Hinduism, or Hindu dharma as it is known in India, is not the official name of this religion. Santana Dharma, which means the Eternal Way of Salvation, is its full name. Hindu or Indu is derived from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which means a large body of water or a river. The Greeks referred to the people who lived along the Indus River as Hindus.

Babur Introduced Gunpowder to India. After defeating Ibrahim Lodhi in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, Babur established the Mughal empire. Historians believe he brought gunpowder to India and used it extensively during wars.

Hinduism is considered the world's oldest religion, with texts going back to 5,500 BCE. There is no recognised creator of Hinduism, and no one cares who founded it because Hinduism is a way of life. Hinduism is currently the world's third biggest religion, with over 1 billion adherents. Hinduism is not a monotheistic religion when it comes to gods. Hindus worship one deity, Brahma, who manifests himself as hundreds of different gods. It is up to each Hindu to choose whatever deity he or she want to worship. Another interesting fact about Hinduism is that the number 108 is considered to be the most holy number among Hindus.

The Kohinoor Diamond was discovered in the royal jeweled Mughal Peacock Throne, where the emperor sat. The great jewel stolen from India is now kept in the Tower of London.

The rule book was handwritten in a flowing italics style by calligrapher Prem Behari Narain Raizada, rather than printed or typed. Jawaharlal Nehru asked Raizada, a calligrapher from a family of calligraphers, to write the first copy of the document. When asked how much he would charge, he only had one request: he wanted to sign every page and the final page with his grandfather.

Yes, the tall, pleated white hat worn by cooks, known officially as a toque, has 100 folds for a purpose! According to Reclutant Gourmet, pleats were used to indicate a chef's level of experience, such as the number of ways he or she understood how to cook eggs.

The Hindu deity Lord Jagannath inspired the English word Juggernaut, which means "huge or powerful." Every year, a cart festival known as The Holy Rath Yatra is held in Puri, Odisha. The carts used for Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balavadra, and his sister Goddess Suvadra are enormous, and devotees would crush themselves under the wheels of the carts in order to achieve salvation. That is where the term originated.

After the conflict in Lanka, Hanuman traveled to the Himalayas to continue his devotion to Lord Ram. With his nails, Hanuman inscribed his version of Ram's story into the walls of the Himalayas. When Maharshi Valmiki went to Hanuman to present him with his version of the Ramayana, he saw the walls and was saddened because Valmiki believed Hanuman's Ramayana was greater and that his painstakingly produced version of the Ramayana would go undetected. When Hanuman realized this, he abandoned his version. Valmiki, taken aback, stated that he would want to be reincarnated to sing Hanuman's glories!

St Thomas, Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in Palayur was founded in 52 AD by St Thomas, one of Jesus Christ's 12 apostles. The earliest mosque in India, Cheraman Juma Mosque, was built in 629 AD at Methala, Kodungallur, Kerala. Malik Deenar designed it. In terms of synagogues, the Paradesi Synagogue in Kochi, Kerala, is the oldest operational synagogue. It is one of seven synagogues built in 1567 by the Cochin Jewish community or the Yehudan Mapila people.

The previous King of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II, entered the Guinness Book of World Records when he had two gigantic sterling silver containers, the biggest in the world, made to transport 'Ganga Jal on his journeys to England. 14,000 silver coins were melted to construct these massive jars. These "Gangajalis" are still on display at the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum and are a big draw for visitors.

The song was officially declared the 'National Anthem of India' by the Constituent Assembly of India on January 24, 1950, in its Hindi version. Rabindranath Tagore, a Nobel Laureate, penned India's National Anthem, 'Jana Gana Mana.' On January 24, 1950, it was proclaimed the Indian National Anthem. It is one among India's national symbols.

On September 11, 1942, in Hamburg, the first-ever musical composition of 'Jana Gana Mana' was performed (not sung) (Germany). Following that, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose declared it the 'Free India' national anthem (though at that time, the song did not receive any formal status).

Have you ever thought of a post office that is floating? But in this incredible world, we have it too. India has a floating post office in Srinagar. The post office is built on a houseboat and even houses a museum in it. Interesting, isn't it?

Malas, or prayer bead garlands, are made up of 108 beads strung together. Vedic mathematicians saw this number as a completeness of existence, connecting the Sun, Moon, and Earth. For Hindus, the number 108 has long been considered sacred.

Kerala, along with Sikkim, is claimed to be the cleanest state in India, according to a poll performed by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). The only state in which hospitals and banking may be found in every community. In addition to being the cleanest state, it also has all of the required facilities in every area. Kerala is the only state that has offered banking facilities and hospitals in its most rural areas, contributing to the state's overall growth.

These procedures were invented around 2500 years ago. The planting of sugar cane and the manufacturing of sugar are documented for the first time in Sanskrit literature from ancient India. It took occurred in India's Bengal area between 1500 and 500 BCE. Guda, which means "to form into a ball" in Sanskrit, was the term given to a poorly produced sugar product.

These ancient and one-of-a-kind temples are decorated with intricate erotic and sensual carvings. The sculptures reflect the time's open, progressive, and artistic heritage. These structures are architectural marvels and works of art.

Lord Hanuman is one of eight Chiranjivis (immortal creatures) mentioned in Hindu literature. He is reported to roam the planet singing Shree Ram's name and telling stories till the end of Kaliyuga. Madhvacharya (13th century CE), Tulsidas (16th century), Samarth Ramdas (17th century), Raghavendra Swami (17th century), and Swami Ramdas (17th century) are among the great religious reformers who claim to have met Lord Hanuman in their lifetime (20th century).

The names 'Andaman' and 'Nicobar' are derived from Malay. The name Andaman is thought to be derived from Hanuman, also known as Handyman by the Malays. The name Nicobar appears to be a corruption of the South Indian term 'Nakkavaram' (Land of the Naked), which is mentioned in the great Tanjore inscription of AD 1050.

On opposite sides of the Taj Mahal, there is a mosque and a guest pavilion. Both of these buildings, which are red in colour, are supposed to be completely identical and symmetrical. The mosque is located to the west of the mausoleum, towards the holy site of Mecca, while the guest house is located to the east of the mausoleum. Because the mosque is an active place of worship, the Taj's entire mausoleum complex is closed to visitors on Fridays for prayer.

Every 12 years, the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu spiritual gathering, is held on the banks of the Holy River Ganga. Millions of people flock to the holy river to bathe. The crowds are so large that they can be seen from space, and on February 10, 2013, more than 30 million people gathered in a single day! UNESCO has also designated it as a cultural heritage site.

We all know that the Mahabharata was written by Lord Ganesha and compiled by Vedvyas. Vedvyas is a job granted to persons who have knowledge of the Vedas, not a name. Before Krishnadweepayan, there were 27 Vedvyas. And Krishnadweepayan was the 28th Vedvyas, so named because he had the same skin hue as Lord Krishna and was born on an island.

Barren Island is the only active volcano in South Asia, not just India. This small 3-km-wide island, located approximately 135 km northeast of Port Blair, contains a 1.6-km-wide crater partially filled by a cinder cone that has been the source of eruptions since the first was recorded in 1787.