This document provides an overview of India's history, culture, and achievements. It discusses how India has a long history dating back thousands of years, with many ancient civilizations and invasions that have contributed to its diverse culture and rich heritage. Some of India's notable achievements include developing the number system including zero, inventing chess, establishing one of the world's earliest universities, and producing major literary and artistic works. The document also outlines some of India's national symbols and important historical monuments.

1. A peek into India's marvelous treasure
India is the seventh largest country in the world stretching from the Himalayas in the
north, tampering off the Indian Ocean in the south, with the Bay of Bengal in the east
and the Arabian Sea in the west.The sub-continent is home to one sixth of the world's
population, a diverse culture and an intoxicatingly rich history. Due to its immense
wealth, it attracted large number of foreign rulers. India never invaded any country in
her last 10,000 years of history. It was the richest country on Earth until the time of the
British rule in the early 17th century.
Facts about Present India
 Most populous liberal democracy in the world
 Seventh largest country by geographical area
 Fastest growing IT super power
 World's 2nd largest S&T manpower now
 Also, the home to second largest Muslim population in the world
 28 states, 7 union territories
 18 official languages
 3.28 million sq. kilometres - Area
 7,516 kilometres - Coastline
 1,000,000,000 people in 2000
A Brief History of time
India's history and culture is ancient and dynamic, spanning back to the beginning of
human civilization. It began with a mysterious culture along the Indus River and in
farming communities in the southern lands of India. The history goes back to 3,200 BC
when Hinduism was first founded. Today Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Christianity and
Islam all co-exist within the country. The Indian culture reflects the collective practices
of the people settled in India. Modern India presents a picture of unity in diversity with
people of different faith and beliefs living together under one roof in peace and harmony.
The name India is derived from Indus which is derived from the Old Persian word Hindu.
A second name Hindustan (Land of Hindus) has been used since the twelfth century. The
name Bharat is derived from the mythical king Bharat who is said to have ruled over the
landmass known as Bharatvarsha. In general, the three names- India, Hindustan and
Bharat are used interchangeably.
 Vedic Civilization - 6th millenium B.C.
 Rise of Jainism and Buddhism
 Mauryan Period - 322 -188 B.C
 Golden Age of Indian Arts & Science
 Muslim Invasions
 The Mughal Empire - 1526 to 1600
 The Portugese Invasion
 The British Empire - 1600 to 1900
 India's Freedom Struggle
 Independent India - 15th August,1947
 Republic India - 26th january,1950

2. Interesting facts, Inventions, Achievements...
 The Number System was invented in India
 The digit zero was invented by Aryabhatta
 Chess was invented in India
 Indus Valley Civilization - one of the worlds greatest urban
civilizations
 World's first University in Takshilla - 700 B.C.
 Ayurveda - the ancient independent scientific system of medicine
known to humans
 Yoga - the process of elevating oneself by calming the mind
 Sushruta - the father of Surgery and author of the book Sushruta
Samhita which describes over 120 surgical instruments, 300
surgical procedures and classifies human surgery in 8 categories.
 Varanasi - the oldest living, continually inhabited city in the world
 Mahabharata - the longest epic in world literature with 10,000
two-line stanzas
 India has the largest postal network in the world
 Indian Railways, the biggest employer in the world
 India produces the worlds largest motion pictures in the world
India is an immensely rich cultural treasure trove in the world. It is a land with a rich,
varied and fascinating history. Also known as a land of festivals, it has many religions
and communities. There is great diversity in our manners, habits, tastes and customs.
We speak different languages and yet we are all Indians. The rich and varied heritage
happens to be one of the many sources of pride of the nation
National Symbols of India
The National Emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of
Emperor Ashoka. It is the symbolic of India's commitment to world peace and goodwill.
The four lions(one hidden from view ) – symbolizing power, courage and confidence -
rest on a circular abacus. The abacus is girded by four smaller animals- Guardians of the
four directions: The Lion of the North, The Elephant of the East, The Horse of the South
and The Bull of the West. The abacus rests on a lotus in full bloom, exemplifying the
fountainhead of life. The motto ' Satyameva Jayate ' inscribed below the emblem in
Devanagari script means 'truth alone triumphs'

3. The Indian National Flag is a horizontal tricolorflag
where the color saffron stands for courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation, white
for purity and truth and green for faith and fertility. In the center of the white band,
there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law in the
Sarnath Lion Capital. Its diameter approximates the width of the white band and it has
24 spokes. The navy blue wheel denotes the continuity of the nations progress. The ratio
of the width to the length of the Flag shall ordinarily be 2 :3.
The Indian peacock, the national bird of India, is a colorful,
swan-sized bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the eye and a
long, slender neck. It is a large and majestic bird with long and beautiful tail. The tail
spreads out for over a meter. The male of the species is more colorful than the female.
The Indian Peacock has beautiful iridescent blue-green plumage. It is a gorgeous sight to
see the bird dancing , fanning out the tail and preening its feathers, They feed on grains,
vegetables, snakes, and insects. Poaching of peacock is strictly prohibited. It is fully
protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Royal Bengal Tiger is the National Animal of India. Its fur
is orange-brown with black stripes and the animal is a perfect combination of grace,
strength, agility and enormous power. Tigers normally live in evergreen forests and they
hunt almost all wild animals even the big elephants. The lifespan of a tiger is around 20
years.
The National Flower of India is the beautiful lotus. The Lotus or
water lily is an aquatic plant of Nymphaea with broad floating leaves and bright fragrant
flowers that grow only in shallow waters. The big attractive flowers have many petals
overlapping in a symmetrical pattern. Lotus symbolizes purity, beauty, majesty, grace,
fertility, wealth, richness, knowledge and serenity. They are found in white and pink
colors in general and they grow in shallow and murky waters.

4. The Indian National Tree is the fig (Banyan) tree, which starts its
life on another plant, subsisting on sun, air, and rain, and gradually taking over from its
host. Once established, it sends down auxiliary roots from its branches, which become
auxiliary trunks sending out new branches sending down more auxiliary roots. Spreading
in this way, a single banyan tree can eventually cover several acres of ground. It can
provide a shaded place for a village meeting or for merchants to show their wares
Because of this characteristic and its longevity, this tree is considered immortal and is an
integral part of the myths and legends of India.
The fruit Mango is regarded as the National Fruit of India. It is one of
the most widely cultivated fruits of the tropical world. This juicy, delicious fruit is a rich
source of Vitamins A, C and D. In India there are hundreds of varieties of mangoes, in
different sizes, shapes and colors etc.
The Mango tree plays a sacred role in India; it is a symbol of love and some believe that
the Mango tree can grant wishes.
Hockey is the National Game of India. The modern game
hockey grew from the game played in English public schools in the early 19th century.
The game had been taken to India by British servicemen and the first club was formed in
Calcutta in 1885.The Beighton Cup and the Aga Khan tournament had commenced
within ten years.
Entering the Olympic Games in 1928, India won all five of its games without conceding a
goal and went on to win from 1932 until 1956 and then in 1964 and 1980.
National Monuments of India
The most important and the renowned monument in
India is the Monument of Love- The Taj Mahal - made of white marble signifying the
eternal love between emperor Shahjahan and his beloved Mumtaz Mahal. There is no

5. other monument in the world that can match the beauty and grandeur of Taj Mahal.
Set amongst the serene ambiance of a well laid out garden, the massive marble
structure of the Taj Mahal is awe-inspiring.
Taj Mahal building is constructed of semi translucent white marble carved with flowers
and inlaid with thousands of semiprecious stones. It was completed in 22 years and
employed twenty thousand workers. It is a symbol of love. The Taj is considered a must
visited before death by many.
The Red Fort is another marvel of architecture and it could
perhaps be singled out as yet another monument, which should not escape the tourist's
eyes. Known as Lal Qila (lal means red and qila means fort), it is laid out along the river
Yamuna as an irregular octagon.
It is surrounded by a wall of about 2.4 Kilometers in circumference and is built of Red
Sandstone. The Mughal King Shah Jahan transferred his capital from Agra to Delhi and
the fort was completed in 1648, nine years after the king shifted to this city.
The fort has two main entrances, the Delhi Gate and the Lahore Gate. It has the Diwan-
e-am, where the king would grant audience to the public to listen to their problems. The
other feature is the Diwan-e-Khas (khas means special) where the king would grant
audience to important people. Besides this, it has the Rang Mahal, the water-cooled
apartment for the royal ladies. In the basement of the fort is a market where several
traditional Indian goods can be purchased at nominal rates. Another attraction is the
Light and Sound show held in the evenings.
The 5 storeyed Qutub Minar is a remarkable instance of sculpture in
India. The 72.5 m high Victory Pillar stands as a victory stand of a Muslim King Kutub-
ud-din-Aibak in India. In 1199 Kutub-ud-Din started its construction and it was
completed in 1236 by Iltutmish, the son-in-law of Kutub. However, there is a 2nd
opinion. Some say, the construction came to an end around 1357-68 during the reign of
Feroz Sah Tughlak.
However, the Kutub which was built in Afghan style underwent repairing and remaking
for more than occasions. Revolving steps of flights are 367 in number. At the root, the
radius is being 14.40 m which gradually reduced at its top to 2.44 m. In Kupee language
it has been inscribed on Kutub that- The Tower was erected to cast the shadow of God
over both East and West. Aayaat from Quran is also inscribed. At the foot of the Minar, a
Mosque was built in 1197.

6. Charminar built by Quli Qutub Shah, in 1591 is a splendid piece of
architecture standing in the heart of the Hyderabad city.The monument was built to
commemorate the eradication of plague. Legends tell that the emperor Quli Qutb Shah
prayed for the end of plague and took the vow to build a mosque on that very place. He
ordered the construction of the mosque which became popular as Charminar because of
its four characteristic minarets.
The Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument, with each side
measuring 20 m, and each of the edges having a pointed high minaret.The four graceful
minarets literally meaning 'Four Minars', soar to a height of 48.7m each, above the
ground. Each minaret has four storeys, each looking like a delicately carved ring around
the minaret. Each of the four arches has a clock which were put up in 1889. The top
floor of the four-storeyed structure has a mosque which has 45 covered prayer spaces
and some open space to accommodate more people in Friday prayers.
It was built with granite and lime-mortar. Charminar is often called as "The Arc de
triomphe of the East" and it exudes a charm that is more than 400 years old. The
Charminar looks spectacular particularly in the nights when it is illuminated.
Jaipur's landmark building, the Hawa Mahal or the Wind Palace
is a multi layered palace, built by Sawai Pratap Singh (grand son of Sawai Jai Singh and
son of Sawai Madhoo Singh) in 1799 AD. The Palace was designed by Mr. Lal Chand
Usta, a famous architect of the time.
Known for it's beehive like structure, the Hawa Mahal is an interplay of red and pink
sand stone, enthusiastically outlined with white borders and motifs. The intricately
carved facades of the Hawa Mahal are as ornate as the interiors. The five storeyed
facade encrusted with elegant trellis work on windows and small balconies have 953
niches. A part of the Jaipur city palace complex, the Hawa Mahal with pierced windows
was purposely made to allow the royal women to watch the activities and the ceremonial
processions while seated behind the small windows, without themselves being seen.
The Victoria Memorial, completed in 1921, sits on the
banks of the Hugli River in the Maidan, a large park in the city of Kolkata. The domed

7. marble structure was built to commemorate Queen Victoria, who ruled India from 1876
to 1901. It was erected on orders of the Viceroy of British India, Lord Curzon.
At the top of the dome is a 16-foot-tall bronze statue of Victory mounted on ball
bearings. Though not a true weathervane, it rotates when the wind is strong enough. To
this day, the museum at the Victoria Memorial is the best in India. Some of the marble
for the Victoria Memorial is from the same quarry as the stone for the Taj Mahal.
Jama Masjid or the Jami Masjid was built by the Mughal
Emperor, Shah Jahan, between 1644 and 1658 and is the final architectural piece built
by him. Situated in the ancient town of Old Delhi, this pride of the Mughals was built by
five thousand artisans. The mosque stands on Bho Jhala, which is one of the old Mughal
capital cities of Shahjahanbad. Originally called the Masjid-i-Jahanuma, or "mosque
commanding view of the world", this magnificent structure is the largest and most
exquisite mosque in India and is made up of alternate vertical strips of red sandstone
and white marble.
On the east, this monument faces the Lal Quila (Red Fort) and has three gateways, four
towers and two minarets. The gateways in the north and south are led by a fleet of
steps. The main eastern entrance remains closed on most days of the week and was
perhaps used by the Emperors. The main prayer hall is used on most days by
worshippers and is made up of high cusped arches and marble domes.
The Shore Temple of the Seven Pagodas at Mahabalipuram dates
from the 8th century AD. This five-storeyed Hindu monument is a pyramidal structure 60
ft high and 50 ft square at the base.The temple is perched on a rocky outcrop and
presides over the shoreline. The temple served as a landmark by day and a beacon by
night. It was designed to catch the first rays of the rising sun and to illuminate the
waters after dark. Thus the temple has an unusual layout.
Each has a garbhagriha in which the Sivalinga is housed, and a small mandapa, the
whole surrounded by a heavy outer wall with little space between for circulation. At the
rear are two shrines facing opposite directions. The inner shrine of Ksatriyasimnesvara is
reached from the ambulatory passage while the other, dedicated to Vishnu, faces the
outside. The outer wall of the shrine to Vishnu and the inner side of the boundary wall
are extensively sculptured. The Shore temple is not a living temple. It is speculated that
this edifice was constructed essentially as a work of art rather than as a place of
worship. The Shore temple is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India
Map of India

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There are 28 States and & 7 Union Territories in India. Each state has its own government
whereas the Union Territories are administered by the President through an administrator
appointed by him. New Delhi is the capital city of the country.
Indian Patriotic Songs
Below we present the patriotic songs of our great country written & sung by some of our
great leaders. Tell your child the importance of each song in the freedom struggle of
India.
We have included the writers name, picture and summary about each song. Sing the
patriotic songs with your child and make him feel proud of India!
Jana Gana Mana
Vande Maatram
Saare Jahan Se Achcha
Hum Honge Kaamiyaab
National Pledge
Legendary Temples
India is a land of Gods and wonderful Temples. It is often known as ‘ DevBhumi ’ or the
Abode of Gods. From the Himalayas in the North, to Kanyakumari in the South, one can
see thousand of shrines, temples and worship places dating back to hundreds of years.
Here we present enchanting stories of some of the famous temples in India for our little
devotees.....
Sabarimala (Lord Ayyapa's Abode)
Konark Sun Temple (The Black Pagoda)
Dakshineswar (MahaKali in Rani's Dream)

10. Guruvayoor (Earthly Abode of Lord Krishna)
Amarnath (Immortal Shiva)
Tirupati (Lord of Seven Hills)
Rameshwaram (Where Rama worships Shiva)