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INDIA > FACTS ABOUT THE COUNTRY
History
The excavations in Punjab and Gujarat disclose the highly developed civilization
of the Indus Valley dating back Indian History to 3000 BC. Indeed, Harappa and
Mohenjodaro, the two cities situated on the two sides of Ravi river were built
on a similar plan. Yet, the new wave of urbanization was set along the Ganges
at the period of 1500 BC, according to the Rig Veda, which known as the earliest
literary source of this period
The Great Dynasties
The Magadh rulers dictated the Nothern plains by the sixth century BC, the
period when the new waves of Buddhism and Jainism arose challenging the Hindu
orthodoxy. The Chandragupta Maurya rulers reigned after the Magadh, around 322
- 298 BC. This was one of India's greatest emperors who peaked under the reign
of Ashoka the Great who expanded his authority from Kashmir and Peshawar in
the Northern plain spreading out to Mysore in the South up to Orissa in the
East.
Beside of his greatness in ruling over the past time India, Ashoka was also
an excellence Buddhism propagator. His death in 232 BC resulted in the disintegration
of the country, in which the foreign invaders were continually attack and plunder
India. The country was disunited and weak for the following 400 years. Yet,
Chandra Gupta I who ruled between 380 - 412 AD brought back the stability and
turned India to the Golden Age when art and culture thrived the country's prosperity.
The foreign invasions had not significantly impacted South India. Yet, many
empires also rise and decline within this plain. The Cholas ruled wide territory
including Sri Lanka and South East Asia. Other rulers include the Pandyas, the
Cheras, the Pallavas and the Chalukyas. These rulers also brought valuable taste
of art and culture, most importantly is the famous being of the gracefully crafted
Chola bronzes. Other greatest Hindu empires include the Hoysala and the Vijaynagar.
The Muslim Invasions
Mahmud of Gazni started the Muslim invasions over India. He led the troops
to plunder the sub-continent around 1001 to 1025. Later Prithviraj Cauhan, the
Tomar ruler of Delhi defeated by Mohamed Ghori. The authority then handed over
to Qutub-ud-din, the man who built the Qutub Minar in Delhi. The Khilji, Tughlaq,
Sayyid and the dynasties of Lodi were then followed his authority. The Sultanate
of Delhi was the period when the Muslim rulers introduced the civilization thought
and governance principle highly regarded to the Islamic teaching, in all over
the sub-continent, despite fact that most of the southern plain was untouched.
Babur, a descendant of Timur as well as the great Mongolian emperor Genghis
Khan invaded Punjab in 1525. He founded the Mughal Empire in India, and his
authority was continued by his son, Humayun who was exiled by Afghan ruler Sher
Shah. Humayun gained power after the death of Sher Shah, the man who built the
Grand Trunk road straddling from Peshawar to Patna.
Akbar, Humayun's son continued his father's reign. He merged and expanded the
authority across North India and parts of South India. Akbar was known as one
of the best reign India ever have. He was a wise ruler and administrator. Akbar
was succeeded by Jahangir, continued by his son Shah Jahan - the builder of
Taj Mahal, the Red Fort and the Jama Masjid. He was replaced by Aurangzeb -
the last Mughal rule who brought blaze to India.
British Rule
Vasco Da Gama was the first Europeans landed in India. He and other Portuguese
traders arrived in Calicut in 1498 through the Cape of Good Hope. In 16th century,
the Portuguese established their colony in Goa, and stuck around the area until
1961. The French, the Dutch and the English then followed their effort of sucking
the commercial interest that India owned. Within the last quarter of the 18th
century the English was the foremost power in India. They get down to making
radical changes in India's social, political and the economic life.
Towards Independence
English strengthen their authority across India with the favors of the Mughal
empire disintegration, civil wars among the Maratha rulers and the breakup of
several rulers in India. Yet, in the 19th century the national pride revived,
and the social life reformed. Then India began to weaken the domination of English.
The second half of the 19th century then became the flash point of all efforts,
when the first war of independence broke out in Meerut within 1857. It was blasted
by the new rifle and cartridge by the British in the Army. The cartridges, which
soldiers had to nibble purportedly, contained pork and beef tallow, which offended
the religious sentiments of both Hindus and Muslims. The soldiers revolted,
attained Delhi and proclaimed Bahadurshah Zafar the sovereign ruler of India.
The British eventually conquered them.
But it seemed that the social reform and freedom were urgent. Education set
as the strategies to declare their inheritance to independence. Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi led the anti-British mass movement with a non-violence and civil disobedience.
Gandhi visualized and led the non-cooperation movement in 1922, the Salt satyagraha
in 1930 and the Quite India Movement in 1942, all of which aimed to urge the
British ruler to sign the power transfer on August 15, 1947 - the day which
now celebrated as the Indian Independence Day. Nowadays, India is known as the
largest democratic country on the earth that rules federal form of government.
Geography
India is 2933 km wide and 3214 km long. And with a total land area of 3.3 million
square kilometers, India is the seventh largest country in the world. The Indian
sub-continent is unique compared to other parts of Asia. The majestic Himalayas
towering in the north, sloping out into the great Indo- Gangetic plains, while
the Vindhya ranges split the Deccan Peninsula from the northern plains. The
west coast ruled by the Arabian Sea, while the Bay of Bengal lies on the opposite
direction, and the southern-most tip of India belongs to the Indian Ocean.
The oldest portion of India is the Deccan Plateau which was a part of the single
land mass comprising South America, Africa, Australia and Antarctica. About
50 million years ago, the Deccan plate moved and collided with the Tibetan block
of South Asia. As time went by, the continual stress of the Deccan wandering
northwards shaped the Himalayan Mountains up till now.
Meanwhile the basins of three great rivers: the Indus, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra
formed the Indo-Gangetic plain. And other major rivers, including the Mahanadi,
Godavari, Krishna, Narmada, Kaveri, Pennar, Tapti, and Periyar created deltas
and flood-plains on India's east and west coast.
India features about every contour of this planet may have. The Thar desert
in Rajashtan stretches out in the west, while the unique marshlands of Kutch
lies a little south of it, and the world's largest delta and a unique mangrove
forest occupy the eastern part of the country. India has a wide range of unique
variety of flora, fauna and climate range from tropical to arctic, as India
owns various islands, among others the Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay
of Bengal and the Lakshadweep Island in the Indian ocean. Situated in the northern
hemisphere, India shares its borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal,
Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The rest of the land is surrounded by sea.
Climate
Almost every region of the country owns distinguished climate. Throughout November
to March, the North enjoys the cold winter breeze, while the coastal areas taste
a tropical weather all over the year. Between April and June, most central and
southern regions of the country are hot due to the summer period. The vigorous
monsoon breeze in most parts of the country. It lasts from July and October.
Religion
India is rightfully known as the land of spirituality and philosophy, as four
major religions were born in here. The Indian philosophy and thought were constructed
by the
The three ancient religions - Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. About 81% of India
people follow Hinduism - one of the world truthfully earliest religions that
assumed to have developed nearly 5000 years ago. Buddhism and Jainism made their
marks in India at around 500 BC, while nowadays, around 1.2% of Indian people
follow these religions.
Other Indian comparatively new religion is Sikhism which was established in
the 15th Century. And up till now, around 2% of Indians are Sikhs. There were
some efforts to establish new religions in India. They did not always succeed,
but they add to the supernatural teachings and spiritual depth of the land.
For instance, the great Mughal emperor, Akbar, who reigned between 1556 and
1605, tried to create a new religion, Din-E-Elahi. Unfortunately, it did not
strong enough to survive.
There are also followers of non-Indian religions survive in India as well. Islam
is followed by around 12% of the wholly Indian inhabitants, Christians account
for more than 2%, and the rest are Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jews.
Shopping & Tipping
Tipping is uncommon in India, except in the country's classy places in foremost
cities. 10% service charge is often added to bills in several tourist restaurants
or hotels. Waiters, room service boys, housekeepers, porters, and doormen all
expect to be tipped. Railroad porters should be paid Rs. 5 - Rs.10 per bag,
depending on the weight. You will have to set the rate before letting him take
your bags. Taxi drivers rarely expect tips except they go through a difficult
odds to take you to your destination. But, you have to tip a hired driver about
Rs.50-Rs. 100 per day, depending on the distance traveled, while you should
tip the hired local guide about Rs. 40 for four hours, Rs. 80 for a full day.
In minor establishments, you do not need a percentage of your bill, but a few
rupees. Yet, these places remain tip as such optional thing
MONEY MATTERS
Rupee and Paise are the Indian currency units. One rupee is equal to 100 paise,
and the paper money comes in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500
rupees, while the coins are in denominations of 25, and 50 paise, one rupee,
two rupees, and five rupees.
Changing Money
The Indian laws forbid the import and export of currency. The currency-exchange
booths are usually available at the international airports. They open for both
arriving and departing overseas flights. It is best to change definite amount
of money in small denominations at the authorized money changer, and never forget
to take the encashment slip. In some banks, you may charged a nominal fee for
this slip to pay the hotel bills or travel expenses in rupees. When reconverting
rupees into another currency, the encashment slip is also essential.
Essentials For Packing
When traveling to India, the plain cottons or cotton/ synthetic blends are
the most practical and the coolest stuffs to overcome the summertime. Please
avoid of bringing the non-respiring synthetic cloth. Also wear a wide brim hat
to protect you from the harsh sun, or just bring a handy collapsible umbrella
if you travel within the monsoons period. Sweaters and light jackets are essential
for winter month, while formal suits for men and skirts and tops for women may
useful. Women entering a holy shrine should wear a long skirt or dress or trousers,
while Salwar Kameez is obliged for women traveling in Muslim community. Loose
pants and long blouse can be also worn.
For outdoor journey, bring a day pack to carry your sweater, camera and a water
bottle within. When ultraviolet rays go stronger, use a good pair of binoculars
and sunglasses to block them out. Other essential stuffs to bring, include strong
sunblock, sewing kit, premoistened towelettes, pocket knife with can opener,
lock and key for each duffel or bag, high-power impact-resistant flashlight,
spare batteries. If you are any sport lover, please bring your own sports equipment,
like tennis or golf balls, which are expensive in India.
Electronic Gadgets
Bring a converter and an adapter for electric-powered equipment. The electrical
current in India is 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC), wall outlets
take plugs with two round prongs.
Healthy
The Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate is required to be brought into India,
if a tourist originates from or transiting through Yellow Fever endemic countries.
This is conforming to the International Health Regulation. Cholera, dengue fever,
dysentery, hepatitis, malaria, meningitis (trekking areas only) and typhoid
are among the high-risk diseases in India. Travellers with respiratory disease
may wish to take preventive measures.
Usually, the immigration officials do not ask for an International Health Certificate,
but it would be better to carry one, since it will be very useful incase you
need medical attention. The certificate gives some information about your healthiness
for further medical actions. Yet, Citizens and travelers coming from the United
States, Canada, or the United Kingdom, do not require any vaccination certificate
or inoculations.
It is highly recommended to get a precautionary measure vaccination against
Hepatitis B, should you plan to stay longer in this country. To avoid Malaria,
Dengue, carry mosquito repellents, nets, clothes covering the body and use sprays
against insects in rooms. First aid kit comprising adhesive bandages, thermometer,
water-purification tablets, antibiotics, antiseptic creams and mosquito repellents
is worthwhile. Drinking only mineral or boiled water to avoid the stomach disorder.
So bring a bottle of proper water to keep dehydration at bay. You can take a
salt-sugar solution 1/2 tsp. salt and 4 tbsp. in one litre of water to rehydrate
if you feel any stomach disorder. Though sticking to a vegetarian diet is recommended,
eating only thoroughly cooked meat is advisable. Avoid pork products, fried
food from vendors, and dishes using excessive oil
Languages
The national, official and main link language of India is Hindi which mostly
occupies the north India, yet spoken and widely understood in all urban centers
of the country. Hindi language written in Devanagri script. This phonetic language,
which directly descended from Sanskrit though Prakrit and Apabhramsha is pronounced
as written. Hindi language has been influenced and enriched by Dravidian, Turkish,
Farsi, Arabic, Portuguese and English, in which the language itself is very
expressive. Thus it usually used to convey feelings within poetry and songs.
There are around 18 languages recognized by the Indian Constitution. These
languages are: Assamese, Bengali, Gujrati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani,
Malyalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil,
Telgu, and Urdu
Flora and Fauna
In India Lotus (Nelumbo Nuficera) is considered as a sacred flower, an auspicious
symbol of Indian culture, and engages a distinctive point in the ancient India
art and mythology. Lotus therefore used as the Indian national flower.
Meanwhile, Panthera tigris (Linnaeus) is a magnificent tiger. It is a glorious
animal --thick yellow coat of fur with dark stripes perfectly covering the fabulous
blend of grace, strength, agility and massive power to put it up in a priding
of place -- as the national animal of India. The Royal Bengal Tiger is one of
eight races of the species recognized. It can be found throughout the country
except in the north-western region and in the neighboring countries, Nepal,
Bhutan and Bangladesh. The population of tigers in India is declining, so that
the 'Project Tiger' was established in April 1973. So far, 25 tiger reserves
have been released in the country under this project, covering an area of 33,875
sq km.
Pavo Cristatus, the distinguished Indian peacock is the national bird of the
country. It is widely found in the Indian sub-continent from the south and east
of the Indus river, Jammu and Kashmir, east Assam, south Mizoram and the whole
of the Indian peninsula. This colorful swan-sized bird owns a white patch under
the eye, a fan-shaped crest and a long slender neck. Especially the male species
of the peacock which more colorful than the female. It is very attractive with
its glossy blue breast and neck and a fabulous bronze-green train of around
200 stretched out feathers, Meanwhile, the female peacock brownish, slightly
smaller than the male, and lacks of train. The sophisticated courtship dance
of the male, fanning out the tail and preening its feathers, is a gorgeous sight.
The Peacock enjoys protection under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
National Calendar
The Indian national calendar based on the Saka Period. A year of Saka calendar
began by Chaitra month and a normal year of 365 days was adopted from 22 March
1957 along with the Gregorian calendar. It was officially aimed for the gazette
of India, for news broadcast by All India Radio, for calendar released by the
Indian Government, and for communication between Government and the members
of the public. The dates of the Indian national calendar is permanently associated
with the Gregorian calendar's dates, i.e. Chaitra normally occurs on March 22nd
and on March 21st in leap year
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