Indiapedia (The All-India Factfinder)

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Tired of sifting through thousands of websites for school projects? Bored of flipping through thick history books for an overview of a dynasty? Sick of staring at maps to understand the land forms of the country? Going crazy searching the newspaper archives to understand the Reservation Bill? Don’t worry, help is at hand! Hachette India brings you a super compendium of information: Indiapedia: The All-India Factfinder. This useful reference book will introduce you to the different aspects of India, from history to economy, from geography to flora and fauna, from sports to cinema - an absolute must-have for every student to know more about their country and find detailed information for homework, essays, quizzes and general knowledge enhancement

Introduction

India, officially known the Republic of India ranks second in terms of population worldwide and is the seventh-largest country in the world. India covers a total area of 3,166,414 square kilometres. From north to south, India measures 3,214 km and from east to west she is 2,933 km wide.

The Indian subcontinent is a site of immense historical value, it was home to the famous Indus Valley Civilization which flourished and grew in the north western part of India, said to be the first major civilization in South Asia dating back to 3000 BCE.

Many rulers: India has been ruled by many famous dynasties-from the Mauryas and the Guptas to the Cholas, Pallavas and Pandyas. She has been invaded several times by tribes from Central Asia and was finally conquered and made an empire under the dominion of the Mughals. The Mughal Empire suffered a decline in the late l8th century and was thereafter brought under the iron fist of the British Rule, which went on to last for over a hundred years. The story of how the Indian people fought the British colonies and won back their country is also a long and powerful one, full of tales of strength and valour but also greed and cowardice. It is this ambiguity that makes up this great country-in it lies the old and the new, the intensely traditional and the fiercely modern, beautiful examples of art and architecture, breathtaking vistas of greenery and a diverse combination, a melting pot of people, races and religions.

National Insignia The Indian national emblem has been inspired by the Sarnath Lion, one of four such lions which cap the Ashoka Pillar, located in Emperor Ashoka’s erstwhile capital city of Sarnath. The government adopted this emblem the day India became a republic on 26 January 1950. The original Lion Capital depicts four lions, standing back to back, placed on an abacus, surrounded by a frieze of sculptures depicting an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by wheels (chakras) over a bell-shaped lotus. It has been carved out of a single chunk of polished sandstone and is crowned by the Dharma Chakra or the Wheel of the Law. The Dharma Chakra was erected by Emperor Ashoka to mark the spot where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma and where the Buddhist Sangha was established.

The emblem adopted by the Government has modified the original slightly. Only three lions can be seen and the wheel appears in the centre, with a bull on the right and a horse on the left. The outlines of the other wheels can be seen on the extreme corners. The lotus has also been omitted and the words Satyameva Jayate from the Mundaka Upanishad, which means ‘Truth alone triumphs’, are inscribed below the abacus in the Devanagari script.

This emblem is the official insignia of all government letterheads and appears on all Indian currency notes.

National Flag The ‘Ashoka Chakra’ (the wheel) from the base of our national emblem has been placed onto the centre of our National Flag. It is a horizontal tri-colour of deep saffron which represents courage and sacrifice on top, white, symbolizes peace and truth in the middle and dark green for faith and chivalry at the bottom. The three colours are in equal proportion. The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is two to three. The navy blue wheel has 24 spokes.

The design of the National Flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947 and its use and display are restricted. There is a Flag Code of India which states that while there are no restrictions on the display of the National Flag by members of general public, private organizations, educational institutions among others, the restrictions specified by the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 and any other law on the subject have to be followed.

Our National Anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ is the national anthem of India, written in Bengali with a strong Sanskrit slant. It is the first of five stanzas of a Brahmo hymn composed and scored by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. First sung in the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress on 27 December 1911, it was officially adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the Indian National Anthem on 24 January 1950.

National Song Our national song is ‘Vande Mataram’ composed by Bankimchandra Chatterjee and is a poem from his book Anandamath. It is as important as the national anthem and was sung for the first time at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress by Rabindranath Tagore.

National Calendar At the time of independence, the Government of India followed die Gregorian calendar which was based on the Christian era. The Calendar Reform Committee recommended that the Saka era be recognized as the source of the national calendar which made sense as the Saka year too has 365 days and corresponds with the dates of the Gregorian calendar.

National Flower The lotus, (Nelumbo nucifera) is the national flower of India chosen as it always found mention in the art and mythology of ancient India. It has always been considered as an auspicious and sacred symbol and thus was the best choice for the national flower.

National Animal The combination of grace, agility and enormous power has earned the tiger (Panthera tigris), its pride of place as the national animal of India. Out of eight species known, the Royal Bengal Tiger, is an endangered species. ‘Project Tiger’ was launched in April 1973 to try and improve the dwindling number and so far, it has been successful with 27 tiger reserves being established, covering an area of 37,761 sq km.

National River The Ganga or Ganges is the longest river of India. It flows over 2,510 kms of mountains, valleys and plains. Its origin is in the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas where it is known as the Bhagirathi River.

National Fruit Our national fruit is the mango (Mangifera indica). The mango tree is a very important and widely cultivated tree and its fruit is a rich source of Vitamins A, C and D.

National Tree Our national tree is the banyan tree, also called the Indian fig tree, (Ficus bengalensis). The far reaching roots of this tree give rise to more trunks and branches. This tree is considered immortal because of its long life span and it enjoys an important place in the myths and legends of India.

National Bird The Indian peacock (Pavo cristatust), is the national bird of India. It is a beautiful and colourful creature and in 1963, it was declared the national bird of India because of its rich religious symbolism and its importance in old Indian traditions. The female or peahen is less colourful than the male and the male has a spectacular bronze-green tail of around numerous elongated feathers and a silky blue colouring. The female is brownish and slightly smaller than the male and lacks the vibrant tail.

National Aquatic Animal Our national aquatic animal, the South Asian river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) is an endangered species in India. Therefore, it has been put in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Poaching, degradation of its habitat, siltation, pollution and reduced flow of river water are behind the dwindling population of this species.

National Monument India Gate located in the middle of New Delhi, is the national monument of India. It is a monument built in the memory of 90,000 soldiers who lost their lives fighting in the World War I and Afghan War on behalf of the British.

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