Republic of India

(Bharat Ganrajya)

Basic Information

EtymologyGeographyBiodiversity

Government

EconomyHistoryCulture

CONTENT

Basic Informati

on

Motto: "Satyameva Jayate" (Sanskrit)"Truth Alone Triumphs"

Anthem: Jana Gana Mana"Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People"

National song: Vande Mataram"I Bow to Thee, Mother"

Capital: New Delhi

Largest city: Mumbai (population/area)

Official languages: Hindi, EnglishRecognized regional languages:Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu

Government: Federal parliamentaryconstitutional republic

Legislature: Parliament of India- Upper house: Rajya Sabha- Lower house: Lok SabhaIndependence from the United Kingdom

- Dominion: 15 August 1947- Republic: 26 January 1950 

Flag of India

Official Emblem

Area controlled by India shown

in dark green. Theclaimed but uncontrolled

regions shown in

light green.

Etymology

Indus, originates from the Old Persian word Hinduš

Sindhu (Sanskrit word), historical local appellation for the Indus River

Indoi, term ancient Greeks used to refer to the Indians; translates as "the people of the Indus"

India

Bharat (geographical term), recognized by the Constitution of India as official name for the country; is used by many Indian languages in its variations 

Hindustan, originally a Persian word; means "Land of the Hindus"

India

Geography

North◦China◦Nepal◦Bhutan

East◦Bangladesh ◦Myanmar◦Bay of Bengal

South◦Palk Strait◦Gulf of Mannār◦Indian Ocean

West◦Arabian Sea◦Pakistan

Bounded by:

Topographic Map of India

comprises the bulk of the Indian subcontinent

lies atop the minor Indian tectonic plate

India's coastline measures 7,517 kilometers (4,700 mi) in length

the Ganges ◦the Yamuna◦the Kosi

the Brahmaputra

Major Himalayan-origin rivers:

The Ganges in Varanasi

A view across the Brahmaputra near Sukleswar Ghat, Guwahati, Assam,

India

the Godavari

the Mahandithe Kaverithe Krishna

the Narmada

the Tapti

Major peninsular rivers

The Mouth of the Godavari

river emptying into

the Bay of Bengal.

The Mahandi

The river Kaveri in Kodagu, Karnataka

Krishna River Gorge

The Narmada river bank near Jabalpur

Tapti river at Haripura in Surat district

marshy Rann of Kutch of Western India

the alluvial Sundarbans delta of Eastern India

Coastal features

Rann of Kutch

Sundarbans

the Lakshadweepthe Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Archipelagos

Aerial view of the Agatti Airport in Lakshadweep

Aerial view of Andaman Islands

strongly influenced by:◦Himalayas ◦Thar Desert

Indian Climate

It lies within the Himalayan mountain system, which forms part of India’s northern border.

Karakoram Range in the Himalayas

As seen in Rajasthan, IndiaThar Desert

tropical wettropical drysubtropical humidmontane

Four major climatic groupings:

Biodiversity

contains three  biodiversity hotspots

one of 17 megadiverse countries

hosts 8.6% of all mammalian, 13.7% of all avian, 7.9% of all reptilian, 6% of all amphibian, 12.2% of all piscine, and 6.0% of all flowering plant species

habitat ranges from the tropical rainforest to coniferous forest

also include moist deciduous sal forests, dry deciduous teak forests and babul-dominated thorn forest

contains 172 IUCN-designated threatened species

The Gīr National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarāt, India, is the only remaining

habitat of the Asiatic lion, a species that was nearly extinct in the early 1900s.

Asiatic Lion

Bengal tigerA Bengal tiger at

Bandhavgarh National Park

Indian white-rumped vultureNearly went extinct by ingesting the

carrion of diclofenac-laced cattle

human encroachment of recent decades has critically endangered wildlife

1972-India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to safeguard crucial wilderness

1980-Forest Conservation Act was enacted

1988-amendments added in Forest Conservation Act

Government

federation with a parliamentary system governed under the Constitution of India

a constitutional republic and representative democracy

federalism defines power distribution

federal government comprises three branches:◦ExecutivePresident-head of statePrime Minister-head of government

consists of the president, the vice-president, and the Council of Ministers headed by the prime minister

Pranab Mukherjee

Current President of India

Manmohan Singh

Current Prime

Minister of India

The Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official residence of the president of India.

◦Legislativebicameral parliamentoperates under a Westminster-style parliamentary system

comprises of: the upper house called the Rajya Sabha ("Council of States") with 245 members

the lower called the Lok Sabha ("House of the People")with 545 members

◦Judicialhas a unitary three-tier independent judiciary

comprises of the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice, 24 High Courts, and a large number of trial courts

History

2500 B.C.The Indus Valley civilization developed around the valley of the Indus River (now in Pakistan).

2000 B.C.The Indus Valley civilization collapsed.

Around 1500 B.C.The Aryan people invaded India from the north.

326 B.C.Alexander the Great of Macedon (northeastern Greece) crossed the Indus River into India.

A.D. 50Trade flourished between India and the Roman Empire.

320-550 India was ruled by the Gupta Empire.

1526The rule of the Mogul Empire began.

1600sHolland, Great Britain and France established key trading posts in India.

1638Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan began the construction of the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz.

1858The British had overthrown the Moguls and took control of India.

1915 Mohandas Gandhi launched a campaign of nonviolent resistance against the British rule in India.

1947 India gained its independence from the British and was divided into two countries, India and Muslim-controlled Pakistan.

1948Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.

1966 Indira Gandhi (not related to Mahatma) became the Prime Minister and one of the first women elected to lead a nation.

1983 India won the cricket world cup.

1998 India tested its first nuclear weapon, one of only seven nations to have done so.

2000 India's population exceeded one billion.

2004–2005A series of natural disasters, including floods, earthquakes and tsunamis, brought destruction to southern coastal communities.

2007Pratibha Patil became the first female President of India.

Culture

Art and Architecture

LiteraturePerforming Arts

Motion Pictures

SocietyReligionClothingCuisine

Much of Indian architecture blends ancient local traditions with imported styles.

Art and architecture

Akshardham Temple in DelhiIt was completed in 2005 and one of

the largest Hindu temples in the world.

Chowmahalla Palace in Hyderabad

The famous jaali from the 16th-century Sidi Saiyyed mosque built by Ahmed Shah of

Gujarat, in Ahmedabad

The Jagannath TempleOne of the four holiest places (Char

Dhams) of Hinduism, in Puri, Odisha.

The North Block in New Delhi This houses key government offices,

built along with Lutyens' Delhi.

One of the world's most famous structures which Shah Jahan built as a memorial to his

wife.

The Taj Mahal in Agra

The earliest literary writings in India, composed between 1400 BCE and 1200 CE, were in the Sanskrit language.

Prominent works of this Sanskrit literature include epics as the Mahābhārata and the Ramayana, the dramas of Kālidāsa such as the Abhijñānaśākuntalam (The Recognition of Śakuntalā)

Literature

A 16th-century manuscript of the Mahabharata portrays a chariot fight between two related noble

families, the Kauravas and the Pandavas.

Mahabharata

In this painting, Radha and Krishna have met in a grove. The painting, (1780), is in the

Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England.

Radha and Krishna in the Grove

RamayanaRama seated with Sita, fanned by

Lakshmana, while Hanuman pays his respects.

Rama is shown here with his wife, Sita, in a bas-relief sculpture from a 9th-century Hindu

temple in Java, Indonesia.

Rama and Sita

The Recognition of Śakuntalā

Shakuntala writes to

Dushyanta

Kamasutra, the famous book about sexual intercourse also originated in India.

19th century-Indian writers took a new interest in social questions and psychological descriptions.

20th century-Indian literature was influenced by the works of Bengali poet and novelist Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore with Albert Einstein

Indian music ranges over various traditions and regional styles

Classical music encompasses two genres and their various folk offshoots: ◦northern Hindustani◦southern Carnatic schools 

Indian dance also features diverse folk and classical forms

Performing arts

Theatre in India melds music, dance, and improvised or written dialogue 

Indian dance also features diverse folk and classical forms

Theatre in India melds music, dance, and improvised or written dialogue 

A Kuchipudi dance

performance is accompanied by Carnatic

vocalizations.

The Indian film industry produces the world's most-watched cinema.

Motion pictures

My Name is Khan

3 Idiots

Traditional Indian society is defined by social hierarchy.

Indian caste system embodies much of the social stratification and many of the social restrictions found in the Indian subcontinent.

Society

pervasive in Indiaencompasses non-Hindus as wellA caste (jati in Sanskrit) is a social class to which a person belongs at birth and which is ranked against other castes, typically on a continuum of perceived purity and pollution.

Caste System

In order of hierarchy◦Brahmins (priests and scholars)◦Kshatriyas (warriors and rulers)◦Vaisyas (merchants, farmers, and traders)

◦Sudras (laborers, including artisans, servants, and serfs).

◦Untouchables or Harijans (“People of God,” a term first used by Indian leader Mohandas Gandhi).

Indian Caste

System

Child marriages are common, especially in rural areas

many women in India wed before reaching 18

Almost all Hindu marriages in India are arranged

almost all arranged marriages occur between people of the same caste

only a handful of young people make “love marriages” across caste lines, and many suffer socially when they do so

DiwaliGanesh Chathurti

Thai PongalMakar Sankranti or Uttarayan

HoliDurga PujaChristmas Vaisakhi

Some Indian Festivals

popularly known as the "festival of lights"

a five-day Hindu festival involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil

In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali falls between mid-October and mid-November

Deepavali or Diwali

Arrangement of diyas on Diwali night.

Hindu festival celebrated on the birthday (rebirth) of Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati

also known as Ganeshutsav (festival of Ganesh)

lasts for 10 daysthe date usually falls between 19 August and 20 September

Ganesha Chaturthi

A Ganesh Procession in Mumbai, India prior to immersion.

Ganesh Visarjan in Mumbai

a harvest festival celebrated in South India at the end of the harvest season

marks the beginning of the northward journey of the Sun from its southernmost-limit

coincides with the festival Makara Sankranthi 

usually held from January 13–16 in the Gregorian calendar

Thai Pongal

Kolam decorations in front of house during Thai Pongal

Pongal being cooked in a city home.

one of the most auspicious occasions for the Hindus

a harvest festival perhaps the only Indian festival whose date always falls on the same day every year: 14 January, with some exceptions, when the festival is celebrated on 13 January or 15 January

also believed to mark the arrival of spring in India

Makar Sankranti

Colourful kites being

sold in a Shop

in Lucknow

a spring festival celebrated as a festival of colors

as per the Hindu calendar, Holi is celebrated on the Phalguna Purnima (Full Moon), which comes in February or March in the Gregorian Calendar

Holi

Colors Holi at a market in Mysore

Holi celebrations, Pushkar, Rajasthan

Group pose for a photo at a Holi celebration in

Vashi, Navi Mumbai, India

marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura

epitomizes the victory of Good over Evil

includes the worship of Shiva, who is Durga's consort (Durga is an aspect of Goddess Parvati)

Durga Puja

Durga Puja at Bagbazar Sarbajanin, North Kolkata.

a state holiday in India, although Christianity in India is a minority

in many of the schools that are run by the Christian missionaries, children actively participate in the program

in many non-religious schools, there is tradition of Christmas celebration

also known as bada din (the big day)

Christmas

also known as Baisakhi, Vaishakhi, or Vasakhi

a festival celebrated across the northern Indian subcontinent

usually celebrated on 13 April, and occasionally on 14 April, in the different regions across the world as the Sikhs migrated overseas

Vaisakhi

Sikh Vaisakhi parade

three national holidays:◦Republic Day◦Independence Day◦Gandhi Jayanti

Hinduism and Buddhism both originated here.

Most people in India practice Hinduism with Islam a distant second.

Other important religions include Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

Religion

Hinduism◦three main Hindu deities: BrahmāVishnuShiva

Buddhism◦major world religion, founded in northeastern India

◦based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama

Traditional Indian dress varies in color and style across regions and depends on various factors.

Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as the sari for women and the dhoti or lungi for men.

Clothing

Vidya Balan wearing silk sari

at a wedding

Sonakshi Sinha in salwar kameez

A fully embriodered pink ghagra

choli

A person togged in a

mundu

A lungi clad Oriya man in Baleswar,

Odisha

Sonu Nigam wearing

sherwani at his concert

Indian cuisine features an unsurpassed reliance on herbs and spices, with dishes often calling for the nuanced usage of a dozen or more condiments

Cuisine

Spices at a grocery shop in India

Lentils are a staple ingredient in Indian cuisine

India is also known for its tandoori preparations.

The tandoor, a clay oven used in India for almost 5,000 years, grills meats to an “uncommon succulence” and produces the puffy flatbread known as naan.

Bukharian Tandoor

naan

Tandoori chicken is a

popular grilled dish.

Pesarattu, a popular Andhra dish, served withkobbari pachadi (chutney

made using coconut)

Hyderabadi Biryani from the city of Hyderabad

Roasted stuffed Litti from Bihar

Palak paneer, a dish made from

spinach and paneer (cottage cheese)

Khaman is a popular Gujarati snack.

momo served in Tomato gravy

A bowl of thukpa

Saaga popular Kumauni dish from Uttarakhand is

made from any of the various green vegetables like spinach and fenugreek

Kadhi, a spicy north Indian dish

Poha, a popular breakfast dish in Maharashtra

Spicy fish from Kerala

An Indian restaurant in Singapore named Komala's Little India

Filmi3 Idiots “Zoobi Doobi”