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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Chennai was once known as Madraspatnam, a fishing community. The East India Company afterwards built Fort St. George, the first major English colony in India. As a result, Chennai became the first British colony on Indian soil.

What we do know is that the Taj Mahal's name is derived from Persian, the language of the Mughal court. The word Taj means "crown," and the word Mahal means "palace." As a result, the name "Taj Mahal" can be translated as "Crown Palace" or "Palace of the Crown."

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.

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

These are known as Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, Palace on Wheels (Rajasthan), The Golden Chariot (Karnataka and Goa), The Maharajas' Express (which begins in Delhi but has a different route), and The Deccan Odyssey (which begins in Delhi but has a different schedule) (begins in Maharashtra but itinerary differs). They are the pride of Indian Railways, holding a prominent position among the world's luxury trains. The oldest of them is Palace on Wheels.

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).

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!

Some of the rock shelters were inhabited more than 100,000 years ago, making this one of India's oldest cave collections. The rock art at Bhimbetka is the oldest known in the Indian subcontinent, dating back more than 30,000 years.

There are formulas addressing values of and 2 and contain areas of circles and figures in the Sulbasutra (book of cords) treatise, which dates back to 300 BCE. The book also provides the modern-day Pythagoras Theorem formula.

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.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have the best nesting beaches in India for three species of marine turtles: Hawksbill, Green turtle, and the world's largest sea turtle, the Leatherback (Dermochelys Coriacea). The nesting population of Leatherback turtles in Nicobar is one of the few in the Indo-Pacific that exceeds 1,000 individuals and is thus of global significance.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.