See If You Are A True World Traveler And Get 100% On This Quiz That Is All About India!

Taj Mahal

The Taj was a gift from 17th century Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan is entombed in the marble mausoleum, which sits on the riverbank of the Yamuna in Agra.

Your fingers

If you find yourself without cutlery in India, don't worry. Indians customarily eat with their fingers. That includes everything, from rice to curry.

Queen Victoria

The East India Company was taken over by Great Britain in 1858, establishing the British Empire. Queen Victoria declared herself "Empress of India" twenty years later.

Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi was the change he wished to see. The anti-colonial political activist employed ethical nonviolent resistance to guide Indian independence from Britain. His approach led a movement of similar nonviolent civil rights protests all over the world.

Vegetarians

India's vegetarian population is the highest in the world at an estimated 38 percent of the total population. From the 6th century BC, Jainism and Buddhism have promoted vegetarianism, as they believe in non-violence against all forms of life.

Bay of Bengal

India's southern border sweeps the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal. The bay is home to major seaports in both Bangladesh and India.

Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi served for three consecutive terms. She was assassinated in 1984 by her own Sikh bodyguards, reportedly in retaliation for Operation Blue Star which saw Indira ordering military action in the Golden Temple against orthodox religious leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

Mahatma Gandhi

"In a gentle way, you can shake the world." Mahatma shook the world and, for it, he was assassinated in 1948. His killer, Nathuram Godse, was a Hindu extremist who did not like Gandhi's tolerance of Muslims.

Rupees

Rupees are the monetary unit in India. Those coins 50 cents and smaller are called paise. As of 2021, 1 US dollar is equivalent to 73 Indian rupees.

Operation Smiling Buddha

The 1974 nuclear bomb test ran under the incongruent name, "Operation Smiling Buddha". The first successful nuclear test by India was detonated at the army base Pokhran Test Range.

Cows

Cows are not only sacred in India; they are protected by the Constitution. Cows roam free in India and killing one is a crime in the country.

Ganges

According to NASA, the mass pilgrimage that is the Kumbh Mela can be seen from space. Some 100 million people normally attend, with festivals on the four-year and twelve-year mark being even bigger due to their importance to the Hindu faith.

Bollywood

Combining "Bombay" and "Hollywood," Bollywood is Hindi-language cinema and is based in Mumbai. There is also the lesser known Tollywood and Kollywood, which are Telugu- and Tamil-based, respectively.

Ganges River

In specifying "covers the longest distance within India," the Ganges or Ganga River takes the title at 1,560 miles. Both the Indus and the Brahmaputra are longer, but they are not entirely in country, and they cover shorter distances within its borders.

Naan

Made of flour, yeast, yogurt, and water, naan is a delicious Indian bread to dip into your curry. It was developed in India over 2,500 years ago when yeast was first brought over from Egypt.

Hindi

India's 22 recognized languages include Bengali, Urdu, Tamil, and Kashmiri. The multilingual country has only two official languages, however: Hindi and English. Second only to America, India has one of the world's largest English-speaking populations.

Yoga

Uniting the body, the spirit, and the mind, yoga is an ancient discipline and spiritual practice from early India and is believed to improve lung capacity and immunity. Dating back to 3000 BC, yoga gurus introduced the practice to the West starting in the late 19th century.

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great was kicking butt and taking names clear across the continent and into India. He targeted Taxila, challenging King Porus, and of course, won. After taking control of the region, he left Porus in place to govern his newfound territory.

Mongols

Genghis Khan took China and even that wasn't enough. In 1221, Khan invaded India, and later, in 1398, the Mongol Timur invaded Northern India.

The five chakras

Unlike in Middle Eastern cultures, where the hamsa is a sign that wards off the "evil eye," the symbol takes on a different meaning in Buddhism and Hinduism. It stands for the five chakras that direct energy flow, with the pinky being the water element (sacral chakra), the ring the earth element (root chakra), the middle finger the ethereal element (throat chakra), the forefinger the air element (heart chakra), and the thumb the fire element (solar plexus chakra).

Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru was sworn into office on Independence Day, August 15, 1947. During his tenure, he led the way forward with Indian industrialization and implemented social-economic reforms. He remains the longest-serving prime minister in the country's history, serving nearly 17 years until his death.

"Namaste"

"Namaste" is the traditional greeting in India, and it means, “I bow to the divine in you”. Place your hands together with palms touching before your chest while greeting – you can also use the word in departing or apology.

Highest motorable road

Ladakh Road flies high at 19,300 feet, making it the highest motorable road on Earth. Riding higher than the nearby mountain of Khardung La, the road climbs to the summit of Umling La Top.

New Delhi

India's capital of New Delhi is the country's seat of government, home to the nation's Supreme Court, the Parliament House, and Rashtrapati Bhavan. Combined with Old Delhi, the pair are known simply as Delhi.

Akbar the Great

Akbar the Great made the Mughal Empire a great one by expanding it and centralizing its government. He included Hindu Rajputs in the running of the country, though he himself was Muslim, making religious tolerance cool again.

Kashmir

After being split, Pakistan and India each had dibs on Kashmir, and China also had its nose in it. The territorial conflict began in 1947 and, today, it's split amongst the three countries with India taking the lion's share.

Salman Rushdie

Rushdie's novel, <i>The Satanic Verses</i>, led to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran issuing a fatwa against him in 1989. In the UK, he was placed under police protection as a result and was even knighted for his literary works, many of which are set on the Indian subcontinent.

Ravi Shankar

Ravi Shankar KBE is the best-known classical composer of North Indian classical music. He inspired musicians around the world and opened the West to the appreciation of Indian classical music.

August 15, 1947

India put an end to Britain's nearly 100-year rule on August 15, 1947. This is when Independence Day is celebrated in India.

Ganesh Chaturthi

A 10-day Hindu festival in August or September, Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of the god of wisdom and prosperity, the elephant-headed Ganesha. Idols of the god are created and placed on platforms, where people can worship and pay tribute.

Bangladesh

The Indian Army joined the army of East Pakistan which went to war with West Pakistan in 1971. With the latter's defeat, the new country of Bangladesh was formed.

Hinduism

Dating back to 5,500 BC, Hinduism is the world's earliest religion, and its founder is unknown. Believing in the god Brahma, Hinduism isn't a true polytheism, as Brahma manifests in the religion's many other gods. Like Christianity, Hinduism also has its own type of trinity, with Brahma as the universe's creator, Shiva as its destroyer and recreator, and Vishnu as its preserver. Today, Hinduism is the world's third-largest religion.

Deepak Chopra

One of the most popular proponents of alternative medicine, Deepak Chopra is an Indian-American author of books like <i>The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success</i> and <i>Perfect Health</i>. Chopra believes "the way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat, can influence your life by 30 to 50 years".

Chai

Mixing black tea and warm spices, chai is India's national beverage. After China, India is the world's second-biggest tea producer, and tea is commonly drunk with every meal.

1.37 billion

At 1.37 billion people, India will soon surpass China to become the world's most populated country. The nation's rapid population growth is largely caused by a higher birth rate and a lower death rate.

Iraq

India has many neighbors. The country's largest border is shared with Bangladesh, while it also bumps shoulders with China, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, and Myanmar, and a 19-mile border with Sri Lanka. We say eight-ish, because the Kashmir region is disputed between India and Pakistan. It is currently controlled by Pakistan, but if considered part of India, it would mean the nation also shares land borders with Afghanistan.

Amritsar Golden Temple

Located in Punjab, the Amritsar Golden Temple is a Sikh temple that serves free meals often to over 50,000 people a day. The basic vegetarian meal is made almost entirely out of donated ingredients.

Priyanka Chopra

Marrying Nick Jonas in 2018, Priyanka Chopra Jonas has long been a celebrity in her own right, having received a number of awards in acting. She won the Miss World pageant in 2000, which launched her career as one of the highest-paid entertainers in India.

1950

In 1950, India became a republic, adopting a constitution and declaring itself a sovereign, democratic and republic state. Indian citizens were given the vote, and Dr. Rajendra Prasad became the first president of India.

Siddhartha Gautama

Founded more than 2,500 years ago, Siddhartha Gautama is the original "Buddha". Some of the philosophies and ideas of Buddhism are shared with other religions, and it has attracted more than 500 million followers worldwide.

British East India Company

In the 17th century, Queen Elizabeth I granted the British East India Company a charter for exclusive trade rights with India. Over a century later, the company would butt heads with Nawab of Bengal in the Battle of Plassey. After defeating Bengal, the British were able to establish colonies all over India.

Wearing henna

Henna is said to bring those who wear it good luck and positivity. This is why the Mehndi ceremony is traditionally held the night prior to the wedding so that the bride is entering marriage with her best foot forward.

Indus Valley Civilization

Also known as the Harappan civilization, the Indus Valley civilization is one of the oldest in the world. Established across Northern India and Pakistan, the Indus invented the first system of standardized weights and measurements and created jewelry, sculpture, pottery, and more.

The woman is married

Dating back to the third century, the red dot between a woman's eyebrows can mean a couple of things in India. Literally meaning "drop," the bindi traditionally indicates that a woman is married, but nowadays is worn for religious or traditional purposes or even simply as a fashion statement.

Ayurveda

Also called the "Mother of All Healing," Ayurveda may be considered by some to be a pseudoscience, but the traditional form of medicine developed on the Indian subcontinent is valued to this day. Treatments include massage, yoga, meditation, special diets, medical oils, and more.

Mumbai

Bombay officially changed its name to Mumbai in 1995, as the Hindu nationalist party, Shiv Sena, wanted to reflect the local derivative, which is named after the island's patron goddess, Mumba Devi. With a population of more than 15 million, Mumbai is a stalwart industrial and commercial center set with skyscrapers and a thriving film industry.

Diwali

From Hindus to Sikhs to Buddhists, everyone in India celebrates Diwali. The five-day festival of lights celebrates Ramachandra, the incarnation of the god Vishnu, and his victory over the demons. The lights are said to represent the "victory of light over darkness".

Kumbhalgarh Wall

Although, at 13,171 miles, the Great Wall of China puts the rest of the world's walls to shame, India's Kumbhalgarh Fort takes home the silver. Spanning 22 miles, the fort was built during the 15th century and served its purpose, standing up against attacking armies. The only army to capture the fort did so by poisoning its water supply.

Pakistan

Pakistan and India became two independent dominion states in the Partition of India – when British India was divided. Later, the Indian dominion would become the Republic of India.

Gateway of India

Overlooking the Arabian Sea, the Gateway of India lies on the waterfront of Apollo Bunder in Mumbai. As the city's number one tourist attraction, the Gateway was built to commemorate King George V and Queen Mary's arrival to India in 1911.

Hinduism

Christianity has Jesus, Buddhism has Buddha, Islam has Mohammad. But Hinduism has no founder. Rather, it was created by a blending of the cultural and religious beliefs of the indigenous population.

Sarojini Naidu

Politics and poetry appear to go hand-in-hand in India. Sarojini Naidu was both – a political activist and feminist as well as a prolific poet. She was also the first Indian state governor and the first female president of the Indian National Congress.

Kanchenjunga Peak

The world's third-highest mountain is, unsurprisingly, the highest point in India. Part of the Himalayan range, Kanchenjunga stands 28,169 feet tall, less than 1,000 feet short of its slightly-taller-cousin, Everest.

Rajneesh

Rajneesh (aka, Osho) is a controversial figure in both India and the West. The vehicle behind the Rajneesh movement, he was called "the sex guru" in India, which was not something traditional culture embraced. He was a critic of socialism and of Gandhi and promoted the expression of mindfulness, creativity, and celebration. After gaining a Western following, he relocated to Oregon, and his followers committed crimes including a mass food poisoning attack. Rajneesh was deported and, having been denied entry by 21 separate countries, he returned to India, where his teachings still highly influence Western New Age thought.

Wettest habitable place

If you don't mind a little rain, then you'll be at home in Meghalaya, the wettest place on the planet. The six-month monsoon season results in 11,873 milliliters of rain each year.

29 states

There are 29 states in India, with the smallest being Goa, at 1,429 square miles, which is akin to the size of Rhode Island. You might recognize some of the state names by their most famous products, including Kashmir silk and Assam tea.

Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore is a true Renaissance man. Dabbling in mostly arts – including poetry, playwriting, painting, song composing, and more – Tagore introduced Indian culture to the West and Western culture to India.

"Palace of the Winds"

Built of red and pink sandstone, "the Palace of the Winds" is located in Jaipur and was built in the late 18th century by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the grandson of Jaipur's founder. The delicate latticework was designed to allow royal ladies to watch the outside world without being watched themselves.

Ashoka the Great

Ashoka the Great was one of the greatest leaders of the Mauryan Empire. His Buddhist reforms involved tolerance and peace in the form of a centralized policy of dharma. He advocated for public works and social welfare, spreading Buddhism and patronizing art.

Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama set foot in India in 1498, the first to travel there by sea. The Portuguese explorer established trade between India and Europe over the course of two voyages at the turn of the 16th century.

6

While you may know of a mere four seasons, the Hindu calendar identifies six. These seasons include your regular spring, summer, fall, and winter. But they also include monsoon season, which falls in between summer and autumn, and pre-winter which is – you guessed it – before winter.

A river

The River Indus gave India its name. It was around this river that the early settlers of the valley set up camp.

Thar Desert

Otherwise known as the Great Indian Desert, the Thar Desert spreads across much of Rajasthan state and edges into Pakistan. Covering 77,000 square miles, the subtropical desert is known for its sand ridges, which give Thar its name.

Holi

The festival of colors and love that is Holi is one of the most joyful festivals celebrated in India. The spring festival celebrates the victory of good over evil in the divine love of Radha Krishna in the form of colored powders and water fights.

2000

Just as the millennium turned, India broke the billion-person threshold. A baby girl, Astha Arora, was chosen to be named as India's billionth born. Today, India is the world's second most populated country, trailing only China...but not for long.

Umayyad Caliphate

The Umayyad Caliphate arrived in India with their major import: Islam. Battles took place to the east of the Indus River, and the Caliphate was successful in its aim in spreading Islam and Arabic to the region.