“Time spent in India has an extraordinary effect on one. It acts as a barrier that makes the rest of the world seem unreal.” – Tahir Shah
One of the largest nations in the world and a country with the second largest population, spanning more than a billion, India has a lot of secrets that you should know about. India is also home to many famous world attractions, such as the Taj Mahal, The Victoria Memorial, The Howrah Bridge and more. But there are many facts that are not known about this beautiful country. For example, India is the birthplace of yoga and hence we have a lot of schools and institutes in India that teach yoga, conduct yoga teacher training in India, and also carry out wellness and ayurveda classes too. Without much ado, here are ten most famous things to know about India. Please read on and be well-informed.
1. One should not wear new clothes on a Saturday
In India, one may find a large number of the best engineers and scientists around, but a lot of the rational thoughts go out of the window when it comes to adhering to superstitious beliefs in the nation. There are different things observed by different people, for example, some believe that wearing new clothes on a Saturday is not good. Some even believe that the house should now be cleansed at night or after sunset for fear of scaring away the Goddess Lakshmi, who is the Goddess of wealth.
2. Did you know that it was in India that chess was invented?
The game of chess was invented in India. There is a significant fan following for chess in India, and there are millions as fans across the country that play chess and worship the game as religion too. According to historical experts, they believe that the game began in India, and a variation of the same was being played in the country during the 6th century AD which is one of the interesting things to know about India.
3. Varanasi is one of the oldest inhabited places of the world
The holy city of Banaras or Varanasi is situated on the banks of the famous river Ganga. This city has been represented in the parliament by the PM of India, Narendra Modi. They say this city is around three thousand years old. The city is still thriving and plenty of pilgrims from all over the world, especially Hindus, come to the city to bathe in the river Ganga and wash away their sins. The city is also well-known for the Maha Kumbh Mela, which is a Hindu festival and gathering of sages and seers alike.
4. Sanskrit and Tamil are the oldest languages spoken in India
Sanskrit and Tamil are two of the native languages spoken in India and they are the oldest in the world. As a language, Sanskrit is spoken by few people in the nation, and the origin is traced back to the 2nd millennium BC. In this day and age, Sanskrit is spoken by a few or a small group of citizens in the country, however, at one point of time it was the lingua franca of the ancient South Asians and it had around a million speakers speaking the language back then. Tamil is another ancient language in India which is spoken by around seventy million citizens. However, scholars opine that the language originated sometime in the 2nd millennium BC and is one of the oldest surviving languages in the world.
5. The Lonar Lake in Maharashtra was formed by a meteor
The Lonar Lake in Maharashtra is around a four hour drive from Aurangabad, and is known to be Maharashtra’s best kept secret. Around fifty two thousand years ago, a meteor crashed into this place and hence the lake was formed. If you are a travel enthusiast, you must not miss this place. It is an astronomical marvel, which most travelers and tourists alike say. There are many temples around this place which you can spot and see as well.
6. India has the 18th longest coastline in the world
This country has one of the longest coastlines in all of Asia which stretches to around four thousand six hundred and seventy one miles, making it the eighteenth longest stretch in the world. It is a coastline which is relatively even, and the longest stretch is found in Gujarat, while the shortest stretch is found in Goa. Around forty three percent of the coastlines are comprised of sandy beaches, which make it a popular tourist spot and destination.
7. India has a bill of rights for cows
Yes, you read that right. In India, from the time a Hindu is born, he or she has two mothers. The first would be the biological or the birth mother, and the second would be Gaumata, or the Cow. Cows are considered to be sacred animals in India and holy in the religion of Hinduism. And there are rules in the constitution which are set in place that says one cannot sell or slaughter the animal at all. This is very prevalent especially in the northern part of the nation, where the cows are protected like God, say Ayurveda retreats India experts.
8. Shampoo is said to have originated in India
We all use shampoo almost on a daily basis to clean and wash our hair, and there are varied brands that we use to our likes and needs as well, isnt it? But stop for a moment and think about where the term ‘shampoo’ originated? Yes, it is is India that the term shampoo came about, and this happened in the 1800 AD. It was first known as ‘Champoo’ and this was discovered by the early on colonial traders that visited India. Along with body massages, Champoo was discovered and later on christened as shampoo. It was then brought back to the European nations under the word ‘champing’.
9. A village without doors exists in India
This village is named Shani Shingnapur, and it is located in Maharashtra. The village is famous for not having any doors in its houses and establishments. Yes, you read that right. It attracts around forty thousand devotees’ everyday which is because of a three hundred years old legend that says Lord Shani is the guardian of the village and no robberies would happen because of him, hence there are no locks and doors to be seen in any homes or establishments around.
10. The birthplace of yoga is in Rishikesh, India
The birthplace of yoga is known to be in Rishikesh, India. This city is located in the Himalayan foothills, and along the holy river Ganga. Here is a haven place for those who seek solitude and spirituality. To reach this place, one needs to fly into the Haridwar airport, which is in Dehradun. Or alternatively one can avail taxis and bus services from the nation’s capital city, New Delhi. It is said that the Beatles arrived here in the 60’s and formed the Hare Rama Hare Krishna tribes, who till this day and age, dance around the streets of Rishikesh chanting Hindu verses wearing orange garments. There are plenty of yoga centers here, conducting Yoga Teacher Training India as well as yoga retreats, bringing in people from different parts of the world.
In a nutshell…
So here were the fabulous ten things about India that you should know. There are many more things about India which one should learn about, but we leave them up to you to discover. Come to Ayurveda retreats India and learn more.
Om Singh is the head of Content Writing Team at Retreat Kula, a website that offers to Book Yoga Retreats and yoga teacher training for yogis around the world. He is always on the lookout for interesting places to visit. It took him 25 years of his life to realize where his true calling lies, but once that was done, there’s been no looking back. Since the last ten years that he is on the go, He is sharing his travel experiences by writing about them.