Happy Republic Day, India!

Today is India’s Republic Day, the 62^nd year since the Constitution of India came into being. To commemorate this day, I thought to include ten lesser known random facts about India, some good others bad and some downright ugly. Hard core Indians might take offense to me talking about the bad, actually reminds me of an episode when I was in school and talked about some widows still being burnt in India, some of those idiots said to me “why do you talk about the bad, focus on the good.” Well, I talk about the bad so people can know and that way there some hope for change. But here we are just having some fun! So enjoyJ

1. The Kumbh Mela (or Grand Pitcher Festival) is a huge Hindu religious festival that takes place in India every 12 years. In 2001, 60 million people attended, breaking the record for the world’s biggest gathering. The mass of people was photographed from space by a satellite.
2.  India leads the world with the most murders (32,719), with Russia taking second at 28,904 murders per year.
3. Cows can be found freely wandering the streets of India’s cities. They are considered sacred and will often wear a tilak, a Hindu symbol of good fortune. Cows are considered one of humankind’s seven mothers because she offers milk as does one’s natural mother.
4. India has one of the world’s highest rates of abortion.
5.  Many Indian wives will never say her husband’s name aloud, as it is a sign of disrespect. When ddressing him, the wife will use several indirect references, such as “ji” or “look here” or “hello,” or even refer to him as the father of her child. -- This is becoming less common-place.
6. Rabies is endemic in India. “Delhi Belly” or diarrhea is commonplace due to contaminated drinking water.
7. A widow is considered bad luck—otherwise, her husband wouldn’t have died. Elderly women in the village might call a widow “the one who ate her husband.” In some orthodox families, widows are not allowed near newlyweds or welcomed at social gatherings. – Still happens in rural areas.
8. India is the birthplace of chess. The original word for “chess” is the Sanskrit chaturanga, meaning “four members of an army”—which were mostly likely elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers.
9. The temples of Khajuraho are famous for their erotic sculptures and are one of the most popular tourist attractions in India. Scholars still debate the purpose of such explicit portrayals of sexual intercourse, which sometimes involves animals. -- Thought: why is talking about sex still a taboo!?!? Umm....
10. The official name of India is the Republic of India. The name “India” derives from the River Indus, which most likely is derived from the Sanskrit sindhu, meaning “river.” The official Sanskrit name of India is Bharat, after the legendary king in the epic Mahabharata.