About Bhaarat Varsh
(India)
The
official Sanskrit name for India is Bhaarat.
INDIA
has been called Bhaarat even since Sat Yug (Golden Age)
The
name "India" is derived from the River Indus, the valleys
around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers
referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
When
Persian invaders invaded India and came here, they could not pronounce "Sindhu"
as Sindhu, but they pronounced it as "Hindoo" thus the dwellers
of that area got their name as Hindoo.
The
name `Hindustan’ combines Sindhu and Hindoo and thus refers to the land
of the Hindoos.
India is.......the Largest
democracy in the world, the 6th largest
country in the world AND one of the most
ancient and living civilizations (at least 10, 000 years old).
Sanskrit is
considered as the mother of all higher languages. This is because it is
the most precise, and therefore suitable language for computer software.
(a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987).
The
numbering system, its design etc, the digit zero
and its use, all was invented in India by Aaryabhatt. Without Zero
today's computer could not have worked.
Bhaaskaraachaarya
rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds
of years before the astronomer Smart. His calculations of Time taken by
earth to orbit the sun: ( 5th century ) was 365.258756484 days.
Algebra,
trigonometry and calculus also originated from India. Quadratic
equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest
numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used
numbers as big as 10*53 ( i.e 10 to the power of 53 ) with specific
names as early as 5000 B.C. during the Vedic period. Even
today, the largest used number is Tera: 10*12( 10 to the power of 12 ).
The value of "pi" was
first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayaan, and he explained
the concept of what is known today as the Pythagorean Theorem. He
discovered this in the 6th century, which was long before the European
mathematicians.
The "place value
system" and the "decimal system" were developed in 100 BC in India.
The
first six Mogul Emperor's of India ruled in an unbroken succession from
father to son for two hundred years, from 1526 to 1707.
Chess was invented in India.
The world's highest
cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh.
Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444
meters above sea level.
The game of snakes
& ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was
originally called 'Mokshapat.' The ladders in the game represented
virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie
shells and dices. Later through time, the game underwent several
modifications but the meaning is the same i.e good deeds take us to
heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
The
World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeshwar Temple at Thanjaavur
in
Tamil Naadu. The Shikhar is made from a single "80-tonne" piece of
granite. Also, this magnificent temple was built in just five years,
(between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Raajraajaa Chol.
The Baily Bridge is
the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Laddaakh valley
between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himaalayan mountains. It was
built by the Indian Army in August 1982.
The largest
employer in the world is the Indian railway system, employing over a
million people.
The World's first
university was established in Takshshilaa in 700 BC. More than 10,500
students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The
University of Naalandaa, built in the 4th century, was one of the
greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
Aayurved is the
earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The father of medicine,
Charak, consolidated Aayur Ved 2500 years ago.
Sushrut is regarded
as the father of surgery. Over 2600 years ago Sushrat & his
team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract,
artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones and also plastic
surgery and brain surgeries.
Usage of
anesthesia was well known in ancient India medicine. Detailed knowledge
of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism, physiology,
etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian
texts.
The art of
Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000
years ago. The very word 'Navigation' is derived from the Sanskrit word
NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
Although modern
images & descriptions of India often show poverty, India was one of
the richest countries till the time of British in the early 17th
Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth and was
looking for route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
Until 1896,
India was the only source for diamonds to the world. ( Source .
Gemological Institute of America)
India
also celebrates the birthdays of former President and Vice-President and
great statesman Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan as "Teachers'
Day", and its first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru
as "Children's Day".
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