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.

Social media and digital consumption have grown so pervasive in most areas of the world that it's easy to forget that reading is still a major form of pleasure for some individuals. A 2017 survey found that the average Indian spends 10 hours and 42 minutes per week reading. In comparison, Americans work five hours and 42 minutes each week. Thailand, China, the Philippines, and Egypt round out the top five nations.

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).

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 Indian government has forbidden anybody from approaching North Sentinel Island, the Sentinelese people's home, within three miles. The anthropologist Madhumala Chattophadhyay had numerous calm meetings with the Sentinelese in 1991, but the inhabitants made it obvious (sometimes forcefully) that they did not want to be disturbed in later years. It is today regarded as one of the remaining areas on the planet that has remained undisturbed by the outside world.

The first bus service in India was established on July 15, 1926. The initial route connected Afghan Church and Crawford Market.

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.

The Vedas are a collection of ancient Indian texts. They were written in Sanskrit between 1700 and 1100 BCE, making them the world's oldest religious texts. They wielded considerable power over Hinduism and Indians. Rig Ved, Sama Ved, Yajur Ved, and Atharva Ved are the four Vedas. Because knowledge of the Vedas was passed down orally from generation to generation thousands of years ago, they are also known as 'Sruti.'

In India, Hinduism is one of the major religion on the Indian subcontinent, the country contains about 1,60,650 temples. Kerala which is a state in southern part of indian subcontinent and is home to the wealthiest Hindu temple in the world. Padmanabhaswamy Temple is the most wealthy temple in terms of gold and precious stones. The temple is known for for its mysterious treasure. 

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?

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.

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.

Somnath temple is located on the western coast of Gujarat and is one of the oldest and most respected temples in India. It is mentioned in the most ancient literature such as Shreemad Bhagavat, Skandpuran, Shivpuran, and Rig-Veda, indicating its significance as a Tirthdham.

In India, there are more vegetarian options and consumables influenced by Indian food on the McDonald's menu. The Veg Pizza McPuff, Maharaja Mac (select veg or chicken), McAloo Tikki (potato patty), McSpicy Paneer (cheese patty), and Masala Grill Veg are some of the distinctive Indian McDonald's options.

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!

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.

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.

Right now, India may not have such a name in the world of Polo, but it all began in our city. The British established the world's first Polo club in Calcutta in 1858. Since then, there have been numerous competitions and the arrival of Europeans to further popularise the sport. This sport was particularly popular among Bengal's royals and Nawabs.

The Statue of Unity is the world's largest statue, at 600 feet (182 metres). The statue honouring independence leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is placed in Gujarat, the western state where Patel was born. In contrast, this statue is nearly twice the height of the Statue of Liberty (305ft or 93m). It is comprised of almost 12,000 bronze panels and weighs around 67,000 tonnes.

With the agility and power Lord Hanuman has, it is difficult to believe that the Lord was a Yogi. Surya Namaskar (sun salutation) was invented by him as a manner of welcoming his instructor, Surya Devta. And the Lord was the first to teach humans Pranayama.

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).

In the 1980s, when Bollywood was booming, our very own Big B took on the role of masked superhero Supremo in a comic book. Under Amitabh Bachchan's feet, a trapdoor opens. He falls into a hole, where walls with enormous metal spikes close in on him. With only seconds remaining, he karate chops a wooden door and utilizes one of its planks to pull himself cleanly out of danger. It astounds me that our Indian comics have such a long and intriguing history.

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.