Next year while I am away, I will celebrate my last birthday in my 20s and Lord willing I will celebrate it in India! By researching India, I found that we owe quite a lot to this country. They invented the concept of shampooing, the decimal system, the idea of zero as a number, and chess. They made big contributions to calculus, trigonometry, and algebra, and cataract and plastic surgery were first done here in 500-800 B.C.!
India is the world’s largest democracy, the second most populous country in the world, and houses nearly 18% of the world’s population. And although very intelligent, India is in great need of hope and the Good News of Jesus. They have a high rate of abortion, even though it’s illegal, with many more baby girls being killed due to the desire to have a son. This practice has led to an uneven ratio of men to women, resulting in the trafficking of women to become brides in areas away from their families.
As I look forward to enjoying my birthday in July, I rejoice more in the birth of my Savior this Christmas season. I’m ready to take the news of His birth, subsequent life, death, burial, and resurrection to the nations and pour into these needy souls. Won’t you come with me?
Fun and Interesting Facts on India
- Capital: New Delhi
- Population: 1,293,057,000 – 1,010.5 people/sq mi
- Slightly larger than 1/3 of the size of the US (7th largest country in the world)
- Official Languages: Hindi and English
- Religions: 79.8% Hinduism, 14.2% Islam, 2.3% Christianity, 1.7% Sikhism, 0.7% Buddhism, 0.4% Jainism, and 0.9% others (over 300,000 active mosques, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world)
- Life Expectancy: 68.5 years
- Literacy Rate: 72.1%
- On India’s Independence Day, August 15, 1947, the country was split into India and Pakistan. This division displaced 1.27 million people and resulted in the death of several hundred thousand to a million people.
- India experiences six seasons, and the average temperature in July is 82° and is summer monsoon season
- A typical meal combines salty, sweet, creamy, spicy, hot and pungent flavors. The basic menu usually comprises starch, a meat or fish main dish, vegetables, and chutney. Traditionally, Indian flatbread or basmati rice complements the other dishes to highlight a balanced spectrum of flavors.
- Largest number of vegetarians in the world, 20-40% of their population
- The national fruit is mango, the national bird is a peacock (which was originally bred for eating), and the national animal is the Bengal Tiger
- The Taj Mahal (meaning “crown palace”) was commissioned by a Mughal Emperor in 1632 to house the tomb of his favorite late wife. It took over 20,000 workmen 22 years to complete it.
- It is traditional to wear white, not black, to a funeral
- India has the largest postal network in the world with over 155,015 post offices and even has a floating post office
- Many Indians find toilet paper repellent and consider it cleaner to splash water with the left hand in the appropriate direction, therefore the left hand is considered unclean and is never used for eating
- Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world
