Surprising Facts About India That Will Leave You in Awe

50+ Amazing Facts About India That Will Leave You in Awe

Facts about India never cease to satiate us. The more you learn about Indian facts, the more they intrigue you. This vibrant land has many secrets hidden in terms of culture, heritage, and history, which will enthral us as we move along on our journey with amazing facts about India. The more we dig in, the more we learn about Indian facts. Here we tried to curate such a collection of facts about India which we hope will educate and enlighten you. Move on to know about them:

Facts about India and Indian Culture

To be precise there is a multitude of great things about India. Right from the ancient invention of Zero to the modern Mangalyaan, facts about Indians are not limited to one niche. Many interesting facts about India teach us the greatness of ancient Indians as well the development of the country in modern science and technology. At the same time, Indian facts comprise the everlasting beautiful culture and traditional practices that Indians adhere to despite the entry of modernity. Right from the family system in India to the unmatchable religious tolerance, there are many Indian facts which we should know.

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The motherland of Martial Arts

Many martial arts are born in India. In ancient and medieval India, there existed almost 10 famous Indian martial arts: Kalaripayattu, Silambam, Chibi Gad-ga, Thang-ta, Sarit-sarak, Pari-khanda, Thoda, Ghatka, Lathi, Mardani Khel and many other forms of wrestling prevailed in India.

Wildlife

Indian forests are a haven for wildlife. India is home to tigers and elephants in considerable amounts. Around 75 percent and 55 percent of the world’s tigers and elephants respectively are in India. The Indian national animal is Tiger. Currently, there are around 3000 tigers in India, with their population steeply declining. This is one of the facts about India that is a cause of worry. 

Statue of Unity

A recent landmark of India is the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. The Indian government completed this tallest statue in the world in a record time of 40 months other than the planning and blueprint time taken. By March 2021, 50 lakh visitors visited the Statue of Unity creating another record in Indian tourism.

Rangoli

The Earth comes to life in India through vibrant rangolis almost everyday. India is probably the only country and maybe a very few countries where rangolis are drawn and practiced in various forms. Life and culture of India revolves around rangolis immensely adding 

The interesting origin behind the names of places

Many places in India obtain their name from legends. For instance, the city Madurai gets its name from the Tamil word Madhuram, which means honey or nectar. It is believed that the nectar drops from Lord Shiva’s locks fell in the city and hence the name. Another famous religious place Dwaraka gets its name from being the Gateway of India in ancient times. The word Dwar means entrance in Sanskrit.

Sun and moon at the same horizon

You can see the sun and the moon on the same horizon at Kanyakumari, a famous tourist place in India, at the southernmost tip of the sub-continent. Visit this place during full moon day in April to witness this celestial event.

World’s largest monolithic statue

The world’s largest monolithic statue (made of a single stone) is in ShravanaBelagola, India. The 17-m high nude Jain statue of Bahubali, the first Tirthankara is the world’s tallest monolithic statue. The holy event Mahamastakabhisheka, which happens once every 12 years if of immense religious significance to Jains.

Mission Mangalyaan

India is the first Asian nation to reach Mars in the first attempt. The total cost of this project was 454 crore INR which is a top Hollywood movie! This is undoubtedly one of the pride-filled astonishing facts about India. 

Magnetic places in India

India’s Leh hill is known for its magnetic power. It can even pull back a car on neutral gear towards it defying gravity. Kalo Dunagar in Rajasthan is another hill that is known for its magnetic pull. Similarly, another road in Gujarat, namely Tulsishyam road is popular for pulling back cars towards it!

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Vultures visit temples without amiss

In a place known as Tirukalukundram near Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu, every day two vultures visit the temple and accept offerings. According to locals’ belief, the vultures are the spirits of two saints and the phenomenon has been going on for ages.

One of the few medieval libraries of the world

Thanjavur, a famous place in Tamilnadu has a library with a rich collection of Sanskrit, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and other languages. It is one of the libraries in the world that hold a rich collection of medieval times.

Quran collection

Salarjung Museum in Hyderabad has a world-famous Quran collection. It contains Qurans from across the world in different fonts and sizes.

Lifestyle cost

India is one of the cheapest countries to live in happily. The cost of living in India is 64.65% lower than that needed in the USA. This is one of the interesting facts about India. 

India in world heritage sites

UNESCO inscribed 28 heritage sites in India. 23 are cultural sites while 5 are natural sites.  

Religions

India is a land of people with many major religions of the world. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism are born in India, while Islam, Christianity, Zoarastrainsim, Judaism, and Bahai arrived from other places. Indians are known for their religious tolerance and friendly feelings towards people of all religions. 

The Vedas

The Rigveda, the earliest Veda and the sacred scripture for Hindus is the oldest religious composition in the world. It was composed around 1500 and 900 B.C.

Trains and Railways

Many countries use trains as a means of commuting. But one interesting fact about India when it comes to trains in – Indian railways are the largest railways in the world. Besides, the Indian train system actually originated during British times. To date, Indian railways are the biggest employer in India, and trains in India are the most preferred means of transport for Indians.

Music and dance

Around 500 musical instruments were known to ancient Indians. The Natyashastra mentions them all and this is the holy book that laid the birth to the Indian classical dance.

Motherland of Sanskrit

Indian origins lie in Sanskrit. The influence is seen even today. The national emblem of India – the three lions and the dharma chakra carry Satyameva Jayate, which means Truth Prevails – in Sanskrit. Similarly, many government emblems and tourism departments hold Sanskrit slogans too.

Indian Tourism

India attracts millions of tourists from across the globe every year. Facts about India Tourism tells that the country stands 34th out of 150 countries in the world in terms of tourism potential.

Languages

India has no official language. The Indian constitution recognizes 22 languages and there are more than 1000 languages spoken in India. India is also one of the nations that contain the highest number of English-speaking people. Most Indians are multilingual.

Indian inventions

Zero (0), chess, snakes and ladders, the place value system, and the decimal value system are all contributions of India to the world. It was India’s Chandrayaan mission that discovered the presence of water on the moon.

Ayurveda

The world’s ancient form of treatment ever known to humanity is Ayurveda. A composition of Charaka, who is considered as the Father of Ayurveda, Ayurveda is potent enough to treat many diseases that are still a mystery to modern medicine.

Yoga

The practice of Yoga finds its mentions in the Holy Hindu scriptures such as Bhagavad-Gita. Yoga is potent enough to cure all lifestyle ailments without any medicines and many spiritual benefits of yoga. It dates back to as old as 5000 years ago.

A land of diamonds

Diamonds were first discovered and mined in India. India was the largest producer of diamonds till the later part of the 18th century. India’s Kohinoor diamond is world-famous.

National language of India

India has many languages. Officially the government recognizes 22 languages. There is no national language in India. However, Hindi is considered the official language of India owing to the number of speakers. Hindi is mainly derived from Sanskrit through Prakrit and Apabhramsha. It is also influenced by Turkish, Dravidian, Arabic, Portuguese, as well as English.

A land of Karma

India is a land of Karma – Karma Bhoomi. The Karma philosophy is intensely believed in India. The whole world now acknowledges the truth and logic behind Karma. Every action and experience of a person is the result of Karma, as per the Indian religious literature and philosophy.

Kumbh Mela

Kumbh Mela is the largest recorded human gathering on Earth. Kumbh Mela happens once every 12 years at various rivers in India. Kumbh Mela draws millions of tourists and devotees together and is one of the major contributors to the local economy and employment too.

Humankind’s oldest inhabited place

India contains humankind’s oldest inhabited place – Varanasi. It is believed that this place has been in existence since the origin of Earth. 

Shampoo

Indians were the first to use the practice of shampooing to the hair. They used the nuts Shikaki and Kunkudukai, and extracts from herbs to clean their hair and maintain its health. The word Shampoo originates from the Hindi word, ‘champoo’. 

Highest cricket ground in India

The Chail Cricket Ground in Chail is the highest in India sitting at 2,444 meters above sea level. 

Urbanization

India’s cities rank in the list of top 100 urban places of the UN. Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Pune, and Surat are the urban places on the list.

Democracy and voting

India is one of the largest democratic nations in the world. People elect their leaders by voting. India has lakhs of voting booths, amongst which one works for only a single voter.

Indian National Anthem

‘Jana Gana Mana’ – the Indian national anthem was composed by Shri Rabindranath Tagore on December 11, 1911. It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. Interestingly, Tagore also composed the national anthem of Bangladesh, while the Sri Lankan national anthem has deep influence of his words and lyrics.

Vegetarianism

India is the country with the largest number of vegetarians in the world. Many people in India even shun onion and garlic due to religious beliefs. 

However, on the contrary, Indian cuisine has an impact on Mughlai intensely. Owing to the Mughal rule in India, the consumption of meat is common in India. One can easily find dishes that reflect Middle East style in most places of India.  

The highest number of mosques

Islam is the second-largest religion in India. There are currently 300 thousand active mosques in India, more than those in any Islam-dominated nation in the world!

Movies 

Here is one of the interesting Indian facts. Indians are movie buffs. India is the largest producer of movies in the world. As many as 1800 movies are made every year in India in various Indian languages. Indian has many festivals and it is a norm to release big blockbuster movies and movies made on a heavy budget especially during festival season. 

Festival celebrations in India are intertwined with watching the latest movies too. Movie stars are loved and worshipped by Indians. They often reflect a cult. Rajni Kanth, Sonu Sood are some of the actors that have gained the hearts of millions of Indians with their unmatchable personal and professional career graphs.

Bandra-Worli Sea Link

The Bandra Worli sea link is made of steel wires as long as the earth’s circumference! This is one of the facts about India that will surely surprise anyone.

Royal Culture

India was once a land of kings – kings who made their mark on the country’s culture and commerce. The influence can still be seen in many heritage sites of India, such as Hampi, Mysore, Hyderabad, Delhi, etc. The traditions and practices of those kings are still implemented by their descendants. Mysore Maharajas, Kerala royal families, etc are some of the examples of the ancient royal grandeur.

Richest Temples in India

India is a home of temples. At present, there are over two million temples in India. Temple tourism is famous in India and it contributes to the Indian economy in many ways. However, what captivates the global attention is the revenue these temples make. 

India has many richest temples. Ananta Padmanabhan Swamy temple, Tirumala Balaji temple, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Amritsar Golden temple, Assam Kamakhya temple, etc. are some of the richest temples of India as well as in the world. 

People who completed a century

As per records, India has more than 6.05 lakh people who completed 100 years! This is probably one of the interesting facts about India that proves the power of the ancient Indian lifestyle and food habits.

Chandrayaan-3

India is the first country to land on the south pole of the moon in its historic mission Chandrayaan-3 in August 2023. Read more about this mission here. The Complete Story of Chandrayaan-3

Indian Culture

For outsiders, India may look like a country of cows and dung. But the beauty and the science of Indian culture draws millions across the globe towards it. Indian culture is different from western culture. It is a common sight that foreigners leave their lifestyle behind and settle in India seeking respite in Indian culture. The beauty and the serenity that Indian culture and spirituality offer is beyond money and science. This is one of the eternal facts about India that will reflect the greatness of this land.

River worship

Indians believe in worshipping rivers. They are the foundation of Indian culture. Currently, there are 400 rivers in India. The world-famous event Kumbh Mela is one of the biggest humanity gathering events. This is also related to river worship and millions of people taking bath in sacred rivers.

Production

India is the third-largest producer of pharmaceuticals in the world. India ranks number one in milk production in the world. Another among the facts about India is it is the country with the largest production of jute, pulses, and the second-largest in rice, wheat, and cotton.

Grandmother of civilizations

India is as old as 250,000 years. The country is the home to many oldest civilizations in the world ever known to humanity. Many famous civilizations like Indus Valley Civilization and Aryan cultures have their impact on India and its culture and races.

Handlooms in India

Indian handlooms are a signature of Indian culture. Every state has its own handloom designated by its local culture and climatic conditions. It is a norm to present the handloom saree, shawl or kurta, dhoti to the representatives who visit the state or country. Similarly, handicrafts in India are mesmerizing. Many global brands have taken cues from Indian arts, handlooms, and handicrafts for their business and product design.

Seventh largest in area

India is the seventh-largest country in the world in terms of area. Its land surface area is 3.287 million km².

Amazing Biodiversity

The Indian subcontinent is a home for diverse species. Indian elephants, royal Bengal tigers, peacocks, monkeys, cows, and many animals enrich the biodiversity in India. Indian geography is also diverse and seems to balance every aspect of nature. Beaches, mountains, hilly terrains, lush-green plateaus and coastal plains – India has something for everyone. 

Journey across India

It takes as much as 45-50 days to walk along the length of India. The distance between Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the tip of India, is 3528 km.

Software and technology

Another entry on the recent interesting facts about India is it is a home for many top software companies in the world. There are around 40000+ software companies that have their headquarters in India.

A mystic land

Many places in India are associated with mysticism that is beyond human perception and modern science. For instance, the parts where Goddess Parvati’s body parts fell off are considered intensely religious and sacred. Similarly, there is solid evidence of Ramayana and Mahabharata and the places where they happened. 

Diverse cuisine

India is a land of various dishes. Rice is the staple food of India. Millets, wheat, and cereals are other main ingredients in the daily menu for people here. Taste preferences and eating habits vary with every state and part of India. The eating habits are mainly influenced by historic, climatic, and cultural practices of local people across various states of India.

Taj Mahal – The Monument with many myths and facts

For many foreigners, India is synonymous with the Taj Mahal. The beauty of the marble construction that stands as an epitome of royal love attracts millions of tourists every year. In fact, a visit to the Taj Mahal finds its place in the itinerary of every foreign representative, be it a President or a Prime Minister. No wonder the Taj Mahal is loved by millions across the globe and is another feather in the cap for Indian tourism. 

Powerful army

Indian army is the fourth most powerful in the world. 

Indian National Calendar 

The national calendar of India does not follow the Gregorian system. It follows the Saka system, where the new year starts in the month of Chaitra (April). All Indian festivals occur as per the dates of the Saka calendar and not as per the English calendar.

Indian Independence struggle

India’s freedom struggle from the hands of the British lasted as long as 200 years. The Indian independence movement is known for its non-violence and peaceful fights. This is one of the facts about India that prove why India is a land of ahimsa and peace. 

Being a land of people with varied beliefs and practices, the facts about India compel and teach many fascinating aspects. Don’t you agree?