Introduction to India

  

India is the seventh largest country in the world in land size, with the second largest population of over 1.2 BILLON people! Its capital city is New Delhi, but its largest populated city is Mumbai, previously called Bombay, with 20.5 million people. To put that in perspective, the entire population of Canada is 34.8 million, so one city in India has more than half of our entire COUNTRY'S population! Needless to say, there are a lot of people who live here! So it's no surprise that our short trip in India has a focus on its people and history.


Over the next few  posts from India, I'll delve into its history further, but just for a quick overview, India had a long-standing monarchy with royal families and palaces. Many countries were interested in taking control of India and claiming it as their own, which is exactly what happened in 1858, when it officially became a British colony until 1947, when it gained its independence. Many British influences can still be seen around the country in ways such as the architecture, and the side of the road they drive on.


Unlike most counties in the world, India doesn't have one official language. Instead its citizens speak one or more of the 400 languages spoken in India! English is taught in many schools and so far, it hasn't been too difficult to communicate.

I started my tour of the country in its capital, New Delhi. Some of the sites I saw were the Lotus Temple and the Qutb Minar complex.

The Lotus Temple is a beautiful building constructed for people of Baha'i faith. All people are welcome in it, though, no matter what their beliefs or religion. It is a space for relaxation and reflection, so you have to be silent inside. It was absolutely breath-taking.







 

The Qutb Minar complex was built by the sultans of Mehrauli in 1193 to commemorate their achievements. Two of the main highlights were the Islamic mosque and the great tower, or 'minar.' It is 73 m tall, and you can see how each storey is designed differently with uniquely shaped balconies. It's red-coloured sandstone is attractively carved.