BIRTHPLACE OF HIGHER MATHEMATICS

THE GANGES RIVER

BIRTHPLACE OF CHESS

The TAJ MAHAL

Famous for

Mahatma Gandhi

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.“

“It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might

err.”

“It is the quality of our work which will please God and not the quantity.”

Capital: New Delhi

Largest Cities:1.Mumbai (Bombay)2.Delhi3.Calcutta4.Bangalore5.Chennai (Madras)

FUN FACTNew Delhi is a district of the city of Delhi. Something like Vatican City in Rome.

The Himalayan Mountains of China and Nepal

Arabian

Sea

Bay of Bengal

Pakist

an

India has four climate zone:

•Alpine in the Himalayan region

•Sub Tropical in north

•Tropical on the plateaus and near the ocean

•Arid in the western part of the country.

•Most of the country also experiences a monsoon season.

From deserts to jungles to mountains to plains India has it all.

DemographicsReligions

Hindu 80.5%

Muslim 13.4%

Christian 2.3%

Sikh 1.9%

Other 1.8%

LanguagesHindi 41% Bengali 8.1% Telugu 7.2% Marathi 7% Tamil 5.9% Urdu 5% Gujarati 4.5% Kannada 3.7% Malayalam 3.2% Oriya 3.2% Punjabi 2.8% Assamese 1.3% Maithili 1.2%Other 5.9%

Ethnic GroupsIndo-Aryan 72%

Dravidian 25%

Mongoloid and other 3%

English is also used in business and in the political sphere.

Indian has also been known for a rigid caste system

Indian Caste System Basic Overview

The system was believed to have been taken from sacred text of the Hindu religion. The adoption of the Indian Constitution banned the caste system, but like many long held traditions it continues today. Recently, however, the restrictions of the caste system have become relaxed.

Ancient Castes

Goa

Where to go

Kaziranga National Park

Where to go

India is a large country with many things to offer the adventurer, culture seeker, and the lover of architecture.

Incredibleindia.orgIs a great resource for travel ideas.

Where to go

Traditions

The foods of India vary across the country, but India is noted for its use of herbs and spices

Traditions

Saris are a traditional fashion item for Indian women

Traditions

Kabaddi is a traditional Indian sport in which a team sends a person to wrestle someone on the other team.

Touching in public is seen by many as indecent

Customs

Namaste is a traditional greeting and salutation

Customs

Cremation on pyres such as these is the preferred method of body disposal in India

Customs

Interesting Facts• In ancient and medieval India, suttees, in which a recently widowed woman would

immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre, were common.

• In India, grasping one’s ears signifies repentance or sincerity.

• Marigold flowers are used as decoration for Hindu marriages and are a symbol of good fortune and happiness

• The national fruit of India is the mango. The national bird is the peacock, which was initially bred for food.

• It is illegal to take Indian currency (rupees) out of India.

• India is the largest democracy in the world.