Portal:India/Did you know 4

This is a selection of articles on Wikipedia that appeared on the India Portal's Did you know section. (Archives are in sets of approximately 50 items each)

Did you know...

 * 1) ...that there are significant breeding populations of 35 mammalian species in Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India, out of which 15 are threatened mammals according to the IUCN Red List?
 * 2) ...that G. S. Shivarudrappa is only the third person to be named "poet of the nation" by the Government of Karnataka?
 * 3) ...that Kolkata West International City has one of the largest foreign direct investments in township projects in India?
 * 4) ...that the world's tallest statue of Hindu god Lord Shiva (pictured) is located in Murudeshwara, a coastal town in Karnataka, India?
 * 5) ...that the term Rashtrapati, the native word in India to refer the nation's President, was first suggested by the Kannada poet, scholar T. N. Srikantaiah?
 * 6) ...that Hakim Habibur Rahman, a Unani physician, collected all the Arabic, Persian and Urdu books written in Bengal for more than 40 years and published a catalog titled Sulasa Ghusala?
 * 7) ...that 1939's Indramalati, directed by the Assam poet Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, was the second ever Assamese language film?
 * 8) ...that a Vihara is an Indian Buddhist cave monastery that takes its name from the Sanskrit word for "a secluded place in which to walk"?
 * 9) ...that the 1935 film Joymoti, produced and directed by the noted Assam poet Jyotiprasad Agarwala, was the first-ever Assamese language film?
 * 10) ...that Indian copper plate inscriptions play an important role in the reconstruction of  India's elusive history?
 * 11) ...that Ashoka's Major Rock Edict was the first and most impressive of Ashoka's edits, and is the only one remaining unaltered in its original location?
 * 12) ...that the pen-name of the Kannada poet, Karnataka Ratna and Jnanpith Award winner Kuvempu, was derived from his full name "Kuppali Venkatappa Puttappa", Kuppali being his native place?
 * 13) ...that the Kalka–Shimla Railway track, a narrow-gauge rail track in Himachal Pradesh, has a length of 96 kilometres, passing through 102 tunnels and crossing 864 bridges?
 * 14) ...that unlike other Young Bengal members, Hara Chandra Ghosh refrained from involvement in religion and social reformation?
 * 15) ..that the Halmidi inscription, an Indian inscription, found near the tiny village of Halmidi, in Karnataka, India, is the oldest known inscription in the Kannada language?
 * 16) ...that Chavundaraya, the builder of the Gomateshwara monolith at Shravanabelagola, was an army commander, minister and a famous writer of Kannada and Sanskrit literature?
 * 17) ...that Satyendranath Tagore, the first Indian to join the elite Indian Civil Service, played a pioneering role in freeing women from being imprisoned in their homes?
 * 18) ...that one of the earliest known references to Karnataka, the name of an Indian state, is found in the ancient Hindu epic Mahabharata?
 * 19) ...that Gnanendramohan Tagore was the first Asian to be called to the bar in England in 1862?
 * 20) ...that the Chappell–Ganguly controversy in Indian cricket resulted in fiery street protests in Ganguly's home town of Calcutta and then raised debate in the Parliament of India?
 * 21) ...that the Siribhoovalaya, a unique work of multi-lingual literature composed by Jain monk Kumudendu Muni, is written entirely using Kannada numerals, without the use of any alphabets?
 * 22) ...that Mayurasharma was the founder of the Kadamba Kingdom of Banavasi, the earliest native Kingdom to rule over what is today modern Karnataka state, India?
 * 23) ...that in 1913, the Indian poet and philosopher Dwijendranath Tagore wrote the book Boxometry about the construction of boxes?
 * 24) ...that the Indian Institute in central Oxford, England was founded by Sir Monier-Williams in 1883 to provide training for the Indian Civil Service?
 * 25) ...that Siba Singha established Sakta Hinduism as the major religion in Assam in the early 18th century?
 * 26) ...that Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the second railway in the world that was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO?
 * 27) ...that Fort William College, set up for the training of British officials, fostered the development of Indian languages?
 * 28) ...that more than 500 varieties of mango are showcased in the International Mango Festival held in Delhi?
 * 29) ...that bridges carrying India's Grand Trunk Road over the Barakar River were washed away in 1913 and 1946?
 * 30) ...that Indian poet Gopalakrishna Adiga is known as the pioneer of Navya literature?
 * 31) ...that despite having won the Cricket World Cup only once (1983), Indian cricket team batsmen hold most Cricket World Cup batting records?
 * 32) ...that Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was awarded the Cricket World Cup award of Man of the Tournament in the 2003 Cricket World Cup after he scored a record 673 runs?
 * 33) ...that Indian Test cricketer Murali Kartik was expelled from the first intake of the National Cricket Academy due to indiscipline?
 * 34) ...that Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University publishes the largest number of research papers among agricultural universities in India?
 * 35) ...that the tyranny and the perceived dread of Gobindram Mitter, a British deputy in Calcutta, earned him a place in a Bengali rhyme?
 * 36) ...that one person was killed and another injured when they entered a tiger's cage in Alipore Zoological Gardens, Calcutta, and tried to put a floral garland round his neck?
 * 37) ...that the Mayurakshi River in India wreaks havoc with its floods even after the construction of a dam?
 * 38) ...that the website of the rock magazine Rock Street Journal has a database of over a thousand South Asian rock bands?
 * 39) ...that Dwarkanath Vidyabhusan preferred to close down his weekly newspaper Somprakash rather than sign an undertaking for it?
 * 40) ...that the British Indian Association played a catalytic role in building up Indian political consciousness?
 * 41) ...that Charles Grant of the British East India Company wanted it to promote Christianity as well as trade in India?
 * 42) ...that the Indian football team withdrew from the 1950 FIFA World Cup because FIFA would not allow its team to play barefoot?
 * 43) ...that the lyrics of the debut song of Indian rock musician Rabbi Shergill were written by the 18th century Punjabi poet Bulleh Shah?
 * 44) ...that Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik learnt to play cricket in Kuwait?
 * 45) ...that after the Battle of Palashi in 1757, Nabakrishna Deb organised a Durga Puja where Lord Clive offered thanksgiving?
 * 46) ...that the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment, launched in 1975, was one of the first demonstrations that showed the potential of satellite technology as an effective mass communication media?
 * 47) ...that Brahmo social reformer Dwarkanath Ganguly served a girls' boarding school in Kolkata, India as headmaster, teacher, dietician, guard, and janitor?
 * 48) ...that the three universal Hindu icons are the Aum, the swastika, and the Sri Chakra Yantra?
 * 49) ...that Maratha Emperor Shivaji's mentor Dadoji Konddeo also built the "Lal Mahal" in Pune, the Royal palace before the capital moved to Raigad?
 * 50) ...that while most of India become independent in 1947, parts of Karnataka didn't until the Karnatakan Unification the following year?