DESTINATION OF INDIA

India's Statistics

Capital

New Delhi

 

Population

953 Million (as per 1995 census)

 

Religion

Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism and other

 

Area

3,287,263 Sq. Km

 

Currency

Indian Rupees ( 1 Re. = 100 Paise)

 

Language

Hindi, English, Urdu, Telegu, Marathi, Punjabi, Banglali,  and other regional languages

 

India's Language Map

 

 

India's Climate Mape

 

India's Population Map

  National Animal  

TigerThe Tiger - Lord of the Indian Jungles, evokes royalty, majesty and power. With its position at top of the ecological pyramids, the tiger is the symbol of India's wealth of wildlife. India homes nearly half the world-wide population of tigers and thus tiger remains synonymous with India. To protect this royal animal Project Tiger was launched in 1973. Today, the tiger advances as a symbol of India's conservation of itself its wildlife heritage.

  National Bird   

PeacockSymbolic of many qualities - grace, joy, pride, beauty, love and mysticism, the Peacock is depicted in picture with the company of Indian Gods and Goddesses. It is the sacred bird of the India, protected not only by a religious sentiment but also by parliamentary statute.

 National Embelm  

PillarThe National Emblem adapted by the Government of India on 26th January 1950, is taken from the Lion capital of Sarnath erected by Ashoka - the great Mauryan King. In the emblem only three lions are visible and the fourth one is hidden from the view. In the centre of the Abacus, there is a wheel symbolising the Dharma Chakra (Eternal wheel of law) with a bull on the right and horse on the left. The word Satyameva Jayate (Truth alone triumphs) from the Upanishadas have been inscribed in Devanagari script. The emblem is the official seal of the President of India and Central and State Governments of the Indian union. Used only for official purposes, it commands utmost respect and loyalty, while proclaiming independent India's identity and sovereignty.

 

  National Flag (Tiranga)  

FlagsThe National Flag of India is made up of Khadi, with three bands of colour. Top Band is of Saffron colour, indicating the strength of the country. The white middle band, indicates peace with Dharma Chakra. The last band is green in colour shows the fertility of the land. The National Anthem of the country is Janaganamana composed by Ravindranath Tagore and the National song is Vande Mataram composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

 

  National Flower  

TigerRich in meaning and metaphor, the Lotus symbolises divinity, fertility, wealth, knowledge and not to forget enlightenment. Lending to its uniqueness, the flower grows in murky waters and rises on a long stalk above the surface to bloom glorious. Untouched by the impurity, lotus symbolises the purity of heart and mind. Human beings are instructed by Indian scripture to live a life of non-attachment, which is very hard. Then in Indian thought, there is the last and final lotus - Charan Kamal or lotus feet of the Almighty. It was this depth of thought that made the founding fathers of modern India enshrine the lotusin the Constitution as the National Flower.

 

  WHAT INDIAN SPEAK  

Hindi is the national language of the country. But that is not to say that there is a lack of other languages here. A different language is spoken in every state, in every region and more or less in every village. There are 18 official languages and over 1600(!) minor languages and dialects spoken in the country.

Hindi is spoken more than any other language in India followed by English, Hindustani and Urdu.

Gurumukhi

Gurmukhi or Punjabi, Haryanvi and Sindhi are the languages commonly used in the northern areas of Punjab, Delhi and Haryana. Kashmiri, a dialect of Urdu, is spoken, predictably, in Kashmir and also in parts of Punjab.

Urdu In Uttar Pradesh, people converse in a language very similar to Hindi, referred to as UP Hindi. Although all the Dravidian languages are spoken in most of the Southern states, Tamil, the state language of Tamil Nadu, reigns supreme.

Tamil Besides Tamil you will find Kannada, Malayalam and Telugu in Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh respectively. As you go west, you will hear more of Marathi the state language of Maharashtra.

Marathi Marathi is a very old language dating back to the 13th century. Konkani is a Dravidian language used by people in the Goa region.

Gujarati Gujarati is spoken in Gujarat and in Rajasthan. Spoken by nearly 200 million people, Bengali is the state language of West Bengal.It is also spoken in Orrisa, Assam and Bihar.

Bengali

Orrisa's official language is Oriya. Most of the north-eastern region speaks Assamese. Bihari is the local language of Bihar but is also heard in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

 

  National Tree  

Banayan TreeCommanding a central presence in the timeless setting of India's countryside, is the mighty Banayan, a tree endemic to the Indian subcontinent. What's amazing about this tree is the fact that it is a veritable micro habitant for countless creatures. For man it provides shelter and is a point where the village community gather and transact much of its affairs.


 
  National Anthem: Janaganamana  

Jana gana mana adhinayaka jaya he
Bharata bhagya vidhata
Punjaba Sindhu Gujarata Maratha
Dravida Utkala Banga
Vindhya Himachala Yamuna Ganga
Uchchala jaladhi taranga
Tava shubha name jage
Tava shubha asisa mage
Gahe tava jaya gatha
Jana gana mangala dayaka jaya he
Bharata bhagya vidhata
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he.


Original - Dr.Ravindranath Tagore

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people
dispenser of India's destiny
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat & Maratha
Of the Dravida,Orissa and Bangal
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas
mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganga
and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea
They hail thy name
They pray for thy blessing
and sing thy praise
The saving of all people waits in thy hand
thou dispenser of India's destiny
Victory, victory, victory
Victory, victory, victory to thee

English Translation


  National Song: Vande Mataram  

Vande Mataram!
Sujalam, suphalam,
Malayaja shitalam,
Shasya shyamalam, Mataram!

Shubhra jyothsna, pulakitayaminim
Phulla kusumita, drumadala shobinim
Suhasinim, sumadhura bhashinim,
Sukhadam varadam, Mataram!

Original - Bankimchandra Banerjee

I bow to thee, Mother,
Richly-watered, richly-fruited,
cool with the winds of the south,
dark with the crops of the harvests, The Mother!

Her nights rejoicing, in the glory of the moonlight
Her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom
sweet of laughter, sweet of speech
The Mother, giver of boons,giver of bliss!, The Mother!

Translation - Sri Aurobindo Ghosh

 
 Indian Geography  

RiverIndia is the largest country in the Indian Subcontinent, deriving its name from the river Indus which flows in the northwest. Indian mainland extends in the tropical zone from latitute 8o4' north to 37o6' north and from longitude 68o7' east 97o25' east. The country lies wholly in the northern and eastern hemispheres. Even though it falls under Monsoon climatical category, the climate varies from one place to another.

India stretches 3,214 km from north to south and 2,933 km from east to west. The total length of the mainland coastline is nearly 6,100 km and the land frontier is about 15,200 km. With an area of about 3,287,782 sq. km, India is the seventh largest country in the world and accounts 2.4% of total world area.

HimalayaThe north of the country is bordered by the mighty Himalayas, the highest mountains on earth. This ranges separate India from China, Tibet and Bhutan in the east. Kanchanjunga (8598 Mtrs) is the highest mountain peak in India. On the western side, India is separated by Arabian Sea and on Eastern side by Bay of Bengal. The Indian ocean on the south separate India from rest of the world.

In the north, the mighthy river Ganga, which has the source in Himalaya, with its tributaries, drains a large part of the north and created a fertile Gangetic Plain. South of the northern plains, the land rises up into the high plateau know as the Deccan and stretch itself till Indian peninsulas. With Vidhyas and Satapura on the north, it is bordered by Sahyadris (Western Ghat) on west and by Eastern Ghat on the East. This two Ghats run parallel to the coast and meet in the extreme south in Nilgiri hills.

  SACRED INDIA  

Religion, in India, is of paramount importance. It plays a vital part in the everyday life of the Indians. The influence of various religions can be seen on the streets, in the architecture, the sculpture and the paintings. Nearly all the great religions of the world are represented in India. This is also where the great religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism were born.


  HINDUISM  

VaranasiPracticed by about four-fifths of India's population, this religion forms the backbone of the culture for the majority of the country. The religion is based on the holy books of the four 'Vedas', the 'Upanishads', epics like the 'Mahabharata' and the 'Ramayana' as well as the 'Bhagwad Gita'. It professes a series of rebirths or reincarnations that eventually lead to 'moksha' or spiritual salvation which frees us all from the cycle of rebirths. Only good 'Karma' or deeds and actions will lead to eventual freedom from rebirth. The Hindus cremate their dead. Religion has three basic practices. They are 'puja', or worship, the cremation of dead, and the rules and regulations of the caste system.


  ISLAM  

Jamma Masjid Muslims, followers of the Islamic religion, constitute India's largest religious minority. They number about 105 million making India one of the largest Islamic nations in the world. Prophet Mohammed, the founder of Islam, was born in 570 AD at Mecca now part of Saudi Arabia. The Islamic holy book of 'Quran' is a compilation of his revelations from Allah (God). Mohammed preached against the idolatry. Friday is the Muslim holy day and the main mosque in each town is known as the 'Jama Masjid' or Friday Mosque. One of the aims of every Muslim is to make the pilgrimage (haj) to Mecca and become a 'hajji'.


  CHRISTANITY  
Varanasi

India has around 22 million Christians. There have been Christian communities in Kerala since the coming of Christianity to Europe (St. Thomas the Apostle is said to have arrived here in 54 AD). The Portuguese and the English left large Christian communities in Goa, Mizoram, Nagaland and Kerala. The total number of converts though, is not very high considering the country's population. Initially, it was the ruling classes who converted to Christianity followed, in the later years by the lower castes. Indians celebrate both 'Good Friday' as well as Christmas Day.


  BUDDHISM  
Buddha

Buddhism was founded in Northern India in about 500 BC when Siddhartha Gautama, a prince, achieved enlightenment. Buddhists believe that attainment of enlightenment is the goal of every being. Buddha taught that suffering comes from sensual desires and the illusion that they are important. To overcome these delusions one must endure a path of a series of rebirths until no more rebirths are necessary. This path is 'Karma' where your actions in one life determine your next life.


  JAINISM  
Jains

Around 500 BC came a religion resembling Buddhism- Jainism. It was founded by Mahavira, the 24th and last of the Jain prophets. The religion originally evolved as a reformist movement against the dominance of priests and the complicated rituals of Brahminism. According to Jainism, 'moksha' or spiritual salvation can be attained through following the path of the 'tirthankars' especially the path of 'ahimsa' or non-violence. This belief is so strong that some monks actually cover their mouths with a piece of cloth in order to avoid the risk of accidentally swallowing an insect.


  SIKHISM  
Golden Temple [Harmindar]

The Sikhs in India number 18 million and predominate in the Punjab, although they are found all over India. The Sikh religion was founded by Guru Nanak. It was originally created to blend the best of Hindu and Islamic religions. It's basic tenets are those of Hinduism though it opposes the caste system. Sikhs worship at temples known as 'Gurdwaras' where they regularly read their holy book called the 'Guru Granth Sahib'. Sikhs believe in one God and are opposed to idol worship. As a religious requisite, they are not allowed to cut their hair which they usually wear in a turban.


  ZOROASTRIANISM  
Fire Worship

Founded in Persia by the prophet 'Zarathustra' (Zoroaster), it dates back to the 6th or 7th century BC. The followers of Zoroastrianism are known as 'Parsis' because they originally fled to India to escape persecution in Persia. Zoroastrianism was one of the first religions to postulate an omnipotent and invisible god. Their scripture is the 'Zend-Avesta', which describes the continual conflict between the forces of good and evil. The Parsis worship in fire temples where flames burn eternally as a symbol of their God. To ensure purity of the elements, they will not cremate or bury their dead and instead leave the bodies in 'Towers of Silence' where they are soon cleaned off by vultures.

History of India


  Seasons  

Summer

March to July

 

Monsoon
South West: June to September
North East: October to November

 

Winter
Mid-October to February

 

 

 

 

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