33 Facts About India That Will Hit You Right In The Patriotism

Did you know that India - the land of snake charmers and holy saints used to be an island more than 100 million years ago? About 50 million years ago, it collided with the Asian continent and thus was born the Himalayas. Fascinating, isn't it? With over a billion people from all kinds of religions and ethnicities, India is not only the second most populated country, but it also has in store some mind-blowing facts and achievements under its belt. 

Here are 30 Most Interesting Facts About India:

1. Varanasi - One of The Oldest Inhabited Places of the World

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Situated on the banks of river Ganges and represented in the Parliament by the country's PM Narendra Modi, the holy city of Benares is at least 3000 years old. According to Hindu Mythology, Lord Shiva found this city 5000 years ago. 

2. Lonar Lake in Maharashtra - Formed by a Meteor

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A 4-hour drive from Aurangabad and doubling as Maharashtra's best-kept secret, this lake was formed by a plummeting meteor about 52,000 years ago. Travel enthusiasts must not miss this astronomical marvel and the temples around it.

3. India Firsts

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A plethora of objects and concepts originated in India starting from the game of snakes and ladders to chess a.k.a Chaturanga, buttons, shampooing, the number pi, diamond mining, zero, algebra, trigonometry along with the finding of the presence of water on the moon. Now isn't this an interesting fact about India?

4. World's Only Floating Post Office

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India is not only known for the largest number of post offices in the world, but it has its very own floating post office on Dal Lake in Srinagar. Perched on a houseboat, it also includes a philately museum within itself. Quite an unusual fact about India, isn't it?

5. Wettest Place on Earth - Mawsynram

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Holding a Guinness record for highest average annual rainfall, this town in Meghalaya gets about 11,873 millimetres of rain owing to its proximity to the Bay of Bengal. The winter months of this region are spent in preparation for the six-month-long monsoon ahead.

6. The Only Country With a Bill of Rights for Cows

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From the moment an Indian s born, he has two mothers. One, his birth mother and two, Gaumata. Cows are believed to be holy in Hinduism, and the Constitution has a set of rules in place that prevents the sale and slaughter of cows. Now isn't this an amazing fact about India. 

7. Poll Booth for Single Voter

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India's most privileged voter, Mahant Bharatdas, resides in a small hamlet called Banej in the middle of Gir Forest, Gujarat. The setting up of a special polling booth for just one voter goes a long way in speaking decibels about the democratic spirit of the country.

8. Shani Shingnapur - Village Without Doors

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Attracting over 40,000 devotees each day due to a 300-yr old legend, this village in Maharashtra features establishments without any doors and locks. Its residents sleep soundly as they believe Lord Shani to be the guardian of the village. Hmm, I wonder how they keep the rain away...

9. Madhopatti - Officer's Village of India

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A small village in the Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh, Madhopatti has created history by producing the most number of IAS officers. With about 75 households, it has given 47 officers to Indian administration. Not just that, many from the same village have made their careers by joining prestigious organisations like ISRO, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and World Bank. Ask the villagers about their study schedules, maybe? :p 

10. Tulsi Shyam - The hills that Defy Gravity

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Imagine if your car when left in free gear, starts rolling up a hill against the gravitational pull. Freaky, right? This strange phenomenon is indeed a reality at a road stretch near Tulsi Shyam in Amreli district, Gujarat.

11. The Largest Number of Vegetarians in the World

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Are you a vegetarian? You will fit right in here. With the majority of the population following Hinduism, around 29%-40% of the people are vegetarians.

12. The Highest Cricket Ground in the World

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India is a cricket loving nation. It's only natural for it to also feature the highest cricket ground in the world recorded by the Guinness Book. It is situated at a level of 2,144 metres above sea level in Chail, Himachal Pradesh.

13. India is the Second Largest English-speaking Nation

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Second, only to the US, India has around 10% of its populace fluent in English. This statistic is expected to quadruple in the next decade.

14. First Rocket of India Transported by a Cycle

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In 1963, ISRO launched its first-ever rocket from a church in Thumba, on the outskirts of modern-day Trivandrum. The said rocket was transported on a bicycle. The launching pad later came to be known as Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC).

15. World's Largest Milk Producer

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Love milk and milk products? Here's an interesting fact for you. Reaching over 155.5 million tonnes in 2015, India is the largest milk producing country in the world.

16. Indian National Kabaddi Team Has Won all World Cups

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India is where the game of Kabaddi originated and the Indian national Kabaddi team makes sure it brings all the 5 World Cup trophies home. The women's Kabaddi team has also remained undefeated in all the Kabaddi World Cups.

17. Kumbh Mela Gathering Visible from Space

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The Kumbh Mela is a spiritual event held once in 12 years in Northern India. In 2011, this religious gathering was so huge that it was visible in space through a satellite. It attracted over 70 million people.

18. The Himalayas Have 9 out of 10 World's Highest Peaks

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The mighty Himalayas boast of 9 out of 10 world's highest peaks, the highest being Mt. Everest at 8,848 metres.

19. 300,000 Mosques in India

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With 14.2% of the country's population being from the Muslim community, India happens to have the most number of mosques in the world. Some of the famous ones being Jama Masjid (New Delhi), Mecca Masjid(Hyderabad), Taj-Ul-Masjid (Bhopal), etc.

20. The Second Largest Network of Roads in the World

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Travelling becomes convenient here since there are around 1.9 million miles of roads in the country making it the second largest network of roads in the world only second to the USA.

21. World's Highest Rail Bridge

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About 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower, the arch-shaped Chenab bridge in Jammuand Kashmir is the world's tallest rail bridge. It stands at a height of 1,178 feet over the river Chenab.

22. Bandra-Worli Sea Link Has steel Wires Equal to Earth's Circumference

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That's right! And each of the cables is capable of holding 900 tons of weight. The entire establishment's weight is equivalent to that of 50,000 African elephants.

23. Benny Prasad: Fastest Man to Have Travelled Around the World in 6.5 years

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Also, the first to have designed the world's first bongo guitar, this instrumental guitarist from India holds a world record for having travelled 257 countries in 6 years, 6 months and 22 days. Travel goals much?

24.  The Number of People Travelling in the Indian Railways Every Day is Equal to the Population of Australia

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Connecting more than 7,172 stations, the Indian Railways is the largest rail network in Asia carrying over 23 million passengers daily in 12,617 trains.

25. Most Visited Place in the World

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Awarded by the World Book of Records, the Golden Temple of Amritsar is the most visited place in the world with over one lakh devotees flocking at the shrine every single day.