16 Fun Facts About India
Vast, varied and rich in history and culture, there are many fun facts about India. We’ve narrowed down some of our favourites below, so you too can become an India pro in your next pub quiz…
1. India is the seventh-largest country in the world
The country covers an area of over 1.2 million square miles, with a hugely varied geography, ranging from the mighty snow-capped Himalayas in the north to the tropical Indian Ocean beaches in the south, with vast deserts and plains in between.
2. India is the most populated country in the world
As of 2023, India has reportedly overtaken China as the country with the highest population in the world, with around 1.45 billion people living there. It also has a relatively young population, with an average age of just 29.5 years old (in comparison, the UK average is over a decade older than this, at 40.7 years old).
Image by Liam Baldock
3. The national bird of India is the peacock
Also known as Indian peafowls, peacocks hold huge cultural and ecological significance in India. They feature prominently in Indian art and architecture (such as in the Peacock Gate at the City Palace in Jaipur), as well as in religion, as several Hindu deities are depicted with the bird, including the Hindu god Krishna, who wears a peacock feather in his crown.
4. 200,000 lunches are hand-delivered to office workers in Mumbai each day
Every day in Mumbai, 5,000 dabbawallas (which translates to mean ‘one who carries a box’) collect around 200,000 home-cooked meals from people’s homes and deliver them to their offices. The meals are usually prepared by the wives or mothers of whoever’s receiving the meal and amazingly, it’s incredibly rare for someone to receive the wrong lunch box, despite the huge numbers being ferried around the city each day.
Image by Craig Easton/Gallery Stock
5. The capital of India is New Delhi
New Delhi has only been the capital city since 1911, when it replaced Calcutta, which had been the capital during the British Raj. Historically, India has had many capitals, however New Delhi has remained the heart of politics, culture and diplomacy in India since 1911.
6. The Andaman Islands are much nearer to Myanmar than India
The Andaman Islands sit off the east coast of India in the Bay of Bengal and, when combined with the Nicobar Islands, which sit to their south, the group consist of over 500 islands. Only 38 of these are inhabited and they are home to a number of indigenous groups, some of whom are among the most isolated tribes in the world.
7. There are 22 official languages in India
Although there is no official national language in India, Hindi is the most widely spoken, and both Hindi and English are used by the government. Impressively, around a quarter of the population are bilingual, with over 83 million people speaking English as their second language.
8. Goa didn't become part of India until 1961
Goa was under Portuguese colonial rule from 1510 until 1961, when India took control after a military operation. It didn’t officially become a state of India until 1987, becoming the country’s 25th (and smallest) state. India had previously become an independent nation on the 15th of August 1947, which marked the end of British colonial rule in India.
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Image by Liam Baldock
9. The longest river in India is the Ganges
The Ganges River flows from the Himalayas in the north (near the Tibet border), all the way to the Bay of Bengal on the east coast. Considered a holy river by Hindus, it holds deep religious and cultural significance and millions of devotees flock to the waterway each year to bathe, believing that the waters purify the soul.
10. India grows more than 40% of the world’s mangoes
Between 2022 and 2023, it’s estimated that around 21 million metric tons of mangoes were grown in India. The country is by far the largest producer of mangoes in the world, cultivating about 1,000 varieties of the fruit which are enjoyed by locals as well as being exported internationally.
11. The currency of India is the Rupee
The Rupee has been in circulation for centuries and has been the official currency of India since 1540, when a silver coin known as the ‘Rupiya’ was introduced, which went on to become the modern day Indian Rupee.
12. According to the Hindu calendar, India has six seasons
The ancient Hindu calendar has six seasons, each two months long, which are followed in parts of India. These are: spring (known as vasanta, from February to March), summer (grishma, March to May), monsoon season (varsha, June to September), autumn (sharad, October to November), winter (hemanta, December to January) and prevernal (shishir, January to February). However, according to the India Meteorological Department, the country has just four seasons: winter (December to February), summer or pre-monsoon (March to June), south-west monsoon (June to September), and post-monsoon or north-east monsoon (October to November).
13. The Indian Ocean is the world's third-largest ocean
Making up nearly 20% of the global ocean area, the India Ocean (which is named after the country it surrounds) also includes the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, which lap the shores of India on both sides. This vast ocean not only plays a key role in international trade, it’s also home to a rich diversity of marine life and influences the climate across the country, as the warm ocean waters drive the monsoon winds.
14. The cow is considered a sacred animal in India
India is home to the largest population of cows in the world, however as cows are sacred animals in Hinduism (which is rooted into the culture of India), it’s illegal to slaughter them in most Indian states. Because of this, the country has a booming dairy industry, as cows are used for milk production.
15. The Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World
Found in Agra, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, the Taj Mahal was commissioned by emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his late wife. The vast mausoleum was completed in 1648 and was built mostly out of white marble. In 1983 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, and in 2011 was declared ones of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, recognition of its worldwide appeal and architectural achievement.
Image by Georg Knoll/LAIF REA
16. The game of chess was invented in India
It’s widely believed that chess originated in India in the sixth century, in the form of a game called chaturanga. The Sanskrit word ‘chaturanga’ translates as ‘four divisions (of the military)’ - infantry, cavalry, elephantry and chariotry, which line up with four pieces used in the modern game: pawn, knight, bishop and rook. So, the game had a basis in military strategy to begin with, before evolving into the game we play today.
