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The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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Rangoli for Diwali - Google Arts & Culture

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Discover rangoli styles from different regions of India

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Money

The currency, or the official money, of India is the rupee. Paper rupees range in value from 5 to 5,000. There are also coins that are worth 1, 2, or 5 rupees.

Food

Indian cuisine can vary greatly from region to region. For instance, rice is the main staple throughout the south and east, and flat wheat bread is the main staple in the north and northwest. Listed below are some of the most commonly eaten foods in India.

chapati (flat bread)

chutney (a chunky sauce that accompanies an Indian meal)

curry (a powder blend of many spices, usually turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper; also any dish made with curry seasoning)

dal (lentils; also any dish made with lentils)

ghee (cooking oil made from butter)

masala (mixture of spices)

naan (bread)

pakora (deep-fried cake containing cauliflower, eggplant, or other vegetables)

paneer (cheese; the only kind of cheese that is made in India)

papad (dried lentil chip flavored with spices)

raita (yogurt salad)

rasam (traditional south Indian soup)

samosa (deep-fried turnover filled with meat or potatoes)

shorba (traditional north Indian soup)

tandoori (a method of cooking over a charcoal fire in a clay oven)

Holidays

India celebrates three national holidays. These days are important to every Indian citizen. The holidays listed after the first three below are important days to people who practice a particular religion. In addition, every Indian state has its own calendar of public holidays.

Republic Day (January 26, the day the constitution went into effect)

Independence Day (August 15, the day India broke from British control)

Gandhi Jayanti (October 2, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi)

Diwali (Hindu festival of light)

Holi (Hindu spring festival)

Dussehra (the last day of Sharad Navratri; Hindu holiday marking the victory of the god Rama over the 10-headed demon king Ravana)

Pongal (a Hindu harvest festival celebrated in January by the Tamil people in southern India)

Vasant Panchami (Hindu festival in honor of the goddess Sarasvati)

gurpurabs (multiple Sikh festivals held throughout the year that celebrate important events in the lives of the Gurus)

ʿId al-Fitr (Muslim festival that marks the end of Ramadan)

Good Friday (Christian observance of crucifixion of Jesus Christ)

Christmas (Christian celebration of birth of Jesus Christ)

Buddha Purnima (also called Buddha Jayanti or Wesak; Buddhist holiday that celebrates Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death)

National Symbols

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India's culture is one of the oldest and richest in the world. The capital is New Delhi. Geography Much of India's territory is a peninsula that extends into the Indian...

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India facts

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of India, Bharat
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Federal republic
CAPITAL: New Delhi
POPULATION: 1,236,344,631
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Hindi, English, 21 others
MONEY: Rupee
AREA: 3,287,590 square kilometres
MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGE: Himalaya
MAJOR RIVERS: Ganges, Yamuna, Indus, Brahmaputra
FLAG:

India's geography

India is part of the continent of Asia. Most of India forms a peninsula, jutting out into the ocean. The southeast is bordered by the Bay of Bengal, and the southwest is bordered by the Arabian Sea. The Himalayas - the world's highest mountain range - rise in the north of the country.

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 Himalayas. In some places, this layer of silt is over 7,620m deep.

Indian 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.

India's nature

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 Himalayas 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.

Indian government and 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.

Indian history

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 Mughal 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.

Photos an illustrations: Ganges: Pius Lee, Dreamstime. Diwali candles: Kaphoto, Dreamstime. All other images: Getty Images UK Words from kids.nationalgeographic.com Figures accurate at time of publication, March 2015

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India facts: discover this stunning country! | National Geographic Kids

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Learn all about India's geography, people, wildlife, government, history and more with Nat Geo Kids' fascinating India facts!

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It's time for vibrant colours, eye-popping fireworks, twinkling lights and delicious food! Ready? Then check out our ten facts about Diwali...
When is Diwali 2023?

The exact dates change each year but this year, Diwali falls on Sunday 12 Novembe r.

Facts about Diwali

1) Diwali is an important religious festival originating in India. People often think of Diwali as a Hindu festival, but it is also celebrated by Sikhs and Jains.*

2) Diwali takes place annually and lasts for five days, marking the start of the Hindu New Year. The exact dates change each year and are determined by the position of the moon - but it usually falls between October and November.

3) The word (or Deepavali as it's sometimes called) means "row of lights" in an Ancient language of India, called Sanskrit. During this festival, people decorate their homes with lights and oil lamps, called diyas.

4) For many people, Diwali honours the Hindu goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. The lights and lamps are said to help Lakshmi find her way into peoples' homes, bringing prosperity in the year to come!

5) It's also a celebration of good triumphing over evil, and different legends based on this theme are associated with Diwali. In northern India, Hindus celebrate the return of the deities (gods) Rama and Sita to the city of Ayodhya, after defeating the evil king Ravana!

6) In the region of Bengal people worship the goddess Kali, the destroyer of evil forces, during Diwali. And in Nepal (a country bordering north-east India), people celebrate Lord Krishna's victory over the wicked king Narakaasura.

7) But it's not just about lights and legends -- Diwali is a time to have fun with friends and family! People exchange gifts and sweets, enjoy delicious feasts, watch firework displays and wear new clothes. It's a time to clean and decorate your home, too.

8) Rangoli is a popular Diwali tradition -- beautiful patterns made using colourful powders and flowers. People draw rangoli on the floor by the entrance of their homes to welcome the gods and bring good luck!

9) Today, this fascinating festival is celebrated by thousands of people in countries all around the world. During Diwali, Hindus living outside India gather at places of worship called to leave offerings to deities, watch firework displays and eat yummy food together!

10) The city of Leicester, in the United Kingdom, holds the largest Diwali celebrations outside of India. Every year, tens of thousands of people gather in the streets to enjoy vibrant shows of light, music and dancing!

*Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism are three religions founded in India.

What did you think about our facts about Diwali? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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10 fabulous facts about Diwali! - National Geographic Kids

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Learn all about the festival of lights with our ten facts about Diwali. When is Diwali? How do people celebrate Diwali?

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