Culture
What is the word for “India” in Indian languages?
(Hint: it's not "India")
Bharat
The word India comes from the Indus River, called the "Sindhu River" in some Indian languages.
What is the capital of India?
New Delhi is one of the most populated cities in the world! Other important cities in India are Mumbai (the financial capital, just like New York City is to the USA), Kolkatta, and Chennai
What is the most popular sport in India?
Cricket!
Cricket is the most popular sport in India, with almost 1 billion fans!
Who is the "King of Bollywood"?
What country did India gain independence from?
The British Empire
India became independent from the British Empire after a long struggle for freedom.
What are some of the most commonly celebrated holidays in India?
Diwali (October-November), Holi (March), Republic Day (January 26), and Independence Day (August 15) are all celebrated around India!
What is the largest mountain range in India?
The Himalayas.
The word "Himalaya" translates as the "home of ice." This is the tallest mountain range in the world, with Mount Everest being the tallest!
How many ODI Cricket World Cups has India won?
2- once in 1983 under Kapil Dev, and once in 2011 under M.S. Dhoni
India has also won the T20 World Cup twice, once under M.S. Dhoni in 2007 and once under Rohit Sharma in 2024.
Who is the "God of Cricket"?
Sachin Tendulkar is considered the God of Cricket. He is one of the greatest batsmen of all time, making 100 centuries in cricket, along with breaking many other records.
When did India become an independent country?
India gained independence on August 15th, 1947.
What colors does the Indian flag have?
The Indian flag is a tricolor, "tiranga" flag including saffron (representing sacrifice), white (representing peace), and green (representing prosperity). There is also a blue Ashok Chakra (represent alertness).
Where is the Taj Mahal?
The Taj Mahal is in Agra (in Uttar Pradesh). Built in the 17th century, the Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
What is India's national sport?
Field hockey is widely considered to be India's national sport (though unofficial) because of the Indian team's success in it!
Who is the "Father of the Nation"?
Mahatma Gandhi is known as the "Father of the Nation" for his efforts and leadership in the movement for Indian independence through his "Ahimsa" movement.
When did Telangana, the newest Indian state, become a state?
Telengana became a state on June 2, 2014, when it was officially split off from Andhra Pradesh.
How many official languages does India have?
22 languages are officially recognized, but there are many, many more languages spoken!
Some of those languages are Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, and Tamil... can you think of any more?
What is the Indian state that is furthest to the East?
Arunachal Pradesh is the easternmost Indian state. Assam, Mizoram, and Manipur are some other states in the Northeast of India.
2 World Chess Champions are Indian: Viswanathan Anand was world champion 5 times (2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012), and Gukesh Dommaraju is the current World Chess Champion.
Who wrote the national anthem?
Rabindranath Tagore wrote the Indian national anthem. He also won a Nobel Prize in literature for his Bengali and English works.
Who was India's first prime minister?
Jawaharlal Nehru was India's first prime minister after being an important freedom fighter.
The prime minister of India is India's leader just like the president of the USA is America's leader. India also does have a president, but their role is not as visible.
What is India's national motto?
India's national motto is "Satyameva Jayate," which means "Truth alone triumphs." It was adopted on January 26, 1950- does anyone know anything else about this date?
What is the most populated state in India?
Uttar Pradesh, with over 241 million people, is the most populated Indian state!
Bihar is next, with just over 131 million people, and Maharashtra is not far behind, with more than 128 million people.
How many Olympic medals have Indian athletes won?
41 medals
10 gold medals, 10 silver medals, and 21 bronze medals, all won at the Summer Olympics. India was the first Asian nation to participate in the Olympics, appearing as British India in 1900.
Who was India's first Bollywood "superstar"?
How long ago were the first ancient Indian civilizations?
The first Indian civilizations (including the Indus Valley Civilization) emerged around 2600 BCE, which is almost 5000 years ago! That is when complex, planned cities began to form- there was lots of technological and cultural progress thousands of years even before that!