Bananas are eaten both raw (ripe) and cooked. They are a rich source of many vitamins and potassium. India is the leading producer of bananas with an annual output of about 16.8 metric tonnes. This means about 23 per cent of the world’s total production happens in India.
The original word for chess is the Sanskrit chaturanga, meaning four members of an army, which were most likely elephants, horses, chariots and foot soldiers. According to a German Indologist researching on the origin of chess, in the 6th century, the Maukhari rulers of Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, used to play chaturanga with 16 cabinet terracotta before venturing …
Mawlynnong, located in Meghalaya, is the cleanest village in Asia. Situated about 90 kilometres from Shillong, it is nestled in the East Khasi Hills, where the villagers live in harmony with nature. In 2005, the Discover India magazine accorded it the status of the cleanest village in Asia. Mawlynnong has a matrilineal society, and agriculture is the …
Since ancient times cotton was spun in India with matchless skill. It is said that the delicate cotton from India was worn by Roman emperors who referred to it as ‘woven wind’. Mughal emperors fondly called the cotton ‘morning dew’ and ‘running water’.
The banyan tree, or Indian fig tree (Ficus benghalensis), is considered a symbol of immortality and is mentioned in many Indian myths and legends. This self-renewing plant is India’s national tree. The tree can grow up to several hectares using its prop roots, which grow down from the tree trunk into woody structures.
On 20 November 2011, one of the four pairs of Vivek Express trains began serving between Dibrugarh in Assam and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, joining the Northeast with the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent. The Dibrugarh–Kanyakumari Vivek Express currently holds the record for being the longest running train route in the country in terms of both distance …
