When many cultures were only nomadic forest
                            dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians
                            established Harappan culture in Sindhu
                            Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
                            The place value system, the decimal system
                            was developed in India in 100 BC.

'ZERO ' WAS INVENTED BY AN INDIAN

So, Be proud to be Indian..having a rich heritage and tradition....

I am proud to be an INDIAN

Q. Who is the GM of Hewlett Packard (hp)?
A. Rajiv Gupta

Q. Who is the creator of Pentium chip(needs no introduction as 90% of the today's computers run on it)?
A. Vinod Dahm

Q. Who is the third richest man on the world?
A. According to the latest report on Fortune Magazine, it is Azim Premji, who is the CEO of Wipro Industries. The Sultan of Brunei is at 6 th position now.

Q. Who is the founder and creator of Hotmail(Hotmail is world's No.1 web based email program)?
A. Sabeer Bhatia

Q. Who is the president of AT & T-Bell Labs(AT & T-Bell Labs is the creator of program languages such as C, C++, Unix to name a few)?
A. Arun Netravalli

Q. Who is the new MTD(Microsoft Testing Director) of Windows 2000, responsible to iron out all initial problems?
A. Sanjay Tejwrika

Q. Who are the Chief Executives of CitiBank, Mckensey & Stanchart?
A. Victor Menezes, Rajat Gupta, and Rana Talwar.


We Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in America, even faring better than the whites and the natives.


Quotes 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.

- Albert Einstein

India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grand mother of tradition.

- Mark Twain

If there is one place on the face of earth where all dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India.

- French scholar Romain Rolland

India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.

- Hu Shih
(former Chinese ambassador to USA )

Family has always been at the base of Indian society. Most of the Indians take pride in the essence of family life. However the recent changes in the socio-political and economic arena have had a significant impact on individuals and families. India is a country that truly befits the phrase” unity in diversity” with so many religions, languages, cultures, castes and yet the oneness that binds them together. Each family unit in India is influenced by his or her cultures and values. Indian joint family system was quite prevalent a few years back. However, with western influences, more and more people are now willing to stay as a nuclear family especially in urban areas. Traditional roles in family structure are now changing but even modern and educated families imbibe the intrinsic values of family life in India.

Family ties are very important to Indians. Arranged marriages within the caste system are still very much prevalent all over the country. The traditional role of a man to support the family economically and the traditional role of a woman to look after the domestic chores can be seen in rural areas. Working women which are now common in urban areas are still expected to fulfill their domestic responsibilities.

The Indian family is being exposed to fast paced lifestyles that are taxing considering the structure of family as a social institution. Indian families and their mental set up are not well prepared to confront the competitive and challenging world of today. Most young Indians face a dilemma when exposed to a new pattern of living and a different set of values as against those which were promoted by their parents and grandparents.

Most Indian families are conservative and sons are always more preferred than daughters as sons normally earn money for the family and support their parents during their old age. Indian family life has its own merits and demerits. With a family, there is emotional security, co-operation, values etc. However individual freedom might get restrained. Sharing and caring is another important aspect that Indian joint families believe in. An Indian family typically consists of a man, his wife, their kids, the man’s parents and unmarried sisters, if any. The man mostly make his parents live with him and looks after them. The family system is given a lot of importance in India and has worked more often than not.

Most Indian marriages are arranged and within the community. Normally, the parents of the prospective spouses get together either through a common relative or through a matchmaker. Most Indians get together with their family and celebrate Indian festivals like diwali, holi, navratri etc with great joy. The rigid Indian family system in imbibed in the culture of India and though changes are taking place, it will require a very long period of time for Indians to change their living patterns.

factsaboutindia.org

Indian clothing for women is something that allures almost everyone’s attention. It is one of the most sensuous yet serene clothing throughout the globe. The sari that is worn by Indian women is considered to be one of the most elegant and beautiful dresses in the world. A sari is a long piece of cloth that is wrapped by in different styles. The salwar kameez is also another dress form popular for females. It consists of a loose trouser and a long loose shirt with a dupataa around it. The clothing from India especially the Indian drapes and folds have captured the glamorous platform of global fashion with its enchanting detailing and concepts in recent years. The women in parts of Rajasthan and Gujrat wear traditional dresses known as the ‘lehenga choli’. A ‘lehenga’ is a colorful long skirt while a ‘choli’ is like a short top. These women also cover their heads with a cloth known as the ‘odhani’ which is quite similar to the ‘dupataa’. Tribal women in India wear unique costumes, which are woven, styled and colored in their own traditional style. India women’s clothing might change with changing states however; its essence and its beauty will be seen all across the country. Indian women are also known for their heavy ornamentation. Indian ornaments

Like men across the globe, most Indian men wear pants and shirts. Rural men may be found in something called as a ‘dhoti’ which is a cloth draped around the legs. A long loose shirt which is known as a ‘kurta’ is also wore by some Indian men.

Indian wedding dresses are famous for their dazzling beauty and embroidery all over the world. One can see a typical Indian bride in an ornamented ‘Ghaghara’ (skirt) worn with a beautiful ‘choli’ and an ‘odhani’ on her wedding day. This is usually accompanied with heavy gold jewelry studded with colored stones. Bridal attire also varies with caste and class in Indian society. Some brides are required to wear and drape saris woven in their community traditions on their wedding. Men traditionally wear what is known as a ‘sherwani’ with a scarf and a bright turban on their wedding day.

With every Indian city that one goes to, one will find a fresh tinge of color in its clothing and yet the core or the essence will always remain same throughout the country

The national flag of India is in tricolor having three horizontal stripes with deep saffron at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportions. The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is two is to three. In the centre of the white band, there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate what is known as the Dharma Chakra which is considered to be the wheel of law in the Sarnath Lion Capital. This chakra is a Buddhist symbol dating back to 200th century BC. It has 24 spokes in it which stands as a metaphor of life in movement and death in stagnation. The saffron color stands for courage and sacrifice; the white stands for purity and truth and the color green stands for faith and fertility. It was on 22nd July 1947 that the design of the National Flag of India was adopted by India's constituent assembly. The country flag of India symbolizes freedom. India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru called the flag a symbol of freedom for all people and not just for the countrymen.
The preliminary design for the Indian flag was done by sister Nivedita in 1906. However it was Madam Bhikaji Cama who first unfurled the first Indian flag of freedom in Stuttgart in the year 1907 at the socialist congress meeting. Her flag had the sun, the moon, seven stars and the lotus with Vande Mataram inscribed on the central white portion.
It took a long process of evolution to bring the National flag of India to what it is now. There was a lot of debate about the meaning of the India flag before the congress declared in 1931 that the three colors saffron, white and green represent certain qualities and not communities. The Indian flag was made using the ‘khadi’ cloth.  The final design of the Indian flag was approved on 22nd July 1947 by the constituent assembly. This is the design, which is unfurled on all occasions of Indian flag hoisting, to fill the hearts of Indians with patriotism. A national protocol is supposed to be observed while displaying the national flag in India. The flag is supposed to be hoisted at sunrise and lowered at sunset except in special circumstances. It is also prohibited to show the Indian flag upside down and considered irreverent to keep the flag in a dirty and tattered mode.
When talking about the Indian Flag, it represents the hopes and aspirations of the people of India. It is the symbol of national pride and patriotism. It is advised that the National Flag of India shall be made of hand woven wool or cotton or silk or khadi bunting.  During the Indian flag hoisting, the Flag should always be hoisted briskly and lowered slowly. The hoisting and lowering of the flag should be simultaneously with the bugle calls, if any. During the ceremony of hoisting, all persons present should face the Flag and stand in attention. They should render the appropriate salute..

India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.

The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.

• India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.
   
• The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.
  

The national calendar based on the Saka Era, with Chaitra as its first month and a normal year of 365 days was adopted from 22 March 1957 along with the Gregorian calendar for the following official purposes:

(i) Gazette of India,
(ii) news broadcast by All India Radio,
(iii) calendars issued by the Government of India and
(iv) Government communications addressed to the members of the public.

Dates of the national calendar have a permanent correspondence with dates of the Gregorian calendar, 1 Chaitra falling on 22 March normally and on 21 March in leap year.

what is these forums summary? no linking bw posts????