Know India – Info

General Information on India
India, a land that has witnessed an era of heroic deeds, is well known for its picturesque landscapes, monuments, palaces, forts, mountain ranges, art and culture all over. This nation is often described by historians as one of the oldest civilizations on the planet earth. With this one could imagine how affluence its tradition and regions would actually be. Despite of its varied languages, religions, architecture and customs, there is a common thread that unites the nation altogether.

This largest democracy of the world shelter over 1.2 billion people that makes it the second most populated country. The diversity of India is noticeable in every aspect of India, right from its geography to culture to language to heritage.

Information on India

Where is India?
Let us ist know about “Where is India”
India is a country in South Asia. It is bordered to the north by Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and China. The country lies to the north of the equator between 8°4′ and 37°6′ north latitude and 68°7′ and 97°25′ east longitude. India is the seventh-largest country in the world, with a total land area of 3,287,263 square kilometres (1,269,219 sq mi). It measures 3,214 km (1,997 mi) from north to south and 2,993 km (1,860 mi) from east to west. It has a land frontier of 15,200 km (9,445 mi) and a coastline of 7,517 km (4,671 mi).

Geography Information About India
The Great Mountain Zone, the Desert Region, Plains of the Ganges and the Indus and the southern Peninsula are the four regions which the mainland comprises of. The geography of this country certainly has all the elements to impress anyone. The great Himalayan Range separates it from Tibet, China and the rest of the Asia. It embraces three almost comparable ranges combined with outsized plateaus and gorges like the Kashmir and Kullu valleys which offer great scenic beauty.

In South, it is bordered by the Indian Ocean, in East and West it is enclosed by Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea respectively. Pakistan to its west, Bhutan, China Nepal to its north and Burma and Bangladesh to its east are the neighboring countries. This continent is divided into 28 states and 7 union territories with Delhi being the national capital.

Brief History of India
Indus valley civilization had originated in this holy land at the sites of Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro and Lothal. Dravidians are considered to be the first ones to inhabit the Indus river valley. It was followed by the access of Aryan tribes. These phases are categorized as the pre-Vedic and Vedic periods. Near about 16 dynasties ruled the northern parts of India by 600 BC including the present day Afghanistan to Bangladesh. Various religions that came into existence during the reigns of these rulers are Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism.

In the early 16th century, when the Mughal Dynasty was at the verge of disintegration, the Europeans made their presence felt in the country. They took in their hands the command of India after winning the battles of Plassey and Buxar. After ruling India for about 200 years the power was taken aback from the English by the fighters of Mother India in 1947 under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. Since then it has been 62 years and this country has set its mark in each and every sphere be it agriculture, education, economy and participation in global issues.

Climate of India – Info
The climate, here in India can be defined as tropical monsoon types with two seasonal winds affecting its climate namely the northeast monsoon and the southwest monsoon.
Four seasons:
*Winter (during the months of January and February)
*Summer (hot weather from March till May)
*Monsoons (June to September)
*Post Monsoon (October to December)

Know About India -Culture
With its roots based in the Indus Valley Tradition, the great Indian tradition has evolved over a time period of 2,500 years. Various religions, yoga and cuisines are few elements of Indian culture that have influenced people all over the world.

India is the proud originator of the four main religions of the world- Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism while Christianity and Islam arrived later in the history. All of them have contributed to the arts and culture each having unique identity of its own. Moreover, in various parts of the country these traditions acquire different expressions thus adding to the diversity. The major festivals of India are Navratri, Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga puja, Holi, Rakshabandhan and Dussehra (Hindu Festivals), Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Ramadan (Islamic Festivals), Guru Nanak Jayanti and Baisakhi (Sikh festivals). The way various cultures coexist is exclusive to this country only.

This place has given birth to various art forms as well. The Indian classical and contemporary music is appreciated all across the globe. Watching the folk dances originated from various parts is quite an interesting experience. The Bhangra of Punjab, Chhau of West Bengal and Ghoomar of Rajasthan are few to mention. The eight forms of the classical dance includes Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (Uttar Pradesh) Kathakali and Mohiniyattam (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Manipuri (Manipur), Odissi (Orissa) and the Sattriya (Assam). Apart from this theatre and film industry contribute majorly to the entertainment sources.

Know About India Flora and Fauna
A great diversity of flora and fauna attracts a lot of ecologists and nature lovers to India. Also, due to a good percentage of various mammals, avian, reptiles, amphibians and flowering plant species it has grabbed the 17th position on the list of mega diverse countries. There are certain strict laws in the country that provide protection to the valuable animals and forest ranges. Presence of 500 wildlife sanctuaries and national parks gives the travelers an opportunity to closely observe the wildlife.

Info on India-Languages
The language chiefly spoken all over the country is Hindi. Besides this every state and Union Territory has its own representative language. English is extensively used all across the country in business and administration fields also being an important part of the education system.

Cuisine
India has some of the greatest food recipes characterized by the flavor of various spices and herbs prepared in regional style. Black pepper which has a worldwide consumption is native to this country. Rice (mainly in southern and eastern parts), wheat (chiefly in northern India) and lentils are the basic foods of the country.

Information on India Sport
The national sport of India is Hockey; however cricket is the most celebrated sport which has a huge fan following in the country. There are various competitions organized at the domestic level that includes Ranji Trophy, the Duleep Trophy, the Deodhar Trophy and the Irani Trophy. Several traditional sports like kabaddi, kho kho, pehlwani and gilli-danda are popular all over the country. Some of the initial martial art forms of Asia like Kalarippayattu, Yuddha, Silambam and Varma Kalai, owe credit for their birth to India.

To honor the sportsperson Indian government rewards them with respected awards most famous being the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Arjuna Award. India has also hosted several sports events down the lane and has turned out to be good host to its guest.

India Education Information in Brief
The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) for technical graduation, and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for management post-graduation are the most popular and renowned institutes and the level taught here is world class.

Apart from undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral courses, there are many training and diploma-level institutes and polytechnics that cater to the growing demand for skill-based and vocational education.. They might also like to live with Ustads to study traditional Indian music. Whether people are interested in philosophy or religion, cuisine or dance, India will have the right opportunity for them.
Few Destinations especially well-known for certain courses:

• Yoga is popular in Haridwar and Rishikesh.
• Ayurveda is popular in Kerala.
• Hindi/Urdu/Hindustani in Delhi and Varanasi.
• Classical musical instruments in Varanasi.
• Classical vocal music and classical Dance forms in Tamilnadu.
• Buddhism in Dharamsala and Bir in Himachal Pradesh as well as in Bodhgaya in Bihar.

Quick Information About India
Capital of India: New Delhi
Largest city: Mumbai
Currency: Indian rupee (INR)
Time zone: IST (UTC+5:30)
India Calling code: 91
Highest Point: Kanchenjunga- 28,208 ft. (8,598 m)
Lowest Point: Indian Ocean – 0 ft. (0 m)
Languages: Hindi, Bengali and 13 other (official) languages, including Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit.
India National Day: January 26

Map Of India:
View Map of India Here (External Link to Google Map)

Images Of India:
Check Here (External Link to flickr site), for photos of India