India has a long and rich history, and was one of the richest countries in the world until British rule. Some key facts about India's history and achievements include that chess, algebra, and the decimal system originated in India. India has made many contributions to fields like mathematics and science. It also has cultural and religious diversity, with four major religions originating in India that are followed by 25% of the world's population. India also holds some records, such as the largest religious gathering and school.

1. Facts About India
India, a great country, great history and the great people lived
in country. Let’s talk about some amazing facts about our
country.
 India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history.
 The name 'India'isderived from the RiverIndus,the valleysaroundwhich
were the homeofthe early settlers.The Aryan worshippers referred to the
river Indus as the Sindhu.
 Chess was invented in India.
 Algebra,Trigonometry and Calculusare studies,which originated in India.
The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in
India in 100 B.C.
 The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint
Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game
represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played
with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several
modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take
people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
 The world'shighest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in
1893 after levelling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea
level.
 India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the
early 17th Century. ChristopherColumbus,attracted by India's wealth, had
come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by
mistake.
 The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician
Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the
Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before
the European mathematicians.
 Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India. Quadratic
Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest
numbersthe Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used
numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as
early as 5000 B.C. during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used
number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).
 The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and
Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population. Jainism and
Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively.

2.  There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country,
including the Muslim world.
 Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by
Buddhist missionaries. Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for
over 5,000 years.
 Takshila is said to be the first every university in the world; it started
around 700 BC.
 Today, India has the world’s largest school in terms of students, the City
Montessori School in Lukhnow. It has more than 45 thousand students!
 Though India is a country of multiple regional and local languages but in
terms of English speaking countries in the world, it ranks number 2, yes,
India is second largest English speaking country in the world, 10% of
Indians can speak in English which is about 125 million people.
 India has an Ice Hockey team and they are even member of International
Ice Hockey Federation.
 That it is illegal for a child in India to neglect their parents after their
retirement.( Thank god it exists )
 Kerala topsthe "Highest liquor consuming State" list in India, not Punjab.
 Only 3% of Indians pay income tax.
 The first rocketin Indiawas transported on a cycle. The first rocket was so
light and small that it was transported on a bicycle to the Thumba
Launching Station in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
 Believedto be the largestreligious gatheringon earth,KumbhMelaisheld
every 12 years in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is thought
that 30 million Hindu pilgrimsgatheredto bathe during the festival in 2013.
 India’s Has floating Post office. India’s first floating Post office is on Dal
Lake in Srinagar, the first of its kind in the country. It was inaugurated by
Minister of State for Communications and IT Mr Sachin Pilot and Chief
Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mr Omar Abdullah on August 22'2011.
 The world's biggest family: The man with 39 wives, 94 children and 33
grandchildren,India.He ishead ofthe world'sbiggestfamily – and sayshe
is ‘blessed’ to have his 39 wives. Ziona Chana also has 94 children, 14-
daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren. They live in a 100-room, four
storey house set amidst the hills of Baktwang village in the Indian state of
Mizoram, where the wives sleep in giant communal dormitories.
 A polling station is set up in a forestfor a lone voterin everyelection since
2004.
 The 2011 Kumbh Mela was the largest gathering of people with over 75
million pilgrims. The gathering was so huge that the crowd was visible
from space.

3.  Shampoo was invented in India, not the commercial liquid ones but the
method by useofherbs.The word 'shampoo' itself has been derived from
the Sanskrit word champu, which means to massage.
 Wateron the moon wasdiscoveredbyIndia
 In September2009,India'sISRO Chandrayaan-1 using itsMoon
Mineralogy Mapperdetectedwateron the moonforthe firsttime.
 The world'slargestproducerofmilk
 Indiarecently overtook theEuropean Unionwith productionreachingover
132.4m tonnesin 2014.
 Havel’sis purely an Indian brand & named afteritsfirst owner.Thoughthe
company wasboughtforjust10 lakh Rupeesalong time ago and isnow a
multi-billion electrical goodscompany,it'san Indian company andisstill
named afterits originalowner,Haveli Ram Gupta.
 Dr. ShrikantJichkarwas the mostqualified personin the countryever.
From having beenan IAS,IPS,lawyer,doctor,photographer,radio
operatorto securing the highestdegreein auniversity forSanskritand
being an MLA at25,he had an astonishing range ofqualifications.He
passed away in 2004.
 Indiahas one ofthe largestpostalnetworkson the globeand what’smore,
there’sa floating postoffice too!