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FAMOUS Indian Food Dishes From 28 Indian States | Indian Cuisine | Street Food | Tripoto

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Festivals are to Indian culture what spices are to Indian cuisine, the most important forms of celebrations!

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The Taj Mahal, an Indian landmark, was completed in 1653.

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of India, Bharat

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Federal republic

CAPITAL: New Delhi

POPULATION: 1,296,834,042

OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Hindi, English, 21 others

MONEY: Rupee

AREA: 1,269,345 square miles (3,287,590 square kilometers)

MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGE: Himalaya

MAJOR RIVERS: Ganges, Yamuna, Indus, Brahmaputra

India is part of the continent of Asia. Most of India forms a peninsula, which means it is surrounded by water on three sides. The world's highest mountain range, the Himalaya, rises in the north. The southeast is bordered by the Bay of Bengal, and the southwest is bordered by the Arabian Sea.

India's terrain varies widely, from the Thar Desert in the west to jungles in the northeast. A fertile area called the Ganges Plain covers much of northern India. This formation was created from soil that was deposited by rivers running from the Himalaya. In some places, this layer of silt is over 25,000 feet (7,620 meters) deep.
Map created by National Geographic Maps

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Society throughout India is divided into social ranks, called castes. Caste is determined by birth and there is almost no way to change it. High castes include priests, landowners, and soldiers. So-called Untouchables have no caste and do the most menial jobs.

India is a very spiritual country. It has no official religion, but more than 80 percent of Indians are Hindu. About 13 percent are Muslim. Other religions include Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, which all began in India.

For thousands of years, since the Hindu religion first evolved, respect for animal life has been an important part of Indians' beliefs. Cows in particular are sacred and cannot be harmed. They are even allowed to wander through city streets, which often causes traffic jams!

India's varied climate zones support about 65,000 animal species, including elephants, pythons, river dolphins, and rhinos, and 12,000 types of flowering plants. It is the only country in the world with both lions and tigers. It's also a bird watcher's paradise.

On the coast of the Bay of Bengal is the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest. Here, tigers swim in the same rivers as dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, and saltwater crocodiles. This unique landscape is constantly under threat as sea levels rise and humans hunt illegally and clear trees for firewood.

The Himalaya mountains provide a home for some of India's rarest animals and plants. The most elusive animal is the snow leopard. Bears and black buck live lower down, and in the northeast, the tiger and one-horned rhinoceros can be found.

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY

India's parliamentary government was inherited from the British. After independence in 1947, one party, the Congress Party, and one family, the Nehru family, dominated politics in India for decades. Now, however, many parties compete for elected positions.

India's economy is growing so fast that experts predict it will soon become one of the world's leading markets. Indians are hard workers. And though many are poorly educated, there are many others who are highly trained college graduates.

India's earliest known civilization arose about 5,000 years ago on the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. Archaeologists uncovered the remains of two huge cities with brick houses, piped water, and sewer systems. Nobody knows why, but these cities, called Harappa and Mohenjo Daro, were abandoned in 1700 B.C.

The Aryan people were farmers from Central Asia who arrived in India around 1500 B.C. They spoke Sanskrit, one of the world's oldest known languages. The Vedic Scriptures, writings that form the basis of the Hindu religion, were written during the Aryan reign.

In the 200-year reign of the Gupta Empire, starting in the fourth century A.D., arts, crafts, and sciences flourished. During this time, the Indian astronomer Aryabhatta determined that the Earth revolved around the sun. This was long before the Western world accepted the theory.

Beginning in the 16th century, following a series of invasions by Muslim forces, a Mongol leader named Babur founded the Mongol Empire. The Mongols oversaw a golden age of art, literature, and architecture in India between 1527 and 1707. They built roads, mosques, gardens, and enormous tombs, including the grand Taj Mahal.

In the late 1400s, Europeans arrived in India and began setting up trading companies. In 1757, Britain gained control over most of the country. Uprisings against British rule began in 1856. In 1920, the famous Mahatma Gandhi began nonviolent protests to push the British out. In 1947, India had independence.

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India Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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India is part of the continent of Asia. Most of India forms a peninsula, which means it is surrounded by water on three sides.

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From ancient South Indian temples to the finest monuments built by the Mughals, we have compiled a list of the ten most iconic historic buildings in India. Their impressive architecture and rich histories are a tribute to India's deep and complex heritage.

Now in ruins, Nalanda used to be a thriving centre of learning from the 7th century B.C.E. to 1200 C.E. attracting students and scholars from across the subcontinent and from as far away as Tibet, China, Korea, and Central Asia. Though the ruins occupy an area of just approximately 12 hectares, the university once occupied a larger area and consisted of meditation halls, classrooms, temples, and dormitories for over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers.

At its prime, the historic temple town of Hampi was one of the richest and largest cities in the world. Today, it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a key attraction for tourists visiting India. Located within the ruins of Vijayanagara (city of victory), which used to be the capital of the historic Vijayanagara Empire (1336-1646 C.E.). Out of the many building complexes that make up the ruins, the Vittala Temple is particularly well known. Featuring an iconic stone chariot, famous musical pillars, and impressive sculpture work, the temple is a wonder everyone should aim to see at least once.

The Sun Temple at Konark, Orissa has been time and again named as one of the seven wonders of India by various media outlets. Constructed in 1255 C.E., the iconic temple is built in the shape of a giant ornamented chariot with twelve pairs of carved stone wheels pulled by a set of seven horses, like the one used by the Sun god, Surya. The temple is also structured in such a way that the first rays of sunrise strike its principal entrance.

The largest monastery in India and the second largest in the world, Tawang Monastery in the state of Arunachal Pradesh was built in 1680-1681 as per the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama. Located at an elevation of about 10,000 feet, with a remarkable view of the Tawang River valley and nearby mountains, the majestic three-storey-high building features striking and colourful details as well as an 18-foot-high image of the Buddha. The monastery also has an impressive library featuring several rare ancient scriptures.

One of the oldest mosques in the country, the Makkah Masjid in Hyderabad was built by 16th century ruler Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. The central arch of the mosque was constructed using bricks made from soil brought from Mecca, Islam's holiest city, and thus the mosque got its name. The building's construction took the labour of more than 8,000 workers. And though Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah had laid the foundation stone, it was Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb who completed its construction when he invaded Hyderabad.

Built for women of the royal household to observe street life and festivals without really having to go outside, the five-storey pyramidal monument is one of the key attractions in Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan. Built in red and pink-coloured sandstone and with a façade rich in intricate details, the 18th-century building is particularly striking and not to be missed by those visiting Rajasthan.

The most well-known among historic Indian buildings, the Taj Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 to house the tomb of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj is today recognized universally as an icon of love. The pristine white marble architectural marvel represents the best of Mughal artistic heritage in India, and attracts some 7-8 million visitors every year.

Built as a memorial to an 11th-century king by his widowed queen, this elaborately detailed stepwell in Patan in the state of Gujarat is an architectural marvel to stare at endlessly. With sidewalls covered with intricate sculptures and designs, the stairwell is constructed such that it resembles an inverted temple, meant to highlight the importance and sanctity of water.

Completed in 1010 C.E., this famous temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in the historic city of Thanjavur is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the most visited tourist attractions in the state of Tamil Nadu, the temple is said to be made of some 60,000 tons of granite. Featuring historic frescoes, mural paintings, and painstakingly detailed sculptures, this temple is equally fascinating to architecture, art, and history enthusiasts.

The tallest brick minaret in the world, the 240-foot-tall Qutub Minar was built in the early 13th century by Qutb al-Din Aibak, founder of the Delhi Sultanate, the Muslim predecessors of the Mughals in ruling most parts of Northern India. Made of bricks that are covered with detailed iron carvings and verses from the Quran, the historic monument is one not to be missed.

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10 Historic Indian Buildings Everyone Needs To See

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From ancient South Indian temples to the finest monuments built by the Mughals, we have compiled a list of the ten most iconic historic buildings in India. Their impressive architecture and rich histories are a tribute to India's deep and complex heritage.