Portal:India/Did you know
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a selection of articles on Wikipedia that appeared on the India Portal's Did you know section. (Archives are in sets of approximately 50 items each)
[edit] Did you know...
- ...that 1939's Indramalati, directed by the Assam poet Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, was the second ever Assamese language film?
- ...that a Vihara is an Indian Buddhist cave monastery that takes its name from the Sanskrit word for "a secluded place in which to walk"?
- ...that the 1935 film Joymati, produced and directed by the noted Assam poet Jyotiprasad Agarwala, was the first-ever Assamese language film?
- ...that Indian copper plate inscriptions play an important role in the reconstruction of India's elusive history?
- ...that Ashoka's Major Rock Edict was the first and most impressive of Ashoka's edits, and is the only one remaining unaltered in its original location?
- ...that the pen-name of the Kannada poet, Karnataka Ratna and Jnanpith Award winner Kuvempu, was derived from his full name "Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa", Kuppali being his native place?
- ...that the Kalka-Shimla Railway track, a narrow gauge rail track in Himachal Pradesh, has a length of 96 kilometres, passing through 102 tunnels and crossing 864 bridges?
- ...that unlike other Young Bengal members, Hara Chandra Ghosh refrained from involvement in religion and social reformation?
- ..that the Halmidi inscription, an Indian inscription, found near the tiny village of Halmidi, in Karnataka, India, is the oldest known inscription in the Kannada language?
- ...that Chavundaraya, the builder of the Gomateshwara monolith at Shravanabelagola, was an army commander, minister and a famous writer of Kannada and Sanskrit literature?
- ...that Satyendranath Tagore, the first Indian to join the elite Indian Civil Service, played a pioneering role in freeing women from being imprisoned in their homes?
- ...that one of the earliest known references to Karnataka, the name of an Indian state, is found in the ancient Hindu epic Mahabharata?
- ...that Gnanendramohan Tagore was the first Asian to be called to the bar in England in 1862?
- ...that the Chappell Ganguly controversy in Indian cricket resulted in fiery street protests in Ganguly's home town of Calcutta and then raised debate in the Parliament of India?
- ...that the Siribhoovalaya, a unique work of multi-lingual literature composed by Jain monk Kumudendu Muni, is written entirely using Kannada numerals, without the use of any alphabets?
- ...that Mayurasharma was the founder of the Kadamba Kingdom of Banavasi, the earliest native Kingdom to rule over what is today modern Karnataka state, India?
- ...that in 1913, the Indian poet and philosopher Dwijendranath Tagore wrote the book Boxometry about the construction of boxes?
- ...that the Indian Institute in central Oxford, England was founded by Sir Monier-Williams in 1883 to provide training for the Indian Civil Service?
- ...that Siba Singha established Sakta Hinduism as the major religion in Assam in the early 18th century?
- ...that Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the second railway in the world that was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO?
- ...that Fort William College, set up for the training of British officials, fostered the development of Indian languages?
- ...that more than 500 varieties of mango are showcased in the International Mango Festival held in Delhi?
- ...that bridges carrying India's Grand Trunk Road over the Barakar River were washed away in 1913 and 1946?
- ...that Indian poet Gopalakrishna Adiga is known as the pioneer of Navya literature?
- ...that despite having won the Cricket World Cup only once (1983), Indian cricket team batsmen hold most Cricket World Cup batting records?
- ...that Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was awarded the Cricket World Cup award of Man of the Tournament in the 2003 Cricket World Cup after he scored a record 673 runs?
- ...that Indian Test cricketer Murali Kartik was expelled from the first intake of the National Cricket Academy due to indiscipline?
- ...that Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University publishes the largest number of research papers among agricultural universities in India?
- ...that the tyranny and the perceived dread of Gobindram Mitter, a British deputy in Calcutta, earned him a place in a Bengali rhyme?
- ...that one person was killed and another injured when they entered a tiger's cage in Alipore Zoological Gardens, Calcutta, and tried to put a floral garland round his neck?
- ...that the Mayurakshi River in India wreaks havoc with its floods even after the construction of a dam?
- ...that the website of the rock magazine Rock Street Journal has a database of over a thousand South Asian rock bands?
- ...that Dwarkanath Vidyabhusan preferred to close down his weekly newspaper Somprakash rather than sign an undertaking for it?
- ...that the British Indian Association played a catalytic role in building up Indian political consciousness?
- ...that Charles Grant of the British East India Company wanted it to promote Christianity as well as trade in India?
- ...that the Indian Football Team withdrew from the 1950 FIFA World Cup because FIFA would not allow its team to play barefoot?
- ...that the lyrics of the debut song of Indian rock musician Rabbi Shergill were written by the 18th century Punjabi poet Bulleh Shah?
- ...that Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik learnt to play cricket in Kuwait?
- ...that after the Battle of Palashi in 1757, Nabakrishna Deb organised a Durga Puja where Lord Clive offered thanksgiving?
- ...that the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment, lauched in 1975, was one of the first demonstrations that showed the potential of satellite technology as an effective mass communication media?
- ...that Brahmo social reformer Dwarkanath Ganguly served a girls' boarding school in Kolkata, India as headmaster, teacher, dietician, guard, and janitor?
- ...that the three universal Hindu icons are the Aum, the swastika, and the Sri Chakra Yantra?
- ...that Maratha Emperor Shivaji's mentor Dadoji Konddeo also built the "Lal Mahal" in Pune, the royal palace before the capital moved to Raigad?
- ...that while most of India become independent in 1947, parts of Karnataka didn't until the Karnatakan Unification the following year?