Interesting Facts About India

Some of the Interesting Facts about India are as follows: 

• India has derived its name from the River Indus, and the early settlers here lived in the valleys around.
• Area wise, India is the 7th largest country in the world.
• India has the largest democracy in the world.
• India invented the number system. The scientist Aryabhatta invented the number 'zero'.
• The study of Algebra and Trigonometry originated in India.
• In the 6th century, Indian Mathematician Budhayana was the first to calculate the value of "pi", and also to explain the concept of the Pythagorean Theorem.
• Even before Christ, the 'place value system' and the decimal system was used in India.
• The maximum number of post offices in the world are in India.
• The world's highest motorable road is Khardung La, in Ladakh. It has an altitude of 5,682 meters.
• The most rainfall in the world ever in a month's time fell at Cherrapunji, Meghalaya. It was in July 1861 and 9,300 mm of rainfall fell in a month.
• The most number of movies are made in India, over 1000 each year.
• The worst train disaster ever in the world took place in 1981 in Samastipur, Bihar. In this accident around 800 people lost their lives.
• The highest cricket ground in the world is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. It is 2444 meters above sea level.
• The first ever university in the world was established in Takshila in 700 BC. Students numbering more than 10,500 from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects here.
• Ayurveda, the earliest school of medicine known to mankind, was started in India in 2,500 BC.
• India was the richest country in the world until it was invaded by the British in the 17th century.
• The art of navigation was developed in in India nearly 6000 years ago. The word 'navigation' is derived from the Sanskrit word navgatih. The word 'navy' is derived from the Sanskrit word nou.
• The world's largest pilgrimage destination is in India. It is called the Vishnu Temple in the the city of Tirupati. Around 30,000 people visit this temple daily, donating about $6 million US dollars everyday.
• One of the wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal, is in Agra, India.
• The oldest European Church and Synagogue are in the city of Cochin, India, and were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively.
• Yoga originated in India some 5000 years ago.
• Martial arts originated in India, and later spread to Asia and other parts of the world through Buddhist missionaries.
• Anesthesia was used in Indian medicine long before it was adopted into modern medicine.
• The Hindus of India created the largest measure of time, known as kalpa. This is the time starting from the birth and ending at the annihilation of the universe, which is around 25 billion years.
• Sushruta is someone who is regarded as the father of surgery. More than 2600 years ago, he along with his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, cesareans, fractures, artificial limbs, urinary stones, plastic surgeries, and brain surgeries.
• India was the only source of diamonds in the world up to 1896.
• In around 1000 BC, steel was invented in India.
• India is one of the largest exporter of computer software products, exporting software to more than 90 countries around the globe.
• In the 5th century, Bhaskaracharya was the first to correctly calculate the time that the Earth takes to orbit the Sun (365.258756484 days). He managed this hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart actually did it.
• Snakes & Ladders, one of the most widely played board games, was created by the 13th century poet Saint Gyandev. Originally, it was known as Mokshapat. The ladders in the game represented virtues and vices were represented by the snakes.
• The first ever dam and reservoir for irrigation purposes was built in Saurashtra.
• Chess was invented in India.
• The 2nd largest number of scientists and engineers in the world, are in India.
• The largest English speaking nation in the world - India.
• Besides the US and Japan, India is only other country in the world to have indigenously built a super computer.
• India has the 2nd largest road network in the world after the US.

Source: Buzzle