In her recent 100,000-year history, India has never invaded another nation.
Over 5000 years ago, Indians created the Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization), while many societies were still simply nomadic forest dwellers.
The River Indus, whose valleys the early immigrants called home, is the source of the term "India." The Indus River was referred to as the Sindhu by Aryan worshippers.
It became Hindu during the Persian invasion. The word "Hindustan," which combines the words "Sindhu" and "Hindu," designates the home country of the Hindus.
In India, chess was first created.
Studies like algebra, trigonometry, and calculus have their roots in India.
In India, around 100 B.C., the "Place Value System" and the "Decimal System" were created.
The Brihadeswara Temple in Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu, is the first granite temple in the world. A single 80-ton granite block serves as the temple's shikhara. During Rajaraja Chola's rule, this beautiful temple was constructed in just five years (between 1004 and 1009 AD).
India is the seventh-biggest nation in the world, the largest democracy, and one of the oldest civilizations.
Gyandev, a poet and saint from the 13th century, invented the game of Snakes and Ladders. Its original name was "Mokshapat." In the game, the snakes represented vices and the ladders virtues. Cowrie shells and dice were used in the game. The game changed over time in a number of ways, but its core message—that good deeds lead to paradise and evil leads to a cycle of rebirths—remains unchanged.
The highest cricket pitch in the world is located at Chail, Himachal Pradesh. This cricket ground is 2444 metres above sea level and was constructed in 1893 after a hilltop was levelled.
The world's largest country in terms of post offices is India.
The Indian Railways, which employs more than a million people, is the country's largest employer.
In Takshila, Asia Minor, the first university in history was founded about 700 BC. More than 60 subjects were studied by more than 10500 students from throughout the globe. One of the biggest contributions to education made by ancient India was the University of Nalanda, which was constructed in the fourth century.
The first form of medicine that humans are aware of is Ayurveda. Ayurveda was unified by Charaka, the Father of Medicine, about two thousand years ago.
Up until the beginning of British control in the early 17th century, India was one of the richest nations. Christopher Columbus had arrived in search of a sea route to India after being drawn to that country's richness and making a mistaken discovery of America.
Over 6000 years ago, the Sindh River was the birthplace of the art of navigation and navigation. The Sanskrit term 'NAVGATIH' is the source of the very word 'Navigation'. The Sanskrit word 'Nou' is also the source of the English word 'navy'.
Hundreds of years before astronomer Smart, Bhaskaracharya accurately predicted how long it would take the earth to orbit the sun. His calculations showed that the Earth's orbit around the Sun took 365.258756484 days.
In his explanation of the Pythagorean Theorem, the Indian mathematician Budhayana determined the value of "pi" for the first time. Long before the European mathematicians, in the sixth century, he made this discovery.
Calculus, trigonometry, and algebra all have Indian roots. In the eleventh century, Sridharacharya employed quadratic equations. Hindus employed numerals as large as 10*53 (i.e., 10 to the power of 53) with distinct names as early as 5000 B.C. during the Vedic period, but the biggest numbers used by the Greeks and Romans were 106. The most common number still now is Terra: 10*12 (10 to the power of 12).
Diamonds were solely found in India up to 1896 (source: Gemological Institute of America).
The highest bridge in the world is the Baily Bridge. Between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan highlands is the Ladakh valley, where it is situated. In August 1982, the Indian Army constructed it.
The Father of Surgery is thought to be Sushruta. Sushrata and his team performed difficult operations such as cataract, prosthetic limbs, caesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery, and brain surgeries more than 2600 years ago.
Anaesthesia was widely used in traditional Indian medicine. Numerous ancient Indian writings also provide in-depth information of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism, physiology, aetiology, genetics, and immunology.
90 nations receive software from India.
25% of people worldwide practise one of the four religions that emerged in India: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, or Sikhism.
In India, Jainism and Buddhism were established in 600 and 500 B.C., respectively.
The second-largest religion in the world and in India is Islam.
India has more active mosques than any other nation, including those in the Muslim world, with a total of 300,000.
The city of Cochin is home to India's oldest synagogue and church. In 1503 and 1568, respectively, they were constructed.
Christians and Jews have both consistently resided in India since 52 A.D. and 200 B.C., respectively.
The Hindu Temple in Cambodia known as Angkor Wat was constructed towards the end of the 11th century and is the greatest religious structure in the world.
The most popular religious site on earth is the Vishnu Temple in Tirupathi, which dates back to the 10th century. An average of 30000 tourists donate $6 million (US) each day to the temple, which is bigger than either Rome or Mecca.
In the Punjabi holy city of Amritsar, Sikhism first appeared. The city was established in 1577 and is well-known for housing the Golden Temple.
Varanasi, often referred to as Benaras, is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and was dubbed "the Ancient City" by Lord Buddha when he visited it in 500 B.C.
More than 300,000 refugees who fled religious and political persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, and other countries find sanctuary in India.
The exiled spiritual head of the Tibetan Buddhists, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, governs his administration from Dharmashala in northern India.
The martial arts originated in India and were subsequently brought to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
Yoga has been practised for more than 5000 years and has its roots in India.