Today we’re looking at an incredible facts you didn’t know about the seventh largest country in the world, India. With a population of over a billion people. India is one of the most influential and powerful countries in the world. Its cultural history is particularly complex and detailed spanning 4500 years of predominantly Hindu philosophy and theology. 1000s of years later, modern India is profoundly different with its own colossal film industry, a diverse population and an astonishingly big workforce.

Number one, Hollywood’s highest grossing film made 27 times more than Hollywood’s highest grossing film. For every 600 Films Hollywood produces Bollywood will make 1000 they’re the most profitable films too when you compare the numbers. Hollywood’s highest grossing film was 2009 avatar, which made $2.8 billion dollars at the box office. In stark contrast, the Bollywood film three idiots Ratan 76.8 1 billion. Now that’s a prophet.

Number two. Shampoo was invented in the 16th century India derived from the Sanskrit shampoo, which means massage. The concept of shampooing was invented in India in the 16th century. herbs and natural ingredients were used then, rather than today’s combination of modern chemicals and fragrances, in particular gooseberry, SAP, Hindus and fruit pulp. When colonial visitors came to India they brought the practice of shampooing and hair washing back with them to Europe.

Number three diamonds were first mined in India and it was the world’s greatest producer. India was the most productive diamond mining country in the world until diamonds were found in Brazil in the 18th century. There are now three active diamond mines in India, and the famous Kohinoor diamond was found in the 13th century. The 793 carat stone went from person to person and was eventually acquired by Queen Victoria during the British Raj in India.

Number four elephants in Corolla can treat themselves to a spa day. Puno Thor kata elephant yard rejuvenation Centre provides elephants with baths, massages and soothing pamper sessions. The spa caters to 59 clients and is a way of giving back to the sacred animal. Elephants play an important role in Corollas temple processions and are a significant feature of the region so they deserve a massage every now and then.

Number five, the largest religious gathering in India can be seen from space. khumba Mela is a Hindu pilgrimage which takes people to the banks of the Ganges every 12 years. The major event involves ritualistic bathing devotional singing, religious discussion and feeding the poor, the attendance figures had to be kept at 75 million, making it the largest pilgrimage on Earth.

Number six, ancient Indian civilization is the oldest in the world. We often look to Ancient Greece and ancient Egypt, but Indian civilization dates back to 2400 BC, when it was split into 16 monarchies known as the Mahabharata padas There are even authenticated human remains that date back to 30,000 years in South Asia. The oldest Hindu texts were written between 2500 BC, as well as the first texts on science, medicine and astronomy. We actually owe the number zero to Indian mathematics who created the concept number seven, India is home to every major world religion and doesn’t have a national language, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Sikhism all have a place in Indian society, with the most dominant being Hinduism and Islam, covering 80% and 14% of the population respectively.

Number Seven Judaism has existed in India for the last 2250 years, and some of these smaller religions also featured including Jain, Zoroastrian and Bohai. India also doesn’t have a single national language because 1652 dialects are spoken across the different regions.

Number eight, a polling station is set up for just one voter in gear forest at every election. every election Mirage varandas de Shan does gets his local polling station entirely to himself because he’s the only resident of gear forest. He’s been voting in Indian elections since 2004. And never misses one now that he has his own personal polling station. mahant is the caretaker for the one temple in the forest in Gujarat, a home he shares with the rare Asiatic lion.

Number nine, the Indian government has used scaffolding to hide the Taj Mahal when airstrikes are predicted. During the Second World War, and the Indian Pakistan wars, scaffolding was put up around the distinctive domes of the Taj Mahal to make it less obvious from above. They feared strikes by the Japanese Air Force during World War Two so had their most famous landmark. More recent threats to the Taj Mahal include the rising levels of the Yamuna River, which has cracked the tomb underneath the structure. There have been predictions that the tombs could collapse at any time. Check out our video 15 most expensive manmade attractions in the world to find out what ranks along with stunning Taj Mahal.

Number 10. Indians invented navigation + yoga, the world’s cheapest car and thorium based nuclear power. Indian society can take credit for some of the most important inventions in the world. They were the first to create the concept of navigation over 6000 years ago, using rivers and seas. Yoga was created 5000 years ago and has roots in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The world’s cheapest car the Tata Nano, which costs around 100,000 rupees the equivalent of 14 $100 and India is the home of the first next generation thorium reactor, the country is aiming to produce 30% of its electrical power with thorium by 2015.

Number 11 you can stay at the former Indian royal residence for $88,000 a night. If you want to stay at the lap of luxury forget Paris and forget to buy. India is the home of the most stunning palaces in the world. Once the home of the Maharajas there are opulent palaces throughout the country with some dating back hundreds of years. The kumarakom Lake resort hosted Prince Charles his 65th birthday, and the 450 year old samode Palace and Jai poor has hosted famous faces from all over the world.

Number 12 King Jai Singh of Anwar snubbed Rolls Royce and the best possible way India has a long and colourful history of quirky monarchies and extravagant kings and queens, the king of LLR in northeast India was insulted by a Rolls Royce salesman when he visited a showroom in London, a very proud man, he ordered a whole fleet of Rolls Royce cars and gave them to the city’s a waste department so they could use them to transport rubbish throughout the city.

Number 13 1 million Indians are millionaires. India has one of the most dramatic wealth gaps in the world with 35% of the country living below the poverty line. Those who live way above it live a very different kind of life. The richest Indian in the world is Mukesh Ambani, who has a net worth of $53 billion. The 59 year old made his money in the oil and gas industry and his billion dollar home recently made headlines because he chose to build a 27 storey skyscraper instead of a sprawling mansion.

Number 14. The first account of plastic surgery was found in an ancient Sanskrit text. One of the first medical texts was the sushruta Samhita, which can be dated back to the sixth century CE II. It’s one of the very first examples of a medical text and discusses surgery, incisions, skin grafts and nose reconstruction.

Britain’s first nose job wouldn’t be performed until 1814, worrying 80 years before the sushruta Samhita would be translated. Number 15. one of India’s most extravagant weddings caused controversy because it was too extravagant, lasting five days and costing $74 million. The wedding of the daughter of a prominent businessman made headlines in 2016. for all the wrong reasons. The $2.5 million wedding sorry, bollywood royalty in attendance and gold, Bangalore palace setting was denounced as an obscene display of wealth. Millions of Indians live in poverty so the wedding was criticised for being in poor taste.

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There are many stereotypical images of India but there’s so much more to this incredible country than many of us know, the centre of many industries and the world’s biggest democracy. India has influenced art literature science and medicine potentially more than any other nation. If you could take a trip to this beautiful, fascinating country, where would you find yourself in a gorgeous Maharaja palace surrounded by palm trees and rural countryside? Or a modern apartment in the thick of busy Mumbai? Oh, you’re still here. Here’s another bizarre and incredible fact about India. About 40% of the Indian population is vegetarian, making it the largest veggie population in the world. Many choose to not eat meat for spiritual and religious reasons, with beef and pork products often rolled out of their diet. vegetarianism is so influential that KFC, McDonald’s and Pizza Hut had to introduce vegetarian menus for their Indian franchises to cater to the population. The country with the fewest vegetarians is Portugal. We’re just 1.8% of the population have cut meat from their diet.