India is one of ancient countries on the planet. The history and culture of India are rooted in such a deep past that even professional scientists, culturologists and historians still cannot fully understand them. Truth, real picture less iridescent. India is an overpopulated, poor and sometimes quite polluted country, not at all reminiscent of the wonderful place that is usually described in fairy tales and shown in films.
- India ranks second in the world in terms of the number of people living on its territory after China (the country's population is about 1.3 billion people).
- The territory of modern India was inhabited by the ancestors modern people about 500 thousand years ago. Just think - half a million years ago!
- In the 2014 Indian parliamentary elections, 668 women and five transgenders were elected.
- India has an amazing variety of animal and plant species. At the same time, about 33% of plant varieties growing in Indian forests are not found anywhere else on the planet.
- The Indians were the first to season their food with black pepper.
- The national sport in India is field hockey, and the most popular is cricket, inherited by the Indians from the British colonizers. The Indian team has won more Olympic field hockey medals than any other country in the world.
- India is the birthplace of yoga.
- Every year in the Indian capital New Delhi International Festival mango.
- One of the main architectural symbols of India, the Taj Mahal mausoleum, was built by more than 20 thousand workers and artisans for almost 30 years. Now this unique structure is gradually covered with cracks and turns yellow due to extremely dirty air- the complex has to be cleaned regularly with a special white clay.
- In 2010, a luxury train service dubbed the "Maharaja Train" began running between New Delhi and Mumbai. Passengers on the train can enjoy India's most famous sights from the comfort of five-star carriages.
- India leads among all countries in the world in the number of murders and abortions per thousand population.
- The inhabitants of India speak 780 languages and more than a thousand dialects formed from these languages (see).
- The Indian authorities have legally banned the transportation of its national currency, the Indian rupee, across the border. Both the import of rupees into India and the export of local money from it are prohibited. True, still usually no one checks anything.
- In India, it is customary to celebrate weddings on a grand scale - even not too rich families invite up to one and a half thousand guests to the wedding and organize a festive feast for them.
- Indians consider cows to be sacred animals, so they do not eat beef and allow cattle to roam freely on city streets and beaches. However, this does not apply to the state of Goa - they even eat beef here, since the vast majority of the inhabitants of Goa are Christians, not Hindus.
- More than a million people in India are dollar millionaires.
- In India, almost no one uses washing machines - wealthy Indians prefer to hire a housekeeper who takes care of the laundry, and poor families simply wash their clothes in the nearest reservoir.
- Indian women do not address their husbands by their first names as it is considered disrespectful.
- India has more vegetarians than any other country in the world.
- Indian Post has the largest mail delivery network in the world. There is a post office on the territory of the country, located at an altitude of 4400 meters above sea level, there is also a floating mail, and a few decades ago, Indians were served by mobile postmen on camels.
- The holy city of Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously populated cities peace.
- India ranks second after the United States in terms of the number of English-speaking residents.
- The Indian town of Cherrapunji is considered one of the rainiest and most humid places on earth.
- Jaipur is home to the world's largest sundial.
- Indians prepare over 140 types of traditional national desserts.
- The largest family on Earth lives in the Indian village of Baktwang - it consists of the head of the family, 39 of his wives, 94 children and 39 grandchildren.
India is considered a country of contrasts, and it is fraught with many secrets. Interesting Facts about India include and historical development countries, and traditions, and characteristics of the people living there. Everyone can be interested in India. Interesting facts about given state give the impression that this country is extraordinary. And indeed it is. Interesting facts about India will not leave indifferent all travelers and lovers ancient culture. Both children and adults will be interested in reading such a selection.
1.In terms of the number of inhabitants, India is considered the second country in the world.
2.The national currency of India is the rupee.
3. Most of the murders per year happen in this state.
4.A large number of Indians live on 2-3 dollars a day.
5. India doesn't use toilet paper. Near the toilets there you can find a shower.
6. Approximately 35% of Indians are poor citizens.
7. Chess was first created in this country.
8. The first cotton material was created in India.
9. If a person in India shakes his head left and right, then he agrees with something.
10. There are no alcoholic beverages on free sale in India.
11. In India they like to eat spicy food.
12. Each state of India has own language.
13. Banana leaves in India are often used as a plate.
14. Guests at a wedding in India can be about 2,000 people.
15. Geometry and algebra appeared in this state.
16. About 5000 years ago yoga was born in India.
17. The color of mourning for Indians is white, not black.
18. India is considered the largest consumer of gold.
19. India has a spring festival called Holly. On this day, Indians are sprinkled with colored paints, so they wish each other happiness.
20. Hindus do not use cutlery, they are used to eating with their hands.
21. India is a multinational state.
22. India is considered a country of fairy tales and fables.
23. It is impossible to find a washing machine at a Hindu's house. If a person can afford to buy such a device, then he will have enough money to hire a housewife.
24. In India, the wife of her husband never calls by name.
25. Hindus believe that good wives' husbands do not die, and therefore it is difficult for widows in India to live.
26. India is the oldest civilization in the world.
27. India is considered the birthplace of 4 major religions.
28. The Kama Sutra appeared in India. And it includes not only poses in pictures, but also text about what a righteous life is.
29. The first university in India is Takshila.
30. India has more post offices than any other country.
31. There are about 30,000 working mosques in India.
32. Shipping also appeared for the first time in India.
33. Until the 17th century, India was considered the most rich country, but when the British arrived there, this opinion became incorrect.
34. For 10,000 years of the existence of this state, no other was captured by it.
35. India became famous for its own cinema. It is the kindest of all those that exist in the world.
36.Features of costing comes from India.
37. The world famous hookah for smoking also appeared in India.
38. The Hindus were not inferior in terms of literature, because the content of their works was always instructive.
39. Only the Hindus managed to tame the largest animal - the elephant.
40. India is considered the largest democratic state in the world space.
41. India has 6 seasons.
42. Once upon a time, India was an island.
43. This state has the highest level of deaths.
44. Almost all the world's spices belong to India.
45. Every 10th girl in India is killed because of her dowry.
46. In India even now there is slavery. There are about 14 million slaves in this country.
47. In some Indian families, girls are killed at birth, knowing that she will not be able to continue the race.
48. The day of death is also celebrated in this country.
49. Corpses in India are most often burned.
50. The most famous place In India it is considered the Taj Mahal.
51. The Persian lion lives only in India.
52. Fabrics produced in India are sold in all countries of the world. That is why India is considered the center of fashion.
53. The largest sundial is located in India.
55. The export of rupees from India is prohibited by law.
56. At every step in India there are washstands.
57. Hindus consider the Ganges a sacred place.
58. Indian cafes don't have menus.
59. Almost all Indians are vegetarians.
60. Milk in India is considered a vegetarian dish because the animal does not suffer by giving it.
61. Even in those houses in India where there is a table, people eat on the floor.
62. In India, there is a holiday that is celebrated only once every 12 years. It is called Kumbha Mela.
63. India is the largest English-speaking nation.
64. Women from India hardly swim in the ocean.
65. Cottage cheese and sour cream cannot be found in Indian stores.
66. On school grounds in India, children often play cricket.
67. The sacred animal of India is the cow.
68.In India Left side traffic cars.
69. Tipping in cafes in India can be left at will.
70. The work of the Hindus starts at 5 am.
71. Cellular communication is very cheap in India.
72. Many dance styles appeared in this state. These are Katak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Sttria, Mohinniatam.
73. India has the most high bridge in the world.
74. Hindus do not cremate or bury relatives.
75. Social identification in India is based on the style and color of the clothes of the inhabitants.
76. In the 20th century in India, girls got married even at the age of 13.
77. In India, buses may not have glass windows.
78. Expensive in this country is education.
74. In order for a child to be born on an auspicious day, in India it is allowed to induce premature birth or perform a caesarean section.
75. Hindus honor their family.
76. Sons in India are valued more than daughters.
77. The basics of difficult surgical interventions appeared in India.
78. In India, only women can be flight attendants and pilots.
79. There is a cult of fair skin in this state.
80.Most great amount Abortions are done in this country.
81. Men in India are "close friends." They can walk down the street hand in hand or hugging.
82. If a girl in India is told that her gait is similar to that of an elephant, then the chosen one will be yours.
83. From the south, India is surrounded by the Indian Ocean.
84. Even 2000 years ago in India they began to create sugar from cane.
85. India is considered the largest consumer of whiskey. Approximately 600 million liters of this drink are drunk there per year.
86. Martial arts also appeared in India for the first time.
87.In terms of the number of films produced per year, India is considered the third country in the world.
88. There is an overabundance of males in India.
89. Some Indian villages have a tradition of throwing newborns off the roof.
90. It is considered indecent to touch the head of an Indian.
91. In India, cow urine is sold, which is filled in a bottle. It is taken into the body or rubbed into the body.
92. Indian music includes a large number of styles.
93. In the process of preparing a dish, Indians do not try it.
94. In India, there are marriages of people with animals.
95. New Year in India is celebrated for 5 days. And this celebration is called Diwali.
96. The groom's parents play the leading role in choosing a bride for their son. They have chosen a girl for him since childhood.
97. Women in India are prohibited from free communication with males.
98. There is no handshake in India.
99. Hindus can point fingers at each other in the street.
100.Many public displays of affection in India are punishable by law.
During our travels in India, we saw a lot of interesting and unusual things - something impressed more, something less. Here we present the facts about India (mainly about the south and east), which are remembered the most.
1. As a "yes" gesture(instead of a nod of the head, as we do), the Indians shake their heads to the sides, like our "ah-ah-ah". At first, a feeling subconsciously arose, as if they shook their heads reproachfully in response to the question, they say, "well, you have questions, white ones." It’s the same when meeting - they often start dangling their heads from side to side, like roly-poly dolls, very funny))
2. Traffic here is on the left, such a concept as traffic rules, if it exists, is very conditional, the main rule on the road is a beep. Moreover, unlike, for example, from the turn signal indicator, the beep is more of a warning character, i.e. beeped and immediately starts turning, and if you don’t give in, it’s your problems, you were warned =) Especially frantic movement in major cities- Delhi, Chennai, Calcutta, exacerbated by the incredible number of tuk-tuks scurrying here and there - the buzz of signals does not stop there for a minute.
3. Common among men close friendship , to such an extent that you can often find them walking hand in hand or hugging. At first we were surprised, but then we read that it was just such a friendship, without sexual overtones.
4. Indian food, especially southern, very sharp, with large quantity spices. Requests "no spicy", "no chilly" rarely lead to the expected result, despite the diligent nods of the waiter's head. There is a certain set of dishes, initially not very spicy - they can be eaten with a complete rejection of spicy food.
5. In most cases to designate a place where you can eat, the word is used Hotel. At the same time, most hotels are called Lodge, but some, especially large ones, also use Hotel in the name.
6. The most common fruit- papayas, pineapples, tangerines and bananas, with the latter a huge number of varieties - large and small, thick and thin, yellow, red and green. Often apples are also sold, but incredibly expensive.
7. Many products carry the MRP mark(maximum retail price) - the maximum retail price at which this product can be sold. This is especially noticeable in bottled water, which is sold on every corner and costs 15 rupees per 1 liter almost everywhere, both in shops and in cafes.
8. Many small local restaurants there is no menu - people come and order dishes they have known for a long time.
9. Dishes for different tricks food as a rule, they are clearly divided into breakfast (until 11), lunch (from 12 to 15) and dinner (from 19 to 21). The time, however, is rather conditional and can vary, but ordering something from the breakfast menu in the afternoon, and in the afternoon from dinner, most often will not work. Moreover, from 15 to 18-19 some of the cafes are generally closed.
10. The most common lunch among not very wealthy residents - this is " meals": a mountain of rice, usually on a banana leaf (very convenient, free disposable tableware, and also profitable in waste disposal) with several sauces and seasonings in bowls. Most often, this dish is without restrictions - sauces are almost always added, sometimes rice is added, cheap and cheerful. Meals are more popular in south India.
11. Tipping in cafes it is customary to leave at will from 3-10%, but most often it is 10-20 rupees.
12. No alcohol available for sale. those. it is not prohibited, but it is not particularly welcomed - you can buy it only in specially designated places. In most cafes, it is also not officially available (sometimes they sell it "under the counter"), it is only available in restaurants.
13. Staff in guesthouses and cafes, especially inexpensive ones, are rarely friendly. They are not aggressive, but they talk as if they have this job in their livers, maybe it is. And locals often very smiling and friendly.
14. Rickshaws and other "helpers" for bringing a client to a hotel, as a rule, they receive a fixed amount, and for each night spent by the client in this hotel. So from a room for 250 rupees, a rickshaw will receive 50 rupees, and for 300 already 75, and so on. Each city has its own fees. The owner of the guesthouse in Allepy shared this with us in secret =)
15. Central hot water supply nowhere. In the cheapest guesthouses hot water no, in principle, in some they bring it in the morning in a tank (sometimes for extra money), in more advanced ones there are boilers.
16. toilet paper Indians don't use, instead, in advanced places next to the toilet hangs a small shower, and in simpler places - a tap with water and a ladle.
17. Hindu temples open at 5am and this, as a rule, is accompanied by loud howls (prayers) into the microphone for the whole neighborhood, huge speakers are put out on the street)) It is especially fun if such a temple is under the windows of the guesthouse =)
18. Most Hindus are very pious, believers. There are queues everywhere, there are many pilgrims everywhere, and as a result, the business of selling offerings is widely developed - as a rule, this is a set of flowers and fruits (bananas, coconuts). Some even have a small prayer room with an altar and deities at home, while visiting one of the couchsurfers they witnessed the evening prayer of his daughter - she rang the bell and waved incense sticks.
19. To most Hindu temples or only Hindus (Hindu) are allowed to enter their separate prayer parts, despite the fact that an Indian priest can also bless Europeans (put a dot on the forehead, wash with holy water), if only the money was paid)
20. Probably due to the heat, here most people get up at 5-6 in the morning. So at 7 am on a typical weekday, we witnessed pandemonium on the beach - the locals played football, volleyball and just sat in groups or walked, the same thing in the evening - after 5 o'clock.
21. Indians in general do not like to swim in the sea, prefer lakes with fresh water and no waves. Women never swim at least in public places.
22. Often local, mostly young people, from non-tourist areas are asked to take pictures with us. Children simply say hello and wave their hands or ask to be photographed. Older people also willingly pose in front of the lens, and then with innocent eyes ask for "money-money".
23. A typical procedure for getting to know locals consists of two questions "which country? Name?". Sometimes they just ask "name?" and satisfied, they move on.
24. Children, seeing us, often ask for "skulpen". At first they didn’t understand, and then they dismantled it - school pen (school pen), apparently tourists often give them.
25. The most common clothing among women is the sari., young men wear jeans and T-shirts, and the older generation often prefers lungi - a rag wrapped around the legs, wrapped around the naked body.
26. On trains, in shared carriages(class general), if not free places, people quietly ride on luggage racks. Checked on own experience- on the luggage rack fits up to 3 people + luggage =)
In class wagons sleeper up to 5 people can be accommodated on two side shelves - two on the top, 3 on the bottom, and in the reserved seat where we have four in Russia, there are 6 shelves but they sleep and not six, but 9-10 people sit on them, and they sleep in a bunch, they also sleep in the aisles right on the floor and in the vestibules near the toilets and entrances. There are 2 types of toilets in each car - Western style (toilet) and Indian style (hole in the floor).
27. Prices for visiting various parks, palaces, reserves often differ for local and foreign tourists, usually 10, and sometimes 15 times, for example, 10 and 150 rupees.
28. Yoga and Ayurveda are two big myth about India. In Russia, many believe that in India all Indians practice yoga and are treated with Ayurveda, but both are more common outside of India, and even here they are popular mainly among tourists.
P.S. Most of the above observations are unfair for large and developed cities like,. They are very strongly Europeanized with all the ensuing
consequences =)
P.P.S At the end of our trip to India, we published ""
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India is one of the most amazing countries built on contrasts. This is a place with an original culture, colorful outfits and bewitching dances, in which tranquility and chaos, legends and reality are incomprehensibly combined. What else captivates this fabulous state? We offer a selection of amazing facts about India that will impress both avid travelers and connoisseurs of ancient culture.
Geographical and climatic features
The South Asian country is famous for its unusual climatic conditions. In the south of the state dense rainforests, in the western part - a huge desert, and on north side you can enjoy the beauty of the glaciers. For one short trip within the same country, it will not be difficult to find both a hot summer and a cold winter.
At the location of the state with a dozen deep rivers. In many of them in summer period water levels rise significantly, causing flooding in cities. The sacred river Ganges is no exception, having displaced and claimed the lives of over a million people.
An amazing fact: sharks are found in the waters of the sacred river. Most likely, gastronomic habit predator to "human flesh" manifested itself due to the abundance of floating in the water corpses that were not completely burned during cremation.
But the main danger of rivers is poisoned water. International experts agree that 60% natural sources identified high level salt and arsenic. This is due too a large number local residents who use the waters for a variety of purposes. Industrial waste is poured into them, they wash themselves, they bury the dead and even float the carcasses of dead cows on the water.
Both in poverty and in wealth
Although India occupies only the seventh place in the world ranking in terms of size, it is a confident second in terms of the number of inhabitants. About 1.2 billion people live on its lands.
This country is considered the largest consumer of gold. At the same time, 35% of residents live below the poverty line. For comparison, the number of poor people in 8 states of India exceeds the number of people deprived of their livelihoods from the combined 26 poor countries in Africa. For most locals, having a simple washing machine at home is a luxury item.
Many are silent about another shocking fact - in some states of India, slavery still exists. The victims are children and women from poor families. They are forced into prostitution and hard labor.
In terms of mortality, the state ranks first. The main reasons for this terrible fact – low level medicine and complete unsanitary conditions. When arranging 53% of houses, in principle, water supply and sewerage are not provided.
Among the population of the state, only 65% of the inhabitants received an education. And in this regard, there is discrimination based on gender:
- among women, the number of literates is only 45%;
- among men with education - 75%.
India is the most peaceful country. For 10 thousand years of its existence, it did not attempt to capture any other state. Today, in a multiethnic region, each state has its own language. Official status has been assigned to 24 languages, and there are more than 3,000 unofficial dialects.
Emotional Indians often accompany their speech with expressive facial expressions and gestures. It is noteworthy that by shaking his head from side to side during a conversation, the Indian thereby demonstrates an affirmative answer. For us, this gesture is more familiar as a denial or a manifestation of discontent.
Land of discovery
India is the birthplace of many discoveries. Her sons invented the number system, were the first to explain the spherical shape of the Earth, the speed of its rotation and gravity. In this state were created:
- cotton material;
- the world-famous game of chess;
- basics of algebra and geometry;
- shipping;
- judo and karate.
Even 500 years ago, she gave the world an invaluable gift - a combination of spiritual and physical practices referred to as yoga. Here they created the Kama Sutra - an erotic treatise that contains not only an illustrated description of postures, but also edification on how to lead a righteous life.
Varanasi is the oldest populated city not only India, but our entire planet. He received the title back in 500 BC, when, according to legend, the Buddha himself visited this place. Every Hindu dreams of being cremated in the lands of Varanasi. Many people in their late years simply come to the city and live on the banks of the Ganges in anticipation of death.
locals
Despite the fact that India is considered the largest democratic country, it is still dominated by a caste system. It determines the position of each person in society, providing clear rules of life, and thereby gives the opportunity to be in the circle of their own kind. AT old times distinguished 4 castes:
- Brahmins are priests, priests and teachers who occupy high position. Their main purpose is to spiritually enlighten the people.
- Kshatriyas - those born in this caste are engaged in military affairs. They serve as guards, soldiers, and law enforcement officers.
- Vaishya - representatives of this class are engaged in household needs and financial matters. They work in trade and banking.
- Sudras are lower caste people, often living below the poverty line. At all times they were engaged in the most physically difficult and dirty work.
Modern castes are more structured. They have many jati - subgroups. Indians believe that only by following the rules prescribed for each jati can one be reborn in future life in a body corresponding to a higher caste.
Indians sincerely believe that only those who have corrupted karma are born as women in this world. This body was given to pay for sins past life. The happiness of Indian women depends entirely on the health of their husbands. In the old days, there was even a tradition according to which, in the event of the death of a husband, his “half” performed the ritual “sati”: burning himself along with the body of his spouse on a funeral pyre. To be left without a husband was shameful not only for the woman herself, but for all her relatives.
Echoes of this shocking tradition can be found today. For example: widows are not allowed to appear at public gatherings or approach newlyweds. Indeed, according to local canons, it is believed that good wives' husbands do not die.
The color of mourning for Indians is white. Women who have buried their husbands often choose white robes, which contrast very much with the colorful robes of unmarried girls.
The color and style of clothing serves as a means of social identification. An example of the symbolism of every detail in the wardrobe is the situation in which a woman with improperly styled hair can be considered a prostitute.
Another interesting one amazing fact about the inhabitants of India, that among men they have a very close friendship. Moreover, the relationship can be so close and touching that the representatives of the stronger sex do not hesitate to demonstrate the manifestation of friendship in public. So very often you can see two men walking and holding hands on the street.
Indian food
National cuisine is colorful and varied. For many residents, cooking is considered a real art. That is why they are ready to spend more than one hour preparing their dishes, turning the action into a real ceremony.
Cow for Hindus is a sacred animal. A prison term is due for injuring or killing this animal. Due to the influence of Islam, pork dishes are not in demand. Therefore, vegetarian dishes are the most popular.
For seasonings national cuisine special treatment. Not surprisingly, 70% of the world's spices are of Indian origin. When preparing their dishes, local chefs always keep 25-50 spices on hand, making up their own unique flavor bouquet from them. The only disadvantage of such experiments is that after dishes with so many spices, Europeans often feel discomfort in the stomach.
It is noteworthy that menus are not served in local catering establishments. Customers simply order the dishes they have known for a long time.
As for home meals, before sitting down to the table, Indians rinse their face, hands and feet. The role of the plate is most often performed by ordinary leaves from banana palms. Hindus, in principle, are not accustomed to using cutlery. They perform all manipulations with the fingers of one hand. In many families, “separate” meals are accepted, when women sit down at the table after the men finish the meal.
India is rightly considered the world's cradle of sweets. After all, even the most stringent Vedic laws allow you to feast "as much as you like", recognizing the sweetness as "divine pleasure".
But there are also amazing dishes, composition and appearance which is controversial. These should include:
- Chur-mur is a vegetarian dish that combines sour, sweet and savory flavors, crispy and delicate textures. This is puffed rice with vegetables, fruits and nuts.
- Kashmiri kofta is a fried curd ball stuffed with dried apple and spices. Although the set of components promises sweetness, the dish has a sour-salty taste.
- Beja puri are crispy semolina cakes stuffed with lamb brain stew.
Indians do not particularly drink alcohol, so the most popular national drink considered masala chai. It is prepared on the basis of black tea, milk and ginger. This composition perfectly restores strength and gives energy.
Features of the internal charter
It is noteworthy that the concept of rules traffic in almost all cities of India conditionally. Reigning on local roads the randomness of movement can cause shock even for experienced drivers. There are no markings, signs and signs on the roads ... Yes, they are not needed by local residents.
A universal signal on the road is a horn - it means both a warning about a change in the trajectory of movement, and just a greeting. Particularly intense traffic is observed in the major cities of the country - Calcutta, Chennai, Delhi. In them, the buzz of signals does not stop even at night.
In addition to the usual cars, there are a lot of “exotic” road users on the roads: elephants and camels, rickshaws and pedestrians who ignore the sidewalks. It is not surprising that the most high percent mortality in the world, the state also occupies due to frequent accidents.
Customs and traditions
India is the birthplace of four religions. 80% of the inhabitants profess Hinduism, 13% - Islam. 1% professes Buddhism and Jainism. The remaining 6% were occupied by religions that came to the country from outside.
Most Hindus are very pious and religious people. In almost every house there is a room for solitude, equipped with an altar with deities.
There are more than 30 thousand working mosques on the territory of the state. Temples, starting to work from 5 am, invite parishioners broadcast through the loudspeakers with loud singing.
Delhi Cathedral Mosque. It was founded under Shah Jahan (the builder of the Taj Mahal), completed in 1656. One of the 8 largest mosques in the world.
Dowry is an ancient Indian tradition, which today often causes the sudden death of young girls. When young people get married, the bride's family, according to custom, must collect a large sum of money. Not only is this an unbearable burden for many families with a limited budget, but the groom's families, having taken a young daughter-in-law into the house, in case of late payment, can mock the girl and exploit her. If the young wife "dies", the groom's parents can clear conscience look for a new candidate with a dowry.
Christians tend to dramatize the ceremony of disposal of human remains, giving it a tragic color. Indians treat this differently, arranging a holiday on the day of the funeral of the deceased and thereby wishing him a happy life. afterlife.
The burial of the remains in the form of burning a corpse is an ordinary procedure that does not cause much emotion among the locals. The ashes of the deceased are poured out by relatives of any nearby reservoir. Only representatives of three categories are not subject to cremation: children under 7 years old, pregnant women, bitten by a snake, lepers and saints. Their bodies are simply lowered into the middle of the Ganges.
Without a doubt, India is considered one of the most beautiful and interesting countries in the world. She still remains a mystery to most, despite the fact that everyone knows about her, about her traditions, cooking, history. Everyone knows that this is a country of contrasts. And yet in India, in a country with a democracy, mobile phones, the developed pharmaceutical industry and Bollywood, there are many strange and incomprehensible phenomena.
It is known that more than a billion people live in India, it is the largest democratic country in the world. It is hard to imagine such a huge amount of public support for the government, but society, in turn, makes the government work hard. Well, or so it seems! Until now, India has preserved the caste system, which indicates to each member of society his place.
In most countries of the world there are only 4 seasons, there are countries in which even less. For example, in countries located on the equator, all year round warm, and vice versa, in countries beyond the Arctic Circle it is constantly cold. In India, there are 6 seasons according to the calendar of Hinduism, the main religion of the country: summer, monsoon season, autumn, winter, pre-spring season, spring.
Unfortunately, the national currency of India, the rupee, is not allowed to be taken out of the country. This news will upset tourists, but it rules out currency speculation. Although locals are trying to export currency and speculate with neighboring Bangladesh, this is all happening on a small scale. More and more more residents India is starting to use cards.
India is a country of contrasts. In the country next to live poor and rich, literate and people who cannot write and read, and such majestic building how the Taj Mahal is adjacent to the shacks. The country has only 65% of the literate population. There are 45% of literate women and 75% of men. Despite relatively high literacy, India has a high rate of poverty.
The country's population continues to grow. India is said to overtake China by 2028. Already today it has exceeded total population Western Europe.
At the time of Pangea, all the continents were one large piece of land. Thanks to tectonic processes huge parts began to separate. It was then that India began the journey separately from other parts. Later, she came across the piece that is Asia today and stopped.
In India people speak 1000 different languages and dialects. A traveler will not be helped by a phrase book, as many local dialects and the languages are very different. True, most people know Hindi.
India has the highest death rate in the world. main reason of this phenomenon are traffic accidents. Traffic on the roads in India, especially in cities, is extremely heavy and there is no regulation. It takes talent to maneuver safely between cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, animals, and pedestrians. People die under the wheels of cars or due to suffocation in overcrowded buses. The mortality of newborns and pregnant women also contributes to the high mortality rate due to insufficiently qualified medical care. In addition, they still kill for infidelity and for dowry.
When it comes to cinema, everyone has associations with Hollywood. However, about 1,100 films are released annually in India, which is twice as many as in the US. Believe it or not, most Indian films are not made in Bollywood. Although many people like the colorful, emotional, expressive films of Bollywood stars, this is only a small part of the entire Indian film production.
The passion of Indians for records in different areas can be called strange. For example, the Guinness Book of Records holds the record for the largest crocheted blanket in the world. The largest metal peacock in the world was erected in India. The record for the most mass performance is fixed national anthem.
Everyone knows the problem that arises in multimillion-dollar megacities around the world - this is air pollution from car exhaust, which manifests itself visually in the presence of smog, and physically in shortness of breath. China is most famous for this, but in Mumbai the situation is even worse. Staying in Mumbai or Delhi for one day is equivalent to smoking 100 cigarettes. According to the World Health Organization, 1.5 million people die each year from lung cancer and asthma in these cities.
Although most people in India eat plant-based foods, Indian cuisine has very tasty dishes made from chicken, goat, lamb. But India has the largest number of vegetarians. At the Indian Golden Temple, several thousand free vegetarian meals are handed out daily to the poor and homeless. Be sure to try paneer, naan and biryani - vegetable and rice dishes.
8. 53% of houses without running water and sewerage
In the cities of India, people die under the wheels of cars, from polluted air, and also from unsanitary conditions, since 53% of houses lack running water and sewerage.
Dowry is an ancient Indian tradition. When a guy and a girl are going to get married (very often parents make the choice for them), the bride and her family give a large amount of money to the groom's family. Especially these are large sums when through marriage they are going to improve their social and caste position. Unfortunately, because of this money, one girl is killed every hour in India.
In every spoon of almost all Indian dishes you can find turmeric, coriander, mustard, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, chili pepper. Not surprisingly, 70% of the world's spices are of Indian origin. If you want to try an authentic Indian dish, then it is better to visit any Indian family. They spend several hours preparing the dish, a huge variety of spices - this art is difficult to learn.
Unfortunately, slavery still exists in India today. The number of slaves reaches 14 million people. For a long time this topic was hushed up and ignored. People in many countries of the world could not even think that in India there is slavery, which exists due to imperfect legislation, corruption local authorities. Most of the slaves are poor, illiterate women and children who are forced into hard labor and prostitution.
In addition to slaves, there are a lot of poor people in India. A large number of families with children live on the street, collect alms. In India, the average person has to work 14-16 hours to earn little money. On average, they earn up to $1.25 a day. The government is trying to provide benefits to the poor, stimulate the development of agricultural areas and motivate the poor to take up farming, but so far to no avail.
There is in the world whole line developed countries, where the rights of men and women are equally respected. In India, in some families, newborn girls are deliberately killed, as they will not be able to continue the race. Between 100,000 and 500,000 girls are killed annually in the country, just because of their gender. Selective abortions are practiced here, which were officially banned back in 1994. Those girls who manage to survive are often humiliated all their lives by the male population. If we talk about medicine, then more attention and the respect given to boys and men when talking about vaccinations and treatment.
In accordance with the traditions of Hinduism, which is very common in India, the day of the funeral of the deceased is celebrated and commemorated by relatives. Most often in India, corpses are burned, and at funerals they are not allowed to drink alcohol or eat meat products, this rule also applies to the next 12 days. The eldest son in the family pours the ashes of the deceased into the water of any reservoir nearby, it can be the ocean, sea, river, lake. Relatives and family friends commemorate the death of the deceased, wishing him a happy afterlife.
In ancient times in India, marijuana was used in different purposes. Today it is an absolutely legal action, marijuana is used in different types, although there are some restrictions that are associated with religion and traditions. For example, it is added to dishes, milkshakes are prepared from it. It is one of the five sacred plants that are mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. Marijuana is also used to treat various diseases and during religious ceremonies. Hindus are sure that Shiva also used marijuana.
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