India should be high on every traveller’s list if for nothing else but the history and culture that predates the Roman or Greek civilizations. But the opinions about this wonderful country are very controversial. While most of the people see a country with rich culture, others only see the poverty and the rainy weather. But how well do you really know this country? You’ll be astonished how diverse India is. Here are 10 amazing facts about India that will ignite your wanderlust.
1. The amount of gold in India
Despite the fact that there are varying estimates of the total amount of gold in a certain country, India is far and away the leader in this respect. In terms of the consumption of gold, this country is even ahead of China. Gold being a popular gift also symbolizes prosperity and good fortune for the Hindus.
2. How old is actually medical science in India?
The oldest medical system known to mankind was developed in India. Yes, this is an intriguing fact indeed. Indian texts dealing with medicine date back to the Early Iron Age. Traditional herbal practices were used in India to treat different ailments, much earlier than in other parts of the world.
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3. The largest cinema industry in the world
Despite the fact that India doesn’t have a range of top-class cinema venues, it’s on the first place in terms of movie production. The quantity of cinema tickets sold is impressive too. It’s more than 3 billion per year.
4. Religious India
The religious beliefs and practices have always been diverse in India, like the country itself. It’s not surprising at all, that the country is the birthplace of some major religions, because the tolerance is a norm established not only by the low but also custom. Some of the religions in India have roots tracing back to prehistoric times. The oldest one is believed to be Hinduism.
5. India as the birthplace of the art of love
India is very often associated with Kama Sutra, and most of the people know nothing else, but the fact, that the book is just a description of sexual positions. But there is some misconception about Kama Sutra. The book has many chapters about being a good spouse and achieving karma through living a good life.
6. A horrifying fact about air pollution
According to air quality monitorings done by both local and international NGOs,
the carbon footprint on Mumbai takes on somewhat terrifying nature. Even a heavy smoker is on a safer position in terms of life expectancy than the population in several districts of Mumbai.
7. Did you know where chess was born?
“The game of wisdom” is played all around the world, but not all the players know the origin of chess. Actually, it’s an exciting riddle. Because the game is so old, that no one can exactly say how it was born and finalized and who spread it in different parts of the world. The final version though was played in Europe mostly, but the game itself is believed to have been born in India.
8. Settled communities in India thousands of years ago
India is considered to be a cradle of civilization, since there were settled communities here more than 5000 years ago.
9. India is home to the world’s oldest recognized university
There is even more exciting fact about Takshila university. Can you imagine 68 subjects being taught at a university, which dates back to at least the 8th century BC?
10. Over 100.000 meals are deliverd in Mumbai per day
There are hundreds of thousands people in Mumbai, who work right for that purpose: to deliver lunch to the workplaces. It’s not that surprising for a city with a population of 18.4 million, let alone the population of the metropolitan area.