12 Most Amazing Facts You Don't Know About India

 12 Amazing Facts You May Don't Know About India

India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only."

These are not our words. These are the words of the great Mark Twain. And here are 12 Indians facts to support his statement:

1.A floating post office

India has the largest postal network in the world with over 1, 55,015 post offices. A single post office on an average serves a population of 7,175 people. The floating post office in Dal Lake, Srinagar, was inaugurated in August 2011.

2.The highest cricket ground in the world

At an altitude of 2,444 meters, the Chail Cricket Ground in Chail, Himachal Pradesh, is the highest in the world. It was built in 1893 and is a part of the Chail Military School.

3.Science day in Switzerland is dedicated to Ex-Indian President,APJ Abdul Kalam

The father of India's missile programme had visited Switzerland back in 2006. Upon his arrival, Switzerland declared May 26th as Science Day.

4.India has a spa just for elephants

Elephants receive baths, massages and even food at the Punnathoor Cotta Elephant Yard Rejuvenation Centre in Kerala. Now that's a BIG step for the country.

5.The human calculator

Shakuntla Devi was given this title after she demonstrated the calculation of two 13 digit numbers: 7,686,369,774,870 × 2,465,099,745,779 which were picked at random. She answered correctly within 28 seconds.

6.Dhyan Chand was offered German citizenship

After defeating Germany 8-1 in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Major Dhyan Chand, the wizard of hockey, was summoned by Hitler. He was promised German citizenship, a high post in the German military and the chance to play for the German national side. Dhyan Chand however declined the offer.

7.A special polling station is set up for a lone voter in the middle of Gir Forest

Mahant Bharatdas Darshandas has been voting since 2004 and during every election since then, a special polling booth is set up exclusively for him as he is the only voter from Banej in Gir forest.

8.India is the world's second-largest English speaking country

India is second only to the USA when it comes to speaking English with around 125 million people speaking the language, which is only 10% of our population. This  

expected to grow by quite a margin in the coming year.

9.India introduced shampoo to the world

Among many facts about India, this one is the biggest source of amazement. The first ever shampoo was used by locals in India. Dried Indian gooseberry mixed with many other herbs was used to wash hair, a recipe that is still used in the country today. The word ‘shampoo’ is derived from the Hindi word, champo.

10.Mysterious Anti-Gravity Hills In Ladakh, Magnetic Hil

With the anti-gravitational effect, this is the only magnetic hill in India. Landmarked by a yellow notice board that spells out instructions and asks you place your car on neutral gear right on the spot marked by white paint, this one will leave you in awe as your car will begin to move uphill on its own.

11.World's Highest Rail Bridge in Jammu

About 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower, the arch-shaped Chenab bridge in Jammu and Kashmir is the world's tallest rail bridge. It stands at the height of 1,178 feet over the river Chenab.

12.Biggest Family in the World

Living in his 100-room mansion in Baktawng village of Mizoram, Mr Ziona Chana is the head of the world's biggest family consisting of 181 members. He has 39 wifes, 94 children, 14 daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren.