12 lesser-known and interesting facts about India

1. The world-famous physicist and scientist, Albert Einstein, had this to say about India: "We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made."

2. In a village called Shani Shingnapur in Maharashtra, people live in houses with no doors. This is because they believe in protection from the Hindu god Shani. Apparently Shani told devoted people in their dreams they don't need any doors on their homes, because he will protect them. Some villagers put loose panels against their door frames at night, only to keep out wild animals. Even the local bank has just a glass door with no locks. And the glass door is only to keep stray dogs out.

3. The original form of chess is believed to have been invented in India and then this game spread to Arabian countries. It was quite different from the modern-day chess game.

4.Buttons, which were mainly used as ornaments and which were made from seashell, were first discovered in the Indus Valley Civilization, which included northwest India and present day Pakistan. In the Indus Valley Civilization buttons were mostly used for ornamental purposes. Buttons used for fastening appeared first in Germany in the 13th century.

5. The world's highest cricket ground is situated in Chail in Himachal Pradesh, which is part of the Indian Himalayas. It is situated at an altitude of 2 250 metres. It is surrounded by a chir pine forest.

6. India has hundreds of millions of vegetarians. Pizza Hut, India's largest casual dining restaurant, have adjusted their menu with loads more vegetarian toppings to account for this. In other parts of the world Pizza Hut toppings are mainly beef and pepperoni, but not in India.

7. Shampoo originated in India 'specifically in the eastern regions of the Mughal Empire which ruled India. The Nawabs of Bengal, which were the rulers of the provinces of Bengal then, used alkali, natural oils and aroma compounds for head massages. The word shampoo in English was also derived from the Hindustani word champoo. Hindustani is the lingua franca of North India and Pakistan.

8. While in the Western world the newspaper industry is suffering, in India the print industry is booming. This is partly due to the growing literacy rate and the fact that it is very cheap to buy a newspaper. There is also a market for second-hand newspapers and magazines. You can sell your magazines to a street vendor, who buys them from you and sells them again.

9. Honking in India is encouraged and almost every truck has the words "Horn Please' painted on the back. Honking is used by almost all drivers who are coming up behind another vehicle.

10 .Street vendors are ingenious and even offer services like repairing broken zips and wear and tear on your luggage at some train platforms. This means you don't have to discard you bag just because of a torn zip.

11. Hindus have a way of apologizing to their books if they accidentally drop them for example. They apologize by touching the book to their foreheads. This is quite an instinctive reaction, like saying "bless you" when someone sneezes.

12. Once every 12 years, India hosts a momentous riverside religious festival in Allahabad called the Maha Kumbh Mela, which about 100 million people attended in 2013. It is believed to be the largest religious gathering on earth. The Mela alternates between Nasik, Allahabad, Ujjain and Haridwar every three years. The one celebrated in Allahabad is the largest and holiest of them.