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India
Let's explore one of the world's most fascinating countries — packed with surprises, stories, and pen pal potential.
The Basics
3 Things That Will Blow Your Mind
Genuinely. You'll want to tell someone immediately.
Chess was invented in India
The game originated in India around 1,500 years ago, under the name chaturanga. It spread through Persia to the Arab world, then to Europe — where it gradually became the chess we know today. Every game you've ever played traces back to India.
India has the world's largest film industry
Not Hollywood — India. Bollywood (Mumbai) is the most famous, but India has several separate regional film industries that together produce far more films every year than the United States. Indian cinema reaches audiences Hollywood can barely imagine.
The Indian rupee note lists its value in 17 languages
India has 22 officially recognised languages and over 780 languages spoken across the country. A child in Kerala might speak a language that a child in Punjab has never heard. Both are Indian.
Famous For
The Taj Mahal
Built by a Mughal emperor as a tomb for his wife, the Taj Mahal took 22 years and 20,000 workers to complete. It's considered one of the most beautiful buildings ever made.
Indian Food
One of the world's most diverse cuisines — completely different from state to state. What's called "Indian food" abroad is usually just one tiny corner of something vast.
Tigers & Wildlife
India is home to about two-thirds of the world's wild tigers. It also has elephants, leopards, one-horned rhinos, and the Ganges river dolphin.
Yoga & Meditation
Both yoga and meditation originated in India thousands of years ago. They are now practised by hundreds of millions of people worldwide who may have no idea they started here.
Did You Know?
India's railways carry over 13 million passengers every single day — more than the entire population of Greece, every day, on trains. Indian Railways employs over a million people, making it one of the largest employers on Earth.
Pen Pal Connection
A child in India might write to you about Diwali (the festival of lights), the colour and chaos of Holi, cricket — which in India is less a sport and more a way of life — the food in their region, or why India feels like many different countries inside one border.