Guinness World Records : India

Largest democracy

 

India is known as the world's largest democracy" and its current Prime Minister (the country's 13th) is Dr. Manmohan Singh, who has held the position since 22 May 2004; a member of the ruling Congress Party, he is also the first Sikh to reach the post, and at 79, one of the oldest people today to head a government. With an estimated population of 1.2 billion - the world's second largest after China - the electorate alone was estimated at 714 million for the 2009 national election - more than the combined electorates of the USA and EU.

Most centuries scored in international cricket

When he scored 114 against Bangladesh in an ODI on 16 March 2012, the "Little Master" Sachin Tendulkar (India) became the first player to score 100 international centuries.

Largest ruby

The largest Ruby weighs 21,955 g (48 lbs 6.43 oz) and measures 310 x 165 x 140 mm (12.20 x 6.49 x 5.51 in) and is owned by Rajiv Golcha. The ruby has been named "The King Ruby" and is held in the Prestige Gems & Jewels showroom in India.

Largest roti / chapati

The largest chapati weighed 63.99 kg (141 lb 1 oz) and was made by the Shree Jalarm Mandir Jirnodhar Samitee organisation at the Jalaram Temple, Jamnagar, on 15 January 2005.

Highest box office film gross for a Bollywood film

3 Idiots (2009), starring R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi and Aamir Khan, is the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time taking more than 202,57,00,000 INR ($44.9 million; £29.9 million) to date, seeing off competition from the 2010 films Dabangg, Golmaal 3 and Raajneeti by a considerable margin.

Largest annual film output

India is the world's most prolific film-making nation, with approximately 800 to 1,000 feature films being produced each year by the 'Bollywood' film industry based in Mumbai. This is roughly double the number of films produced by Hollywood each year. In 2009, a total of 1,288 films were produced in India, in 24 different languages. By contrast, Hollywood produced 606 feature films during 2008 - an all-time record for the American film industry.

Most expensive wedding

The wedding of Vanisha Mittal, daughter of billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, to investment banker Amit Bhatia was the most expensive wedding in the world. The six-day event, held in Versailles in 2004, included a re-enactment of the happy couple's courtship and an engagement ceremony at the Palace of Versailles - the only private function ever to have been held in the palace. Guests at the wedding reception were entertained by a number of world famous performers, including Shah Rukh Khan and Kylie Minogue. And the bill picked up by the bride's father? A mere $55 million (then over £28 million).

Longest moustache

The longest moustache measures 4.29 m (14 ft) and belongs to Ram Singh Chauhan (India). It was measured on the set of Lo Show dei Record in Rome, Italy, on 4 March 2010.

Highest rainfall annually

By average annual rainfall, the wettest place is Mawsynram, Meghalaya, India, with 11,873 mm (467 in) of rain per annum. By average annual rainfall, the wettest place is Mawsynram, Meghalaya, India, with 11,873 mm (467 in) of rain per annum.

Largest gathering of people dressed as Mohandas Gandhi

The largest gathering of people dressed as Mohandas Gandhi was 485 and was achieved by the children of T.R.A.C.K.S. Training Resource & Care For Kids (India) in Kolkata, India, on 29 January 2012.

India's most visited Tourist spots

India is the world’s seventh-largest country stretching from the high mountains of the Himalayas to the tropical greenery of Kerala, and from the sacred Ganges to the sands of the Thar desert. Its more than one billion inhabitants are divided into two thousand ethnic groups and speak over 200 different languages.

Conform its size and population, India has an almost endless variety of cultures, landscapes, monuments and places to explore. From the ancient ruins, fascinating religious structures, exotic cities and diverse landscape there is an endless collection of tourist attractions in India that will never cease to awe and fascinate the visitor.

10Kerala backwaters

flickr/-RejiK

The Kerala backwaters are a chain of lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast in the Kerala state. The Kerala backwaters are home to many unique species of aquatic life including crabs, frogs and mudskippers, water birds and animals such as otters and turtles. Today, houseboat tourism is the most popular tourist activity in the backwaters, with several large Kettuvallams (traditional rice boats, now converted into floating hotels)ply the waterways.

9Lake Palace

flickr/gustaffo89

The Lake Palace in Lake Pichola in the city of Udaipur was built as a royal summer palace in the 18th century. Today it is a luxury 5 Star hotel, operating under the “Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces”. The Lake Palace hotel operates a boat which transports guests to the hotel from a jetty at the City Palace on the east bank of Lake Pichola. The palace became famous in 1983 when it was featured in the James Bond film Octopussy, as the home of titular character.

8Virupaksha Temple

flickr/Marina & Enrique

The Virupaksha Temple in the city of Hampi started out as a small shrine and grew into a large complex under the Vijayanagara rulers. It is believed that this temple has been functioning uninterruptedly ever since the small shrine was built in the 7th century AD which makes it one of the oldest functioning Hindu temples in India.

7Palolem

flickr/abmiller99

Palolem is the most southerly of Goa’s developed beaches and also one of the most beautiful. It is a natural bay surrounded by lofty headlands on either sides, resulting in a calm, idyllic sea with a gently sloping bed. For those who believe a beach cannot be paradise without a decent selection of cheap restaurants and good hotels, a dose of nightlife and plenty of like-minded people Palolem is the place to be.

6Kanha National Park

flickr/Vagabond on move...

Kanha National Park is among the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Asia and one of best places to catch a glimpse of a tiger in India. The lush sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha provided inspiration to Rudyard Kipling for his famous novel “Jungle Book” and make this one of the top attractions in India.

5Harmandir Sahib

flickr/Guilhem Vellut

The Harmandir Sahib, better known as the Golden Temple is the main tourist attraction in Amritsar, and the most important religious place to the Sikhs. Construction of the temple was begun by Guru Ram Dast in the 16th century. In the 19th century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh the upper floors of the temple were covered with gold. It’s a stunning temple, and always full of thousands of pilgrims from all over India, excited to be at a place that they usually only see on television.

4Jaisalmer

flickr/Carlo_it

Located in Rajasthan’s remote westernmost corner close to the border with Pakistan, Jaisalmer is the quintessential desert town. The yellow sandstone walls of the “Golden City” rise from the Thar desert like a scene from the Arabian Nights while the Jaisalmer Fort crowns the city. Uncontrolled commercialism has dampened the romantic vision of Jaisalmer, but even with all the touts and tour buses, it remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in India.

3Ajanta Caves

flickr/Captain Nandu Chitnis, is back

The Ajanta Caves are rock-cut cave monuments dating from the 2th century BC. The magnificent Ajanta caves were abandoned around 650 AD and forgotten until 1819, when a British hunting party stumbled upon them. Their isolation contributed to the fine state of preservation in which some of their paintings remain to this day. The well preserved murals depict everything from battlefields to sailing ships, city streets and teeming animal-filled forests to snow-capped mountains. The city of Aurangabad is the gateway to the Ajanta Caves as well as the equally spectacular Ellora Caves.

2Varanasi

flickr/Nico Crisafulli

Situated on the banks of the River Ganges, Varanasi is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains and also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. In many ways Varanasi epitomizes the very best and worst aspects of India, and it can be a little overwhelming. The scene of pilgrims doing their devotions in the River Ganges at sunrise set against the backdrop of the centuries old temples is probably one of the most impressive sights in the world.

1Taj Mahal

flickr/Dennis Jarvis

The Taj Mahal in Agra is an immense mausoleum of white marble, built between 1632 and 1653 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife. Called “a teardrop on the cheek of eternity” it is one of the masterpieces of Mughal architecture, and one of the great tourist attractions in India. Besides the white domed marble mausoleum the Taj Mahal includes several other beautiful buildings, reflecting pools, and extensive ornamental gardens with flowering trees and bushes.