Mahindra Homestays » India Fun Facts

India fact: India is home to the largest earthen dam in the world

Mahindra Homestays — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 09:20:12 +0000

The Hirakud Dam built on the Mahanadi River in Orissa is the world’s largest earthen dam and the longest dam in India . It was built in 1956 and its total length is 25.8km. It also forms the biggest artificial lake in Asia, with a shoreline of over 639 km.

Satellite map showing the artificial lake created by the Hirakud Dam

The dam is 15 kilometers from Sambalpur and was the first large scale, multipurpose river valley project in India after 1947. It was built to control the problem of flooding in Orissa and over 22,000 families were displaced during its making.

The dam provides an ideal home for rare species of flora and fauna. Its reservoir receives up to 25 species of migratory birds during winter. The Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary is located here.

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India fact: The largest mosque in India is Jama Masjid

Mahindra Homestays — Wed, 26 May 2010 02:00:02 +0000

Jama Masjid in New Delhi is the largest mosque in India. It was built in 1656 by Shah Jahan who is best known as the builder of the Taj Mahal. Much like the emperor’s other creations, the Jama Masjid too was a massive undertaking. 15,000 artisans worked on it and took fifteen years to complete it.

The mosque’s made up of red sandstone and white marble and overlooks Chandni Chowk and the Red Fort. It can accommodate up to 25,000 people at a time. The mosque’s architecture is influenced by Hinduism and Jainism. This is evident in the 260 pillars in the western chamber. The mosque contains the mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed Shah.

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Things to do in Delhi

If you want to explore some of India’s many temples and places of worship contact our reservations team who will help you build a custom itinerary.

India fact: The most visited holy place in the world

Mahindra Homestays — Wed, 12 May 2010 10:54:07 +0000

India is home to the reportedly most visited place of worship in the world, the Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. About 30,000 people visit this 1200 year old temple every day. It is also considered to be one of the richest with it’s daily collection amounting to approximately $6 million US dollars.

Thousands of believers offer their hair at the temple as gratitude for wishes that have either materialised or they pray to see fulfilled. This practice is called Tonsuring and the act symbolising shedding of one’s ego. The hair is sold by the temple to wigmakers for millions. It is the world’s single largest source of human hair.

If you want to explore some of India’s many temples and places of worship contact our reservations team who will help you build a custom itinerary.

India Fact: Leh’s Magnetic Hill

Mahindra Homestays — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:08:13 +0000

Magnetic Hill

At an altitude of 14,000 feet, there is a place in Leh which gives new meaning to the phrase “magnetic attraction.” In this famous spot you will find the usual laws of gravity are defied by a strange phenomenon.

Switch off your vehicle and you will find it moving up the hill at the speed of 20 km per hour. Many tourists are drawn to (pardon the pun) this destination to observe this rare and natural occurrence. The magnetic pull here is so strong that even small aircrafts get adversely affected by it, if they closer than the distance specified.

Ladakh Landscape

To reach the spot, it is ideal to drive along the Leh – Kargil Baltic National Highway.

Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir , the northernmost state of the Republic of India.

Learn more about what else you can find in Ladakh.

India fact: The world’s first granite temple

Mahindra Homestays — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:19:52 +0000

Brihadeeswarar Temple

In Tamil Nadu’s city of Tanjavur you can find the world’s very first Granite Temple. It is called the Brihadeswara Temple and was built during the rule of the Chola Dynasty. Work began on the temple in 1004 AD and took five years to complete.

The most majestic aspect of the temple is its humbling shikhara or summit. The structure was formed out of one enormous piece of granite, which weighed over 80 tons.

Tamil Nadu boasts some of the grandest Hindu temples of Dravidian architecture. The temples are famous for their intricate carvings and architecture and their towering ‘gopurams’. The Brihadishwara Temple in Thanjavur, the Airavateswara temple in Darasuram and the Shore Temple, along with the collection of other monuments in Mahabalipuram have been declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Learn more about Tamil Nadu and our homestays.

India fact: The world’s highest cricket ground

Mahindra Homestays — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:50:57 +0000

The world’s highest cricket ground is in Cheil, Himachal Pradesh.

Built in Cheil, towards the end of the 19th Century, by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, is the world’s highest cricket ground. The pitch is 2444 meters above sea level and served as a playground for many famous teams including the MCC. The Maharajah had an eccentric sense of humour and often organized matches with strange and unusual themes.

For instance, once he organised a game where all the players were required to come dressed as women. The Maharaja, himself, took to the pitch in a nun’s habit.

Cheil and the famous cricket pitch are about 45 kilometres from Simla. Find out more about the region of Simla and its equally enchanting homestays.