WAS
SUMMONED BY HITLER
50

54. ONLY FOR INDIA,
KFC HAD TO
INTRODUCE A
“VEGETARIAN”
MENU
51

55. SNAKES AND LADDERS
– THE GAME, WAS
INVENTED IN INDIA
IN THE 13TH CENTURY
BY A POET SAINT
GYANDEV
52

56. FREDDIE MERCURY WAS OF
INDIAN DESCENT
53

57. GOLDEN TEMPLE
AMRITSAR
54

58. THE WORLD’S
FIRST GRANITE
TEMPLE IS THE
BRIHADESWARA
TEMPLE AT
TANJAVUR, TAMIL
NADU.
55

59. INDIA WAS ONCE THE HUB OF
BUDDHISM AND EMPEROR ASHOKA
HELPED SPREAD IT AROUND THE
WORLD
56

60. ASTRONAUT RAKESH SHARMA SAID INDIA
LOOKS SAARE JAHAAN SE ACHCHA FROM
SPACE
57

61. INDIA HAS MOST NO OF CATTLE'S 58

62. INDIA EXPORTS SOFTWARE
TO > 90 COUNTRIES
59

63. THE RIVER DOLPHINS OF THE GANGES IS THE
NATIONAL AQUATIC ANIMAL OF INDIA.
60

64. THE HIMALAYAN BLUE SHEEP IS
FOUND ONLY IN INDIA
61

65. MORE THAN $6
MILLION IS DONATED
TO THE VISHNU
TEMPLE IN THE CITY
OF TIRUPATHI.
IT WAS BUILT IN THE
10TH CENTURY
62

66. THE PENTIUM CHIP
WAS INVENTED BY AN
INDIAN
63
Vinod Dham is an Indian-American engineer.
He is known as 'Father of the Pentium Chip

67. INDIA IS HOME
TO AROUND
1300 SPECIES
OF BEAUTIFUL
BIRDS
64

68. WORLD’S FIRST HOSPITAL TRAIN –
THE LIFELINE EXPRESS
a.k.a the Jeevan
Rekha Express is
the world’s first
hospital train
taking its
services ranging
from surgeries
to cancer
treatment to
remote villages.

69. 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.
66

70. DIAMONDS WERE FIRST
MINED IN INDIA
67

71. BENARAS, NOW KNOWN AS VARANASI IS THE OLDEST
CONTINUOUSLY INHABITED CITY IN THE WORLD.
BUDDHA HAD ALSO VISITED IT
68

72. A SPECIAL
POLLING STATION
IS SET UP FOR A
LONE VOTER IN
THE MIDDLE OF
GIR FOREST
69

73. BANJARAN WAS THE FIRST FOLK
ALBUM OF INDIA THAT CONTAINED
FOLK SONGS FROM GUJRAT AND
RAJASTHAN
70

74. THE VEENA IS A
BEAUTIFUL
INSTRUMENT
THAT WAS FIRST
MADE IN INDIA
71

75. THE LADYBIRDS
WAS THE FIRST
INDIA BAND THAT
ONLY HAD
WOMEN
72

76. GANDHARVA MAHAVIDYALAYA WAS
THE FIRST MUSIC SCHOOL IN INDIA
THE TABLA MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
WAS MADE FIRST IN INDIA.
73

77. GANESH CHATURTHI IS HELD IN
REVERENCE OF LORD GANESHA
AND IS A POPULAR FESTIVAL
THROUGHOUT INDIA
74

78. KARWA CHAUTH IS
A FESTIVAL THAT
HINDU WOMEN
CELEBRATE, WHERE
THEY PRAY FOR
THEIR HUSBANDS’
LONGEVITY
75

79. BASMATI RICE
76

80. DUM BIRYANI WAS ORIGINALLY A MONEY-
SAVING DISH THAT WAS ENGINEERED BY THE
NAWAB OF AWADH TO FEED THE POOR
77

81. THE INDIAN
PHARMACEUTICAL
INDUSTRY IS THE
WORLD’S SECOND-
LARGEST AFTER CHINA
BY VOLUME OF PILLS
PRODUCED
78

82. 100 OF THE FORTUNE 500
COMPANIES HAVE R&D
FACILITIES IN INDIA
79

83. 3+ MILLION PEOPLE
OF INDIAN ORIGIN
LIVE IN THE U.S
80

84. INDIA SENDS LARGE
STUDENTS TO U.S.
COLLEGES.
81

85. THE BOMBAY
STOCK
EXCHANGE(BSE)
LISTS IN TOP 10
82

86. THE LONGEST STATION NAME ON THE
INDIAN RAILWAYS IS
VENKATANARASIMHARAJUVARIAPETA
83

87. TOP 5 ECONOMY
IN THE WORLD
84

88. NORTH SENTINEL
ISLAND
It is home to the
Sentinelese, an indigenous
people in voluntary
isolation who have
defended, often by force,
their protected isolation
from the outside world
85

89. WORLD LARGEST TEA
PLANTATION
The first recorded mention
of tea in the country dates
back to 750 BCE
86

90. BRITISH FAVORITE
FOOD – CHICKEN
TIKKA
Chicken tikka masala has
become one of Britain’s
national dishes
87

91. TIGER ONLY
FOUND HERE
The Bengal tiger is India's
national animal
88

92. INDIA HAS THE HIGHEST MOTORABLE
HIGHWAY IN THE WORLD
The Ladakh Road has
an altitude of 5882
meters (19,300 feet)
90

93. DABBAWALLAHS DELIVER A
STAGGERING AMOUNT OF LUNCHES
Mumbai's foodservice
network known
as dabbawallahs delivers
over 200,000 lunch boxes
by bike and train from
home to office daily
91

94. INDIA IS HOME TO
WORLD WONDER –
THE TAJ MAHAL
92

95. INDIA IS HOME TO THE FAMOUS HOLI
FESTIVAL
93

96. KARNI MATA TEMPLE OR
THE “TEMPLE OF RATS”
Although rats are not as
widely worshipped as
cows in India
94

97. THE TOWN OF JAIPUR IS
HOME TO THE WORLD’S
LARGEST SUNDIAL
90 feet tall. The sundial has been
listed as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site
95

98. A METEOR FORMED
THE
BREATHTAKING
LONAR LAKE IN
MAHARASHTRA
96

99. SPICY PEPPER
In 2007, Guinness World
Records certified that the ghost
pepper was the world's hottest
chili pepper, 170 times hotter
than Tabasco sauce
97

100. THERE ARE 8 TYPES OF
CLASSICAL DANCE IN INDIA.
Bharatnatyam,
Kathakali,
Kathak,
Mohiniyattam,
Kuchipudi,
Odissi,
Manipuri &
Sattriya
98

101. WOMEN IN INDIA
OWN > 10% OF
THE WORLD'S
GOLD.
99

102. THERE IS A VILLAGE WITH NO DOORS
AND LOCKS, AND ZERO CRIMES
● 100

103. THANK YOU !
God bless you.