Portal:India/Did you know 6

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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)

Current Archive: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Did you know...

...that one of the largest rainwater harvesting projects in the world is being implemented in the rural areas of the state of Karnataka, India?
...that Kannada is the only language in which a Jain version of the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata exists?
...that La Martiniere Boys' College in Lucknow, India is the only school in the world to be awarded a battle honour?
...that the Bangalore based SELCO company, which promotes solar power in rural India, has twice won an Ashden Award?
...that Indian whisky is actually a distilled spirit made mostly from molasses?
...that the world's first birth control clinic was set up in 1930 in the Mandya district of the state of Karnataka, India?
...that the Indian state of Maharashtra has started a project for the location of suitable sites for Jatropha plantations?
...that British Labour politician Piara Singh Khabra was the fifth Asian MP, and was the oldest MP sitting in the House of Commons and the only sitting MP to have served in the armed forces during the Second World War at the time of his death?
...that the Kodava Hockey Festival held annually in the Kodagu district of the Indian state of Karnataka is one of the largest field hockey tournaments in the world?
...that O. Rajagopal represented Madhya Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha, despite living in Kerala?
...that Gubbi Veeranna's theatre company was the first one in the state of Karnataka, India to employ female artists to portray female characters on the stage?
...that the state of Karnataka, particularly the region belonging to the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, is known as the cradle of banking in India?
...that Bidhannagar College had to move out of its old premises because of student overpopulation?
...that Roman trade with India was so large as to drain gold resources from Rome and involved the despatch of 120 ships every year?
...that the Lakshminarayana Temple in Hosaholalu, Karnataka state, India is mounted on a platform (jagati), a style unique to Hoysala architecture?
...that Shivappa Nayaka, a king in 17th century Karnataka, India, introduced a unique and variable tax system called Sist?
...that in 1985, Texas Instruments became the first multinational to set up base in Bangalore?
...that Vishvakannada.com was the first Internet magazine in Kannada and also the first website in an Indian language to use dynamic fonts?
...that Ghum is the highest railway station in India at 2,225 m (7,407 ft)?
...that Vijaya Dasa, an 18th century Hindu saint from the Karnataka Haridasa tradition, composed about 25,000 devotional songs in the Kannada language?
..that Narayana Hrudayalaya, located in Bangalore, India and one of the largest pediatric heart hospitals in the world, offers a telemedicine service for free?
...that the first private radio station in India was Akashvani which was set up in 1935 in Mysore, Karnataka?
...that religion in the Western Ganga Dynasty included influences from Jainism and the Hindu sects Shaivism, Vedic Brahminism and Vaishnavism?
...that B. V. Karanth trained alongside Dr. Rajkumar under Gubbi Veeranna, one of the pioneers of Kannada theater?
...that in a few of the international cricket matches played by India in the 1990s, more than half of the players in the Indian team belonged to the state of Karnataka?
...that Government Sanskrit College was the first college of the ancient city of Benares, established in 1791?
...that Ujjayanta Palace was rebuilt in downtown Agartala, India after being destroyed by an earthquake in 1897?
...that the modern history of aviation in Bangladesh began by meeting the needs of the Royal Indian Air Force for its World War II Burma campaign?
...that Handigodu Syndrome is an osteoarthritic disorder endemic to the Malnad region in Karnataka, India?
...that Trivikrama Mahadeva has organized the funerals of over 42,000 people?
...that Vagish Shastri, Sanskrit grammarian, linguist and yogi taught the pop singer Madonna Sanskrit pronunciation?
...that Gour Govinda Ray, Brahmo Samaj missionary and scholar specialising in Hinduism, attempted to compare Krishna with Christ?
...that the Indian mobster turned Congress politician Pappu Kalani won two elections while in jail (1992-2001) for murdering gangsters related to don-turned-Shiv Sena politician Gopal Rajwani?
...that Saalumarada Thimmakka was awarded the National Citizen's award for planting and nurturing 284 banyan trees along an Indian highway?
...that the St. Philomena's Church (pictured) in the city of Mysore in India was built in Neo Gothic style drawing inspiration from the Cologne Cathedral in Germany?
...that Maharaja Suraj Mal took over Bharatpur, India, and established it as the capital of Mewat state?
...that Batasio sharavatiensis, a species of bagrid catfish discovered near Jog Falls in India, is named after the Sharavathi river in which it was found?
...that Western Ganga literature included Kannada poetry and prose written by royalty, on topics ranging from religion to elephant management?
...that Job Charnock landed at Sutanuti on 24 August, 1690 with the objective of establishing the settlement, which is now Calcutta?
...that Romulus Whitaker won the Whitley Award for establishing a rainforest research station at Agumbe in India to conserve King Cobras?
...that a 1973 book on Prem Rawat, Who Is Guru Maharaj Ji?, featured an introduction by American anti-Vietnam War activist Rennie Davis?
...that the biggest walk-through aviary in India is located on the shore of the Karanji Lake in Mysore?
...that in the Indian Gaarudi Gombe ceremonial dance, dancers are required to wear full-body doll-suits made of bamboo sticks?
...that a tiger-haunted jungle was cleared to make way for the wide grassy stretch of the Maidan park of Kolkata?
...that the 2800 verses of the Mohanatarangini make it the longest work by Kanaka Dasa, a 16th century saint and one of the foremost names in Kannada literature?
...that with the publication of Deepnirban in 1876, Swarnakumari Devi became the first woman novelist amongst the Bengali people?
...that Monomohun Ghose became the first Indian practicing barrister in 1867?
...that flora and fauna of the Indian state of Karnataka include a species of ant newly discovered on the campus of the Indian Institute of Science?
...that the Oriental Seminary, established in 1829, was the earliest privately run modern school in Kolkata?
...that Dwarkin developed the hand-held harmonium, a western instrument, to make it suitable for use with Indian music?