India – is one of the countries on the bucket list of most travelers. Many are fascinated by this country mainly because of the festivals, diverse landscapes, cuisines, and more. It gives plenty of good reasons to pack your bags and visit this impressive place.
So, whether you’ve been to India before or are just so fascinated with this mysterious country, here are some interesting and unusual facts about India that will surprise you.
Interesting and Unusual Facts about India
With India’s population of about 1.4 billion, the people in India are diverse, as well as its history. Here are 13 facts you need to know.
1. Assassination of India’s only Female Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi – the first and only woman prime minister in India. She was not the child of Mahatma Gandhi but the daughter of the first prime minister of India – Jawaharlal Nehru. She served the country for nearly 11 years and was re-elected before her bodyguards assassinated her.
2. Cows are Sacred
Did you know that cows are protected by India’s set of rules in the Constitution? So, if you love burgers and would love to have them on cheat days, you have to make adjustments when visiting India. This rule has long been one of the interesting and unusual facts about India because killing a cow is considered a crime there!
Because even on the streets, there will be freedom for the cows to roam to places they want without fear of being harassed by the people.
3. Weddings Should be Colorful
If weddings in most countries have that specific color motifs or color shades, it should be a colorful extended celebration in India. What’s more interesting is that it should last three days to a full week.
Women are forbidden from housework while their hands have any color from henna. The ceremonies usually start with the Ganesh pooja, and it’s always a private ceremony to attract good fortune. It is followed the next day by a mendhi ceremony, where they paint henna patterns on the bride and all her female family and friends.
Related Posts
- Unbelievable Secrets Behind the Failure of the Taiwan Strait
- Top 7 Places You Should Never Go, Visit or Travel
- Unbelievable Secrets Behind the Failure of the Taiwan Strait
4. India as the Wettest Country
Another interesting and unusual fact about India is being a wet, inhabited country. Meghalaya village won a Guinness world record title for being the wettest place in the planet. It has 11,873 ml of rain yearly, and the monsoon season lasts about 6 months. That said, you always have to make sure you prepare an umbrella with you when you plan on visiting this place.
5. Country of Billionaires
You won’t believe it, but India is the 3rd country in the world for billionaires. It’s proud of having 6,884 high-net-worth individuals with more than $30 million in assets and about 140 billionaires, and it ranked third for billionaires worldwide, after the USA and China.
6. It Has More than 2,000,000 Hindu Temples and more than 300,000 Mosques
Be ready to be amazed and awed by India’s architecture and landscapes. Since there’s about 15% of the population of India is Muslim, you’d expect that there will be a lot of mosques across the country from small to big famous ones.
7. India has the Highest Trail Bridge in the World
Not all famous monuments in India are known to be religious. India’s very own Chenab Bridge is so impressive and stunning in Jammu, and it’s about 1,178 ft above the water. So, if you are afraid of heights, you should not try this one.
8. Origin of Chess
Do you play chess? Another interesting and unusual fact about India is its claim that the chess game originated in the country more than 1,500 years ago. It was said that based on the 7th-century war game, chess is called the chaturanga that flourished in northwestern India.
9. Bollywood Always Shines
Bollywood never misses shining on the world stage. It’s the world’s largest film producer that surpassed Nollywood and even Hollywood. Bollywood in India produces about 1,500-2,009 features per year.
10. The Symbolic Sari of Mother Theresa
Mother Teresa had her famous and symbolic sari in 1948. Today, it’s uniform for the nuns in her order, the Missionaries of Charity. Born in Macedonia in the year 1910, Mother Teresa was also known as the living saint. Her religion was Roman Catholic, and she devoted her life to helping those in need, especially in Calcutta city. However, her ways were considered to be controversial by others.
11. Home to a Strange Skeleton Lake
India has this famous glacial Lake Roopkund found in the Himalayas, for about 16,470 feet. Why is it famous? It’s mainly because of the human skeletons in the lake and nearby areas.
Indians thought of skeletons as the remains of people in the ninth century who suffered when the strong hail storm happened. These days, many travelers visit skeleton lake and avail of the 7-day hike tour.
12. First Ever Country for Diamond Mining
Heads up to all diamond lovers! Did you know that India was the first ever country to mine diamonds? From the fourth century BC, around about 1,000 years, the country of India was the only country to source diamonds worldwide.
The Krishna River Delta is where the original diamonds were found. In fact, since the 18th century, a lot of diamond deposits were discovered by people in Brazil. Later, it added a market for diamonds in South Africa.
13. Indians only Eat with their Fingers
And last on our list of interesting and unusual facts about India is that Indians only eat food using their fingers! Yes, it’s true, including eating rice, meats, sauces, and vegetables. People even argue that to enjoy eating authentic Indian curry, it’s always a requirement to eat the dish using your hand.
However, you should not be afraid to use a knife, fork, and spoon while you are in India. You just have to watch how locals do it their way and try learning how to use your fingers.
Related Posts
- Manipuri Hand Made Saree: How Does It Get Produced in Bangladesh?
- 13 Pilipino Facts: Interesting & Unusual Facts About the Philippines
Frequently Asked Questions
Still curious? Here are some of the frequently asked questions by the people.
-
What makes India a unique country?
Many see India as a unique country because it has all the major religions in the world. In fact, there are about 1,600 languages used in India and it comes with plains, mountains, deserts, islands, and plateaus. More than that, India also has different ethnic groups because of migration.
-
What is India known as in the world?
The country of India has the world’s largest democracy. It has about 1.3 billion population and is also the world’s 2nd largest country after China.
-
What is the most special thing about India?
India is known for exporting of software to 90 countries. There were also about 4 religions born in India – the Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism, which are followed by 25% of the population of the world.
Conclusion
India is indeed the tip of the iceberg. All these interesting and unusual tips about India only prove that this country has a lot of surprises for visitors and travelers. Nothing feels like having quite a real-life experience in India that caught your curiosity. It’s a country that locals are proud of and should be recognized worldwide.
Discussion about this post