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.

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.

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.

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.'

Yes, you read that correctly. Bacteriophage bacteria can be found in the holy river Ganga. It infects and kills other harmful bacteria that have infiltrated the river. That is why, even if stored for an extended period of time, river Ganga water does not spoil. According to D.S. Bhargava, an environmental engineer at the University of Roorkee, the Ganga is the only river in the world that decomposes organic wastes 15 to 20 times faster than any other river.

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 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.

We all know that the Peepal tree produces a lot of oxygen during the day and a lot of carbon dioxide at night. So, while there is no truth to the belief that a peepal tree is inhabited by spirits and ghosts, the aforementioned reason is most likely why and how this superstition arose.

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.

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!

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.

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 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.

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. 

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."

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.