All About India: Geography, History, Famous Landmarks, Food, and more!

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India (officially the Republic of India) is a country located in South Asia. It is the second most populated country in Asia and is full of many cultures, traditions, and interesting history. Today, we will be diving deep down into the rivers of the Brahmaputra and traveling to places like Mumbai and Bengaluru. Enjoy!

The Geography of India

India is located in Asia and borders Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Burma, Nepal, and Pakistan. It has an area of a whopping 1.269 million square miles, making it the seventh-largest country in the world. This country has more than 4,000 cities and towns, 300 of them having a population of one million and seven having more than three million.

Some of the most popular cities in India are Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad.

Short facts about the most popular cities in India!:

Mumbai

-formerly known as Bombai

-has the highest number of millionaires and billionaires among all cities in India

-home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Elephanta Caves, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, and the Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai

-largest and most populated city in India

Delhi

-capital territory of India

-second most populated city after Tokyo

-has the  Khari Baoli market, Asia’s largest spice market

-home to the three branches of Government of India

Bangalore

-the capital of India’s Karnataka state

-the most popular tech hub in India

-also known as Bengaluru

-birthplace of Rava Idli, a dish used as a replacement for rice during WW2

Hyderabad

-capital and largest city of Telangana

-means “the lion city”, named after Haydar, a military ruler, because of his lion-like presence when approaching battles

-includes the Charminar and the fort of Golconda

The Charminar is a monument created to celebrate the end of the plague by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shahi. He was a ruler in the Golconda Sultanate, which is also called the Qutb Shahi dynasty. He ruled from 1518 AD to 1687 AD. This building was built in 1591 and took two years to build.

The fort of Golconda, (commonly known as Golkonda), is the capital city of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. It was used as a fortified citadel to fight off attackers. Those who tried to take down the wall, (such as Aurangzeb’s army ), failed to do so because of the citadel’s thick walls. There was also a deep hole beneath the barrier, making it even harder for the enemies to attack.

The Dynasties of India

The Mauryan Empire

The Mauryan was established in 321 BCE and ended in 185 BCE. It was first ruled by Chandragupta Maurya. The empire was started when Alexander the Great’s power began to replenish. He eventually died in 323 BCE and left his power on his throne. Chandragupta took advantage of this by defeating the Nanda power. Then, he began the Mauryan Empire.

Chandragupta’s sidekick, Kautilya, is known for the aid of the Mauryan legacy. He wrote the Arthashastra, a document about leadership and government, which described how a state should control their economy and power. An important aspect of the Arthashastra was spies. Kautilya suggested that Chandragupta should have a long array of informants to help find discover the real human nature.

(Credits )Learn more about the Mauryan Empire here: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/mauryan-empire/ #:~:text=The%20Mauryan%20Empire%2C%20which%20formed,parts%20of%20modern%2Dday%20Iran.

Gupta Empire

The Gupta empire was started by a man with the name Sri Gupta. This ruler led the Gupta from 240 CE to 280 CE until his son, Ghatotkacha, took his place from 280 CE to 319 CE. Ghatotkacha’s son, Chandragupta followed and ruled from 319CE to 335 CE. Chandragupta had an affair with a princess named Kumaradevi from Magadha and later married her.

After, Chandragupta became more powerful than ever. He conquered many kingdoms and soon the Gupta Empire stretched across all of India’s subcontinent.

This empire is known for its inventions, scientific discoveries, technology, engineering, art, dialect, literature, math, religion, and philosophy. From this, we can tell that this empire was very modern during the time it ruled.

Learn More about the Gupta Empire here: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-worldhistory/chapter/the-gupta-empire/

Magadha Kingdom

The Magadha Kingdom was an ancient kingdom located in Eastern India and is laid over the state of Bihar. This kingdom sent kings the other direction, as the kingdom was known to be very powerful and frightful. Despite many being frightened, there were many willing to battle Magadha. This kingdom was constantly at war with its neighbors such as the Yadavas of Mathura. However, this clan could not fight the Magadha for long because of its lack of supply. The Magadha king, Jarasandha has soon had acres of land to himself, which led him to more neighbors to fight against.

Jarasandha had imprisoned 99 kings, and before his one-hundredth capture, he decided to make a big sacrifice. Before he could, Jarasandha was defeated by the Pandava and died. His son took over and fought in the Kurukshetra war, but died as well. After the perishing of both kings, the power of the Magadha faded. However, this kingdom was still very important and valued.

Food in India

There are varieties of different dishes in India that you couldn’t even count how many there are in the first place! Here is a list of some dishes and desserts that are popular in India.

Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken): This dish is a curry traditionally made with spiced tomato, butter, and cream sauce.

Galab Jamun: balls consisted of solid milk, flour, and a rising agent. These are drenched in sweet syrup. Yum!

Jalebi: A popular snack made by Maida, Ghee, Saffron, and Sugar. Once the batch is ready, it is deep-fried and covered in syrup. This snack can be served hot or cold.

Rava Idli: Previously mentioned, rava is a wheat replacement for rice during WW2 (World War Two.) This dish is made out of semolina, yogurt, spices, vegetables, and rising agent.

The Rivers of India

The three largest rivers in India are the Brahmaputra, Indus, and Ganges River.

The Brahmaputra River

The Brahmaputra is the longest river in India and ninth in the world, extending 2,391 miles. This river provides aid with navigation, as well as irrigation. The river becomes a slower and deeper as it flows into the valley. From there, the valley becomes exposed to monsoon rains, which can cause flooding. However, it benefits the land by leading rich minerals on the valley to create lush and fertile ground. The Brahmaputra joins the Ganges River on the Northern part of India.

Fun Fact: The Brahmaputra River annually turns red for three days of June. This is caused by a shrine that deposits Cinnabar, which is a red rock. This rock is commonly known as Kamiya Sindoor and is theorized to be the reason for the red coloring of the river.

The Indus River

The Indus River is the second-longest river in India, extending 1,975 miles long! This body of water resembles the Brahmaputra river, as both contain the best farmland and carry silt. Water in the Indus River is from the melting ice caps in the Himalayas and Hindu Kush mountains. Despite the river’s relation to the Brahmaputra river, it is commonly compared to the Nile River in Egypt because it is an important source of water for farmland. The Indus Valley is an important part of history, as the Indus Valley formed a plateau. This plateau was a popular place for settlement in 4500 BCE.

The Ganges River

The Ganges River is the third-longest river in India and has a length of 1,560 miles! It flows via the northern part of India and starts in the Himalayas Mountains. As it travels south, it carries silt while passing through the ground. This helps the northern part of India one of the most fertile lands. Melted ice from the Himalayas mountains drops into the river and frequently causes floods. Sadly, this beautiful river is one of the most polluted bodies of water in the world. It certainly is not good news for the 500 million people who rely on the Ganges River for water.

One of the reasons why the Ganges River is so polluted is because most Hindus place their ashes on the Ghats (The Eastern and Western Ghats.) The ashes find their way into the river. And yes… this would mean that people are consuming dead bodies.

The Dialects of India

The five most popular dialects in India are Hindi, Bengali, and Marathi.

Facts about Hindi:

-528,347,193 people speak this language

-It is the third top spoken language in the world

-people celebrate Hindi Day on 14th September

Facts about Bengali:

-170 million natives speak this language

-210 million people in total speak this language

-the 7th most spoken language in the world

Facts about Marathi:

-83 million people speak this language

-either the 4th or 3rd most spoken language in India

-estimated to be 1300 years old

Religion

There are many religions in India, such as Buddhism and Hinduism. Today, we are going to talk about Buddhism. Further on, I will add more information about Hinduism, but enjoy for now!

The Story of Buddhism: How Siddhartha Gautama turned into the Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama was born in Nepal in 563 B.C.E. His father and mother were both royals and wanted Siddhartha and his future wife to take their place. But Siddhartha had other plans. Later on, he was moved by the three sufferings of people: age, sickness, and death. Siddhartha began spiritual activities toward enlightenment, but the requirements were harsh and did not work in his eyes.

Siddharth later abandoned his ascetic duties. On his birthday, he was given bundles of grass, which he used to meditate with under the Bodhi tree. “Meanwhile, Mara (a wicked god) and his daughters were aiming to frighten and tempt him,” states Buddhist tradition and TCI. But, Siddhartha resisted and sat tranquil throughout. Eventually, he saw the truths of the world and transformed into the Buddha.

The Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths is the idea that all things change. The Buddha saw that even when one finds pleasure, it does not last forever, and one suffers when it is lost. To end suffering, he taught, people should travel the Eightfold Path. This path follows the “middle way,” states TCI.

The Truths:

1. Suffering is present in all things, nothing lasts forever. For example, happiness is cherished for a small time, before it goes away.
2. Suffering is caused by cravings (desires and wants). Cravings can include food and sleep, just as the Buddha and others restricted to achieve enlightenment.
3. The way to end suffering is to give up all cravings. This means that ascetics and Buddhists may have to restrict sleep or food that can rack their health, just like Prince Siddharth did as once.
4. The way to give up all cravings to live life according to the Eightfold Path.

The Eightfold Path

The Eightfold path is the promenade that the great Buddha created for the prevention of suffering.” This path is called the “middle way,” according to TCI. The Eightfold Path is named the middle way because it guides someone toward enlightenment with denial, but self-indulgence as well.

The Eightfold Path

1. The Right understanding. You must deeply understand the Four Noble Truths.
2. Right purpose. Scavenge for the right way of purpose and live a life of love and nonviolence.
3. Right Speech. Keep in mind what you say and do not deceive others.
4. Right action.
5. Right way to earn a living
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration

The Story of Siddhartha’s Birth

Before the prince’s birth, Queen Maya had a reverie in which she was carried to the Himalayas. She halted at a mountain, where an elephant with six tusks stabbed her right side. “You are carrying a child who will be a great man.” the priests interpreted. But, the prince’s future held two viable paths: as king or a spiritual Buddha. The monarchs were dismayed and forbid Siddhartha to leave the palace.

Here are some cool links where you can find fun facts about India!: https://www.globotreks.com/destinations/india/fun-interesting-facts-india/

https://www.scoopwhoop.com/inothernews/interesting-india/

https://brbgonesomewhereepic.com/40-facts-about-india/

Conclusion

I hope you guys enjoyed learning about this country! It is full of many religions and traditions. My next post will be about…drum roll, please… Indonesia! (By the way, I am going by most populated to least populated countries in Asia! When I finish all of Asia, I’ll move on to Europe!) Thank you for reading this article and have a nice day! 🙂