User:SGyear4/Year 4's incredible information about India

Year 4's incredible information about India

Where is India?

• India is a beautiful country in Asia.

• India is the second largest country in the whole world.

• India’s population is over 1 billion.
• The mountain ranges in India contain the highest mountains on the planet.
• The capital city in India is New Delhi.
• India is a country in the Northern hemisphere.
• India is situation between the Arabian sea, Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.
• The temperature can reach 51 degrees.

What is life like in India?

• In India, people traditionally wear saris (women), dhotis or a shalwar kameez (men).

• They mainly speak Hindi, Urdu or Punjabi.

• In the city, education standards are very high and some schools have 6 lessons a day.

• Diwali, Vaisakhi , Holi and Maharaja are popular celebrations in India.

• Some homes in India are large and comfortable. They are usually made of stone and have many doors and windows to keep the air flowing because it is hot in India.

• The predominant religions in India include Hinduism and Sikhism, it also has the largest Muslim population outside of Pakistan.

• The currency they used is called the rupee.

• The famous Bollywood industry makes dancing and drama popular hobbies.
• Many people in India are vegetarian so they don't eat meat. This makes rice dishes and vegetable curries popular.

Which festivals are celebrated in India?

Celebration	Why is it celebrated?	How do people celebrate?
Diwali	King Rama’s return after defeating Ravana,  Hindus celebrate the story of Rama and Sita and how light always triumphs over darkness.	People celebrate light triumphing darkness by lighting divas, dancing and eating food like daal, vegetable curries and lots and lots of sweets. Diwali is a five day festival.
Holi festivals	It originated as an ancient Hindu festival which later spread to non- Hindu communities throughout India. Holi is used to mark the beginning of spring and is a time to give thanks for a good harvest.	It is a festival of colour and a day of spreading love and caring. People take to the street to sing, dance and throw coloured powder and water at each other.
Independence day	It’s annually celebrated on the 15 of August as a national holiday, recognising the date when India gained independence from Britain.	People decorate themselves, their homes and the streets in the colours of the national flag. It is a public holiday so people do not have to go to work or school.

What will I see in India?

There are seven principle rivers throughout India. The River Ganges is the largest at over 2000km, it runs throughout India. India was called India because there was a river called Indus.

100,000 people per day visit the Golden Temple in Amristar in India. Everyone is welcome to visit and the Langar Hall will provide you with a free, tasty meal at any time of the day. People sit on the floor to eat.

The Great Himalaya mountain contains hundreds of beautiful Lakes and the extreme temperatures mean that these are some of the best frozen lakes of India. These frozen water bodies are one of the beauty of the Himalayas.

The Tiger Reserve in Kanha National Park is one of the largest National Park and home many Royal Bengal Tigers. the National Park is mostly covered with bamboo and forests.

One of the most popular reasons for visiting India is to see the Taj Mahal. It was commissioned in 1632 by the emperor Shah Jahan so it could contain the tomb of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal and then he asked for it to contain his tomb too so they could be next to each other. The Taj Mahal contains a mosque, a guest house and is surrounded by beautiful gardens and fountains. It cost almost 53 billion rupees to build!

How different are villages and cities?

	Villages	Cities
homes	Indian villages have lots of huts made from mud blocks with thatches roofs. The floors are made from mud and cow-dung because this actually stops germs! People grow vegetables in their gardens.	New Delhi is the capital of India and has the most beautiful architecture and highest standards of living. Not all cities are like this, many have lots of back to back houses and lots of people are housed in a small space.
jobs	Agriculture is the main occupation in Indian villages. Farmers also sell cows and calves for money. The River Ganges also makes fishing a popular job. People also make money from selling handicrafts they have made.	There are more jobs available in the city and IT is a big employer. Working in hotels is also popular because many people visit India so they need somewhere to stay.
education	Education in the villages is not as good as in the cities. Not every village has their own school so some children have to travel to another village everyday. Some parents do not send their child to school because they like them to help them earn money.	There are government and private schools in the cities. Over 900 universities and 40,000 colleges. Primary school is for children 6-14 and secondary school is for children 14-18.
transport	Carts pulled by animals like bulls transport grass and goods in villages. Rickshaws are one of the most popular ways to transport people.	Cities have better transport links and use more public transport. The road network in India is the second-largest and busiest in the world.