Facts About Our Country of the Week: India!

India is a country in the south of Asia currently holding more than 1.37 billion people, positioning itself as the second-most populous country in the world. The nation is widely known for its vibrant colours, cuisine, Bollywood film industry, its diverse languages, monuments like the Taj Mahal, great religious diversity such as Hinduism and Buddhism, its culture, traditions, festivals, train system, and figures like Mahatma Gandhi.

• Currently, the biggest family in the world, consisting of 181 members and counting, resides in India. Ziona Chana is a man who had 39 wives, 94 children, 14 daughters-in-law, 33 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandchild. They live together in a four-story mansion with 100 rooms in the village of Baktawng in Mizoram, India. To make an evening meal, about 30 chickens are plucked, 60kg of potatoes peeled and 100kg of rice boiled up.

• There is a temple of rats in Rajasthan, a state in northern India. It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Karni Mata, where believers go to worship Goddess Karni. The worshippers do not shoo away the rodents, instead, they feed, provide shelter and they have even built nets so predators cannot kill the estimated 25000 rats in the place.

• North Sentinel Island is part of the Andaman Islands, which are located in the Bay of Bengal. An indigenous group called the Sentinelese inhabit this island, living in complete isolation from the outside world because they want to. India administers this archipelago and has also helped protect this minority. Travelling to this island is prohibited, and no one can get closer than 9.26km, because the tribe does not have immunity to various diseases.

• There are lots of holidays in India due to its cultural diversity, one of them being Holi, a Hindu festival which happens in February or March known as the “festival of colors''. It welcomes the Spring season, and the name “Holi” stems from “Holika”, sister of “Hiranyakashyap” the demon King. To celebrate the victory of good over evil, the people throw colourful powders and splash each other with water.

• Varanasi is a city in India, which is among the most ancient ones in the world, dating back to the 11th century BC. It is on the bank of the River Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, and Hindus believe that Lord Shiva lived there, that is why many devotees pilgrimage there to spend their last days of life or just to experience its divinity.

• In the aforementioned city, frogs are caught and married to each other as a traditional belief and ritual when there is not much rain to please the rain gods.

• Shani Shingnapur is a village in which locking doors is not needed. This is because the habitants believe that the Hindu deity Shani, whose temple is located there, is protecting them and keeping them secure.

• Interestingly, during World War II, the famous Taj Mahal in India was covered with a scaffold to disguise the building and avoid bombs. It was a success as the monument remains untouched.

Bibliography

BBC (n.d.). Varanasi - PILGRIMAGE - GCSE religious Studies revision - BBC BITESIZE. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z9c86sg/revision/1

Crisafulli, N. (2011, March 04). This is Varanasi [Photograph]. Flickr. https://live.staticflickr.com/5304/5581522648_46f4d70b2f_b.jpg

Daily Mail Reporter (2016, February 08). The world's Biggest family: Ziona Chana has 39 WIVES, 94 children and 33 grandchildren. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1358654/The-worlds-biggest-family-Ziona-Chan-39-wives-94-children-33-grandchildren.html

Figueroa, N. (2020, August 03). 40 fun and interesting facts about India that might surprise you. Globo Treks https://www.globotreks.com/destinations/india/fun-interesting-facts-india/

Jain, S. (2016, May 31). Shani Shingnapur [Photograph]. BBC. https://ychef.files.bbci.co.uk/624x351/p03wcl2t.jpg