INDIA

India

India

The Republic of India is a country in South Asia which comprises most of the Indian subcontinent. India has a coastline which stretches for over seven thousand kilometres, and shares its borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan on the northwest, the People's Republic of China, Nepal, and Bhutan on the north, and Bangladesh and Myanmar on the east. On the Indian Ocean, it is also adjacent to the island nations of the Maldives on the southwest, Sri Lanka on the south, and Indonesia on the southeast. India is the List of countries by population country in the world, with a population of over 1 E9, and is the List of countries by area country by geographical area. India is home to some of the most Indus Valley Civilization (and a centre of important historic trade routes), including four major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Formerly a part of the British Empire before gaining independence in 1947, during the past two decades the country has grown significantly, in its economic and military roles, regionally as well as globally. The country's official name, India , is derived from the Old Persian version of ''Sindhu'', the historic local appellation for the river Indus river; see Origin of India's name. The Constitution of India and general usage also recognises Bharat (, ), which is derived from the Sanskrit language name of an ancient Hindu king, whose story is to be found in the Mahabharata, as an official name of equal status. A third name, Hindustan (, ), or ''land of the Hindus'' in Persian language, was used from Mughal times onwards, though its contemporary use is unevenly applied due to domestic disputes over how representative it is as a national signifier. == History == Stone Age rock shelters with paintings at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh are the earliest known traces of human life in India. The first known permanent settlements appeared 9,000 years ago and developed into the Indus Valley Civilization, which peaked between 26th century BC and 20th century BC. From around 5th century BC onwards, many independent kingdoms came into being. In the north, the Mauryan empire, which included the Buddhist king Ashoka, contributed greatly to India's cultural landscape. From 180 BC, a series of invasions from Central Asia followed, with the successive establishment in the northern Indian subcontinent of the Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian and Indo-Parthian kingdoms, and finally the Kushan Empire. From the 3rd century onwards the Gupta oversaw the period referred to as India's "Golden Age". In the south, several dynasties including the Chalukyas, Cheras, Cholas, Pallavas, and Pandyas prevailed during different periods. Ancient Indian science and technology, Indian art, Indian literature, Indian Mathematics, Indian science, Ancient Indian science and technology, Religion in India, and Indian philosophy flourished under the patronage of these kings. Following the Islamic invasion of India in the beginning of the second millennium, much of India was ruled by the Delhi Sultanate, and later, much of the entire subcontinent by the Mughal empire dynasty. Nevertheless, several indigenous kingdoms remained in or rose to power, especially in the relatively sheltered south. [[image:Sanchi2.jpg|thumb|270px|The Sanchi in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh built by emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC .]] [[Image:Lightmatter vishnu1.jpg|thumb|130px|right|A figurine of Vishnu, a Hindu god, in the ''Narasimha Avatar''.]] During the middle of the second millennium, several European countries, including the Portugal, France, and England, who were initially interested in trade with India, took advantage of the fractured kingdoms to colonise the country. After a failed insurrection in 1857 against the British East India Company, popularly known as the Sepoy Mutiny, most of India came under the direct administrative control of the crown of the British Empire. A prolonged and mostly non-violent struggle for independence, the Indian independence movement, followed, eventually led by Mahatma Gandhi, regarded officially as the father of modern India. On 1947-08-15 India gained independence from British rule, later becoming a republic on 1950-01-26. As a ethnic and multi-religious country, India has had its share of sectarian violence and insurgency in different parts of the country. Nonetheless, it has held itself together as a secular democracy barring a brief period from 1975 to 1977 during which the then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi declared a "state of emergency" with the suspension of civil rights. India has unresolved border disputes with China, which escalated into a brief war in Sino-Indian War, and Pakistan which resulted in wars in Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, and Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. India was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement. In 1974, India conducted an underground Smiling Buddha, making it an unofficial member of the "nuclear club", which was followed up with a series of five more tests in 1998. Significant economic reforms beginning in 1991, have transformed India into one of the fastest growing economies in the world. ''See also'': Timeline of Indian history, Military History of India ==Government== The Constitution of India states India to be a sovereign, secular, democratic republic. India is a federal republic, with a bicameral parliament operating under a Westminster System parliamentary system. It has a three branch system of governance consisting of the legislature, executive and judiciary. The President of India, who is the head of state, has a largely ceremonial role. His roles include interpreting the constitution, signing laws into action and issuing pardons. He is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian military. The President and Vice-President of India are elected indirectly by an Electoral college for five-year terms. The Prime Minister of India is the head of government and has most of the executive powers. He (or she) is designated by legislators of the political party or coalition commanding a parliamentary majority. The constitution does not provide for a post of Deputy Prime Minister, but this option has been exercised from time to time. The legislature of India is the bicameral Indian Parliament which consists of the upper house known as the ''Rajya Sabha'', or Council of States, the lower house known as the ''Lok Sabha'', or House of the People, and the President. The 245-member ''Rajya Sabha'' is chosen indirectly through an electoral college and has a staggered six year term. The 552-member ''Lok Sabha'' is elected directly for a five year term, and is the determinative constituent of political power and government formation. Any Indian citizen above the age of eighteen is allowed to vote. The executive arm consists of the President, Vice-President and the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet) headed by the Prime Minister. Any minister holding a portfolio must be a member of either house of parliament. In India's parliamentary system, the executive is subordinate to the legislature. India's independent judiciary, consists of the Supreme Court of India, headed by the Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court has both, original jurisdiction over disputes between states and the Centre, and appellate jurisdiction over the High Courts of India. There are eighteen appellate High Courts, having jurisdiction over a large state or a group of states. Each of these states has a tiered system of lower courts. A conflict between the legislature and the judiciary is referred to by the President. The Constitution also provides for independent organisations such as the Election Commission of India, Comptroller and Auditor General of India and the Attorney General of India. ==Politics== For most of its independent history, India's national government has been controlled by the Indian National Congress Party. Following its position as the largest political organization in pre-independence India, Congress, usually led by a member of the Nehru-Indira_Gandhi family, enjoyed nearly unchallenged dominance over national politics for over forty years. In 1977, a united opposition, under the banner of the Janata Party, won the election and formed a non-Congress government for a short period. Later, in 1996, the BJP, with its right wing ideology based on Hinduism became the largest single party, and established for the first time a serious opposition to the Left-wing_politics of Congress. In 1999, the BJP formed the National Democratic Alliance along with smaller parties and became the first non-Congress government to sustain the full five year term. The decade prior to 1999 was marked by short-lasting governments, with seven separate governments forming within that period. In the Indian general elections, 2004 the Congress party returned to power after winning the largest number of seats, by a narrow margin. Congress formed a government in alliance with the Communist Party of India and with several mostly-regional parties. The NDA, led by the BJP, currently forms the main opposition. All governments formed since 1996 have required party coalitions, with no single majority party, due to the steady rise of regional parties at the national level. == States and Union Territories == India is divided into twenty-eight states (which are further subdivided into List of Indian districts), six union territories and the national capital territory of Delhi. States have their own elected government, whereas Union Territories are governed by an administrator appointed by the union government. India had two scientific bases in Antarctica – Dakshin Gangotri and Maitri, but has made no territorial claims. == Geography and climate == [[image:Yumthanghimalayas.jpg|thumb|270px|The Himalaya stretch from Jammu and Kashmir in the north to Arunachal Pradesh in the far east making up most of India's eastern borders.]] India's entire north and northeast states are made up of the Himalaya. The rest of northern, central and eastern India consists of the fertile Indo-Gangetic plain. Towards western India, bordering southeast Pakistan, lies the Thar Desert. The southern Indian peninsula is almost entirely composed of the Deccan. The plateau is flanked by two hilly coastal ranges, the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats. India is home to several major rivers such as the Ganges (Ganges), the Brahmaputra, the Yamuna, the Godavari, and the Krishna River. The rivers are responsible for the fertile plains in northern India which are conducive to farming. The Indian climate varies from a tropical climate in the south to a more temperate climate in the north. Parts of India which lie in the Himalayan mountains have a tundra climate. India gets its rains through the monsoons. == Economy == [[Image:InfosysHQFrontView.jpg|thumb|270px|Information Technology is one of India's fastest growing industries, pegged at $13 billion in revenues. Pictured here is Infosys, one of India's leading IT companies.]] India has an economy ranked as the tenth largest in the world in terms of currency conversion and fourth largest in terms of Purchasing power parity. It recorded one of the fastest annual growth rate of around eight percent in 2003. Owing to its large population, however, India's per-capita income by purchasing power parity works out to be just USD 3,262, List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita by the World Bank. India's foreign exchange reserves amount to over US$ 143 billion. Mumbai serves as the nation's financial capital and is also home to both the headquarters of the Reserve Bank of India and the Bombay Stock Exchange. While a quarter of Indians still live below the poverty line, a large middle class has now emerged along with the growth of a promising information technology industry. The Indian economy has shed much of its historical dependence on agriculture, which now contributes to less than 25% of the GDP. Other important industries are mining, petroleum, diamond polishing, films, textiles, information technology services, and handicrafts. Most of India's industrial regions are centred around major cities. In recent years, India has emerged as one of the largest players in software and business process outsourcing services, with revenues of US$ 17.2 billion in 2004-2005. There are also a lot of small-scale industries that provide steady employment to many of its citizens in small towns and villages. While India receives only around three million foreign visitors a year, tourism is still an important source of its national income. Tourism contributes 5.3% of India's GDP. The actual employment generation, both direct and indirect, is estimated to be 42 million, or about 10% of India's work force. In monetary terms, it contributes about 4 billion US$ in foreign exchange. India's major trading partners are the United States, Japan, People's Republic of China, the United Arab Emirates. India's main exports items include agricultural products, textile goods, gems and jewellery, software services and technology, engineering goods, chemicals and leather products while its main import commodities are crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals. For the year 2004, India's total exports stood at US $69.18 billion while the imports were worth at US $89.33 billion. == Demographics == India is the second most populous country in the world, with only China having a larger population. Language, religion, and caste are major determinants of social and political organisation within the highly diverse Indian population today. Its biggest metropolitan agglomerations are Mumbai (formerly ''Bombay''), Delhi, Kolkata (formerly ''Calcutta''), and Chennai (formerly ''Madras''). India's literacy is 64.8%, with 53.7% of females and 75.3% of males being literate. The sex ratio is 933 females for every 1000 males. Work Participation Rate (WPR) (the percentage of workers to total population) stands at 39.1%, with male WPR at 51.7% and female WPR at 25.6%. India's median age is 24.66 and has a growth rate of 22.32 births/1,000 population. Although 80.5% of the people are Hinduism, India is also home to the second largest population of Muslims in the world (13.4%; ''see'' Islam in India) after Indonesia. Other smaller religious minorities include Christianity (2.33%; ''see'' Christianity in India), Sikhism (1.84%), Buddhism (0.76%), Jainism (0.40%), Ayyavazhi (0.12%), Jews (''see'' Jews in India), Zoroastrianism, Ahmadi, and Bah�'� Faith. India is home to two major Languages of India, those of the Indo-Aryan and Dravidian-derived languages. The Indian constitution recognises twenty-three official languages. Hindi along with English language are the languages used by the Government of India for official purposes. Two classical languages native to the land are Sanskrit and Tamil language. The number of Indian languages in India is as high as 1652. == Culture == [[Image:Taj Mahal in March 2004.jpg|thumb|270px|right|The Taj Mahal in Agra is India's most popular tourist destination.]] [[image:gumpa.jpg|thumb|270px|The Gumpa dance is a mystic dance celebrated by the Tibetan Buddhism community in Sikkim during the Buddhist New Year — Losar.]] India has a rich and unique cultural heritage, and has actively preserved its established traditions throughout history. It has also absorbed customs from both invaders and immigrants. Many cultural practices and monuments, such as the Taj Mahal and other Islamic architecture, have been inherited from the rule of Mughal emperors. Indian society is largely pluralist, multilingual and multicultural. Religious practices of various faiths are an integral part of everyday life in society. Education is highly regarded by members of every socio-economic stratum. The traditional Indian family values are highly respected and considered sacred, although urban families have grown into a nuclear family system, owing to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional complex family system. Religion in India is very public, with many practices imbued with pomp and vitality accompanying their underlying spiritual qualities. A melting pot of many religions, India has rich Indian festivals celebrated by one and all. The most widely known and popular celebrations include the Hindu festivals of Diwali, Holi, and Dussera. Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated by people belonging to all religions in Tamil Nadu. Music of India is represented by a wide variety of forms. The two main forms in terms of Indian classical music are the Carnatic music from South India and Hindustani classical music from the north. Popular forms of music also prevail, the most notable being Filmi music. In addition to this are the diverse traditions of folk music. Many Indian classical dance exist in India – Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Kathakali and others. They often have a narrative form (based on the itihasa) and are usually infused with devotional and spiritual elements. The earliest Indian literature were mostly oral and were later transcribed. Most of these spring from Hindu tradition and are represented by sacred works like the Vedas and the epics of the Mahabharatha and Ramayana. Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu represents some of India's oldest secular traditions. There have been many notable Indian writers in modern times, both in Indian languages Indian Writing in English. India's only Nobel Prize for Literature was the Bengali language writer Rabindranath Tagore. India produces the world's highest number of Cinema of India annually. The most recognisable face is that of Bollywood, based in Mumbai, which produces mainly commercial Hindi films. Cinema in other language bases is particularly strong, with movies regularly produced in well-established Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil language, and Telugu industries. India's gift to world cinema was the internationally renowned Bengali language director Satyajit Ray. Rice and wheat (in bread forms) are the staple foods in the country. The Indian cuisine is extremely diverse, as ingredients, spices and cooking methods all vary from region to region. The country is notable for its wide variety of vegetarian wikibooks:Cookbook:Cuisine_of_India. Spicy food and sweets are popular in India. Indian Dress in India greatly varies across the regions in its colours and styles. The sari and salwar kameez are popular styles of dress for women. Traditional raiments for men are the kurta and dhoti. == Sports and games == Unlike other comparable countries, India is not a major sporting power. India's national sport is field hockey, although cricket is now the ''de facto'' national game due to its success and popularity in recent times. Though cricket's popularity is widespread, it is not the most popular sport in many states of India, particularly India's northeast states. India has had relatively little success in international events like the Olympics, where it garnered just a single medal in each of the previous three Olympics. Some traditional indigenous sports are kabaddi, Kho Kho and gilli-danda, which are played in most parts of the country. Chess, carrom, polo, and badminton are some other games and sports that are said to have originated in India. Football (soccer) also finds a large viewer ship in almost the entire country, and is the most popular sport in many states of India. Formula 1 and Tennis are also becoming popular these days, though their reach is largely in urban areas. ==Holidays== India has only three National Holidays. Other holidays pertaining to festivals, religious holidays and births of leaders are legislated by the individual states. == Trivia == * Traffic moves on the Rules of the road side (and cars have Right Hand Drive). * The Indian English spoken in India is modelled on British English. * Calendar date format: dd/mm/yyyy * Number format: 10,000,000 = 1 crore. 100,000 = 1 lakh. (See Indian numbering system) * Postal Code (Postal Index Number): 6 digits. * Official Measurements: SI * Electric power 220 V; 50 Hz ** Power plugs: Type C, D & M (CEE 7/16; CEE 7/17; BS 546) * Television signals use PAL B/G * The financial year starts on April 1. ==See also== == External links == * ; Official * [http://goidirectory.nic.in GOI Directory] — Directory of governmental websites * [http://indiaimage.nic.in/ Indiaimage — National Informatics Centre] — Basic Portal to Govt. of India Websites * [http://www.indiainbusiness.nic.in India in Business] – Official site of the Government of India. * [http://www.tourismofindia.com/ Tourism of India] — Ministry of Tourism ; Other * [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html CIA — The World Factbook — India] — CIA's Factbook on India * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1154019.stm Country Profile: India ] — BBC's Country Profile on India ==References== # [http://www.indianembassy.org/dydemo/indiaprofile/profile.htm India facts and figures], [http://www.indianembassy.org Embassy of India] # ''[http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1093864.cms Forex reserves up by $1bn]'', [http://economictimes.indiatimes.com The Economic Times], 2005-04-30 # ''[http://www.traveldocs.com/in/economy.htm India Economy]'', [http://www.traveldocs.com/ Travel Document Systems] # [http://www.indiainbusiness.nic.in/india-profile/ser-infotech.htm Services], [http://www.indiainbusiness.nic.in/ India in Business] # ''[http://timesfoundation.indiatimes.com/articleshow/819309.cms Destination India: An Unpolished Diamond]'', [http://timesfoundation.indiatimes.com/ Times of India Foundation], Vivek Nair # ''[http://www.indiaexpress.com/news/business/20050102-0.html US, UAE, UK, China, Japan among India's top trade partners]'', [http://www.indiaexpress.com/ The Indian Express], 2005-01-02 # [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html CIA Factbook : India] # [http://www.censusindia.net/results/resultsmain.html Provisional Population Totals 2001 Census], [http://www.censusindia.net Census of India] (Official site) # ''[http://india.eu.org/1963.html Debating India – India's literacy rate]'', [http://india.eu.org/ Debating India] # [http://www.indexmundi.com/India/ India], [http://www.indexmundi.com Index mundi] – country profiles # [http://www.censusindia.net/results/religion_main.html Census of India 2001, Data on Religion], [http://www.censusindia.net Census of India] (Official site) # [http://indiaimage.nic.in/languages.htm Languages of India], [http://indiaimage.nic.in/ India image] # ''Manorama Year Book 2003'' – pg 524 – ISBN 81-900461-8-7 ==Footnotes== * The Government of India considers the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir to be a part of India. This state borders a part of Afghanistan. A ceasefire sponsored by the United Nations in 1948 freezes the positions of Indian and Pakistani held territory. As a consequence, the region bordering Afghanistan is in Pakistani-administered territory. * The black line is the boundary as recognised by the government of India. The northern region of Kashmir is currently administered by India, Pakistan, and China (and coloured in as such). The delimiting of the three administered regions is ''not'' the international boundary but a ceasefire line demarcated in red. The boundary separating India and Pakistan is known as the Line of Control, that separating India and China as the 'Line of Actual Control'. Most of the state of Arunachal Pradesh is also claimed by China. ---- India is also the letter ''I'' in the NATO phonetic alphabet. India Republics Members of the Commonwealth of Nations fur:Indie ang:India as:ভারত bn:ভারত bh:भारत bs:Indija br:India cv:Инди co:India als:Indien fa:هندوستان fo:India ga:An India gd:Na h-Innseachan got:�� gu:ભારત ht:End haw:ʻInia hy:Հնդկաստան hi:भारत iu:ᐃᓐᑎᐊ jv:India kn:ಭಾರತ ka:ინდოეთი ks:भारत kw:Eynda km:ឥណ្ឌា sw:India la:India lv:Indija li:India jbo:Barat ml:ഇന്ത്യ mt:Indja mi:Inia (whenua) mr:भारत ms:India zh-min-nan:Ìn-tō· na:India cr:India ne:भारत nds:Indien or:ଭାରତ os:Инди pa:ਭਾਰਤ rm:India qu:Indiya se:India sq:India scn:India simple:India sd:भारत su:India ta:இந்தியா te:భారత దేశము th:ประเทศอินเดีย vi:Ấn Độ tpi:India uz:Hindiston yi:אינדיִיע

India

Guidelines for editing the India page * Text to be written in Indian English (spellings are modelled on British English) * Units in metric. * Only external links pertaining to ''India as a whole'', or official government of India links are solicited on this page. Please add other links in their respective articles. * All sections are a summary of more detailed articles. If you find any points missing, please add it in the section's main article rather than on this page to keep this page size within reasonable limits. * You may also discuss India related matters at: Wikipedia:Notice board for India-related topics.

----------- ''Two events mentioned in this article are an Template:August 15 selected anniversaries and Template:January 26 selected anniversaries. This article is also Featured on the sw:.'' ------------ /archive 1 | /archive 2 | /archive 3 | /archive 4 | /archive 5 | /archive 6 | /archive 7 ---- ==Holi== Can we have a picture of Holi festival, showing how it is celebrated/worshipped in India, and also respecting the idealness and philosophy of what Holi stands for... :We could... If you could contribute this picture it would be great. You'd have to make an account first. Also, if a website could freely licence an image to us, it would be great to replace the current image. =user:Nichalp (User Talk:Nichalp)= ==Kashmir== I want to have a separate section which says plight of kashmiri people. All pakistanis watching this please add content so that we can show true face of india. User:OmerFa 03:01, 20 Jun 2005 (UTC) :By all means, add verifiable facts, but in the Kashmir article. -- 04:10, Jun 20, 2005 (UTC) :Before starts a flame war here by introducing disputable or possibly POV claims here, I just want to point out that User:OmerFa has vandalized India according to [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=India&diff=prev&oldid=15437549 this diff of India] and upon a request not to vandalize pages, vandalized/blanked my user page according to [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Ragib&diff=prev&oldid=15437653 this diff] of my user page, and then further retaliated with vandlization according to [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Wikiportal/Bangladesh/Intro&diff=prev&oldid=15450217 this diff] of Wikiportal Bangladesh. India is an example of a nicely written article, and has gained featured article status, and it doesn't need to be ruined by addition of countless facts to the status quo. In case you *really*, neutrally want to add content on plight of the Kashmiri people, there is ample space to do that in the Kashmir article, or Terrorism in Kashmir article. Please do not mess up top level country articles. Thanks. --User:Ragib 04:23, 20 Jun 2005 (UTC) Ragib wants to show me in bad light. That is not very surprising. He is from Bangladesh, not from Kashmir or Pakistan. He cannot feel what pakistanis feel for fellow muslims. I doubt from his name that he is a muslim, but we Pakistanis feel for Bangladesh because you are also a muslim country. Unfortunately muslims fought with muslims instead of fighting indians together. we still are in favour of one muslim country and we will always support other muslim countries. The genocide of Bangla people is indias propaganda. User:OmerFa 04:33, 20 Jun 2005 (UTC) :I am refraining from comments as your vandalism above, and the comments here speak for themselves. The attempt to incite me or others here into flaming you wouldn't work. Please try to actually *contribute* something to wikipedia. Thanks. --User:Ragib 04:50, 20 Jun 2005 (UTC) Omar, if you are entitled to harbour an anti-India feeling as a free citizen of this world, but wikipedia does not. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia which tries to potray the Wikipedia:Neutral point of view. There are numerous blogs and forums in the internet that you may vent your views on; but not here. This is not a site to discuss politics neither is it a place to make condescending remarks on wikipedians of different countries. See wikipedia:no personal attacks. This article about India is on the country as a whole, there is absolutely no need of adding a section on Kashmir ''here''. Even the map is as unbiased as possible. There are a shortage of Pakistani contributors, why don't you improve on Pakistani articles instead to conteract the North America/ Europe dominance? Your vandalism is easily reverted; blanking an article is not a delete. Attacking other's countries' pages isn't going to make you a Pakistani patriot, writing good articles on Pakistan for the world to read will. There are a few Pakistani editors I know who take keen interest in India related articles. You are a newbie here and we are giving you two choices: contribute in a constructive manner from now on, or be prepared to be blocked. =Nichalp">user:Nichalp �Talk�=">User Talk:Nichalp 09:37, Jun 20, 2005 (UTC) == Flag == color of the Flag of india is not correct. the top strip will not be yollow ! it should be saffron . :I'm glad to know you too feel so. I thought my monitor was at fault. =Nichalp">user:Nichalp �Talk�=">User Talk:Nichalp 12:17, Jun 20, 2005 (UTC) == picture of holi == I do not think the picture of holi is taken in India !! :Do you have a better and free one to replace it with? =Nichalp">user:Nichalp �Talk�=">User Talk:Nichalp 14:29, Jun 21, 2005 (UTC) I suggest to replace the Holi picture with a Diwali picture. I also would prefer Nataraj instead of Vishnu/Narasimha picture. User:IndiBoy 23:54, 22 Jun 2005 (UTC) The picture here. [http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafika:Siwa-nataraja.jpg Nataraja], I guess is in the public domain. User:IndiBoy 04:01, 23 Jun 2005 (UTC) :I have reverted your edits. 1) The Nataraja image does not have a licence. We cannot put up an unfree image on an atricle that meets Featured Article standards. Also a metal? idol has little representation of India's history as compared to a clay one. 2) Could you get a more representative but *free* image of Diwali? The current image is a little dull. Diwali is a colourful festival, and though I support replacing the current Holi image, I'd prefer we keep the Holi image till a more colourful and free image is obtained. =Nichalp">user:Nichalp �Talk�=">User Talk:Nichalp 09:22, Jun 23, 2005 (UTC) I thought both the images were free because they were from wikipedia itself. But I still think the two images should be replaced.. User:IndiBoy 09:36, 23 Jun 2005 (UTC) :You have to check the status of the images to see if they are free. Some images may not be free and it is incorrect to assume that all images here are free. Images in commons: are all free. By all means change the images. Keep in mind the following points before changing: # Is the image free? # Is the image representative of the text alongside? # Is the image colourful? # Is the image stunning? (hard to obtain such kind of works of art) =Nichalp">user:Nichalp �Talk�=">User Talk:Nichalp 09:54, Jun 23, 2005 (UTC) Too bad, I reverted the holi image back since the GPL is disputed. Also I would suggest replacing Narasimha image by something like [http://www.templenet.com/images/elephanta.jpg Trimurty]. Is there any public domain image available? User:IndiBoy Would anybody mind if I replace Vishnu/Narasimha image by [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Wheel_of_Konark%2C_Orissa%2C_India.JPG The sun temple at Konark]? User:IndiBoy :I realise that the Holi image is not tagged. The uploader of the Diwali image allows PD usage. So we put the Diwali image for now. I have no probs with the Konarak image if you give it a good caption. =Nichalp">user:Nichalp �Talk�=">User Talk:Nichalp 12:47, Jun 23, 2005 (UTC) I would prefer it we could have some images on Indian people. With the Holi image gone, people are missing. commons:Category:India might have some. =Nichalp">user:Nichalp �Talk�=">User Talk:Nichalp 13:07, Jun 23, 2005 (UTC) == National sport == India's national sport is field hockey !!!! I knew that it is kabaddi. =Kxd23">user:kxd23 �Talk�=">User Talk:Kxd23 :It is field hockey. -- 14:17, Jun 21, 2005 (UTC) :Hockey [http://www.tourindia.com/insignia/sport.htm] =Nichalp">user:Nichalp �Talk�=">User Talk:Nichalp 14:32, Jun 21, 2005 (UTC) :Kabaddi is the national sport of Bangladesh, *not* India. Field hockey is India's national sport, as seen in the link above. Thanks. --User:Ragib 15:44, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC) == Images == Dear anon 130.237.79.106. Please do not left-align the images. It looks ugly on 800x600 resolution. Also do not add too many images to this page. It makes loading difficult. =Nichalp">user:Nichalp �Talk�=">User Talk:Nichalp 13:34, Jun 22, 2005 (UTC)

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#REDIRECT Template:States and territories of India

India

#REDIRECT Template talk:States and territories of India

India

#REDIRECT Template talk:States and territories of India

India

Useful links: *M:Foundation issues *Wikipedia:Policy Library *Wikipedia:Utilities *Wikipedia:Cite your sources *Wikipedia:Verifiability *Wikipedia:Wikiquette *Wikipedia:Civility *Wikipedia:Conflict resolution *Wikipedia:Neutral point of view *Wikipedia:Pages needing attention *Wikipedia:Peer review *Wikipedia:Boilerplate text User:India 13:52, 17 Mar 2005 (UTC) ==Questions and discussions should be placed here== (User:Sam Spade) 11:51, 17 Mar 2005 (UTC) ==Re:== User_talk:Sam_Spade#Welcome_message Cheers, (User:Sam Spade | user_talk:Sam Spade | Special:contributions/Sam Spade) 14:12, 17 Mar 2005 (UTC) :User_talk:Sam_Spade#Welcome_message. Cheers, (User:Sam Spade | user_talk:Sam Spade | Special:contributions/Sam Spade) 15:30, 17 Mar 2005 (UTC)

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I