India trivia: 42 questions and answers

New Delhi. New Delhi is the capital. Mumbai is the largest financial centre, and Kolkata was the capital of British India until 1911.

Indian rupee. India pays in the Indian rupee, written ₹. The taka is Bangladesh's currency and the rupiah is Indonesia's.

Kangchenjunga. Kangchenjunga, 8,586 m, stands on the border between Sikkim in India and Nepal. It is the third-highest mountain in the world. Everest and Annapurna are in Nepal.

The Indus Valley Civilisation. The Indus Valley Civilisation built its great cities from about 2600 BC. Harappa and Mohenjo-daro are in today's Pakistan; Dholavira and Lothal are in Gujarat.

Buddhism. Ashoka embraced Buddhism and non-violence after the Kalinga war of around 261 BC, and carved his teachings on rocks and pillars across his empire.

Salt. It was the tax on salt. At Dandi Gandhi made salt from the sea, breaking the law, and the Salt March drew attention around the world.

True. True. The Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950, and the day is a national holiday.

False. False. India became independent on 15 August 1947. On 26 January 1950 it became a republic, with its own constitution.

False. False. India was the fourth country to land softly on the Moon, but the first to land near its south pole, with Chandrayaan-3 on 23 August 2023.

A round tray of small dishes served together. A thali is a round tray of small dishes served together: rice or roti with dal, vegetables, yoghurt, pickle and often a sweet, all at the same time.

Spiced potatoes. The filling is spiced potatoes. The dosa is made from a fermented rice and lentil batter and served with coconut chutney and sambar.

False. False. In a 2021 Pew survey about 4 in 10 Indians called themselves vegetarian. It varies a great deal: among Hindus, from about 71 percent in the north to 18 percent in the east.

True. True. It was popularised at the Moti Mahal restaurant in Daryaganj, Old Delhi, by cooks who had come as refugees from Peshawar.

Fried milk-dough balls in rose-scented syrup. Gulab jamun are fried milk-dough balls in rose-scented syrup. Gulab comes from the Persian word for rosewater (in Hindi it means rose), and jamun is a fruit of about the same size.

The Portuguese. The Portuguese brought chilli from the Americas in the 16th century, and it spread across the whole country.

True. True. Only one hand is used for eating. The left hand stays dry and is used to pass dishes or hold a glass of water.

Kolkata. Kolkata, then called Calcutta, was the capital until 1911, when the British decided to move it to Delhi.

Jaipur. Jaipur's old city was painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876, and the name stuck.

His wife Mumtaz Mahal. It was built for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. Shah Jahan himself was later buried beside her.

The Red Fort. At the Red Fort in Old Delhi, a tradition that began with Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947.

True. True. Its community kitchen, the langar, serves more than 100,000 vegetarian meals a day, free to anyone who comes.

Giant stone instruments for studying the sky. It holds giant stone instruments for studying the sky, 19 in all, completed in 1734, including the largest stone sundial in the world.

Shiva. They are dedicated mainly to Shiva. The most famous carving is a sculpture of Shiva with three faces, more than 5 m high.

True. True. The United Nations estimated that India's population passed China's in April 2023, at about 1.43 billion.

Chess. Chaturanga is the ancestor of chess. Its name means 'four parts', after the four branches of an ancient army.

Virtues and vices. It was about virtues and vices. In Moksha Patam, ladders stood for virtues such as generosity and snakes for vices such as anger.

Shampoo. Shampoo comes from the Hindi word chāmpo and first meant a head massage with oil. Bungalow, jungle and pyjamas also come from Hindi or Urdu.

True. True. Like Champagne, only tea grown in the Darjeeling area may use the name.

False. False. It is the longest written national constitution in the world.

Yesterday. Kal means both yesterday and tomorrow; the rest of the sentence tells you which. Today is aaj.

Water. Paani means water. Bread is roti, tea is chai and rice is chawal.

False. False. Haan means yes; no is nahin.

False. False. The constitution names no national language. Hindi and English are the official languages of the central government, and 22 languages are recognised in its Eighth Schedule.

Dhanyavaad. Dhanyavaad means thank you; shukriya is a warm everyday alternative. Namaste is hello, theek hai is OK and maaf kijiye is sorry.

Yeh kitne ka hai?. Yeh kitne ka hai? means 'How much is this?'. The others ask how someone is, where the toilet is and what their name is.

True. True. Namaste, from Sanskrit for 'bowing to you', works as a greeting and as a farewell, at any time of day.

Press your palms together in front of your chest. You press your palms together in front of your chest, fingers pointing up, usually with a slight bow.

The Government of India's official website. Apply on the Government of India's official website, indianvisaonline.gov.in, at least 4 days before you arrive. The government warns against sites that promise faster visas.

False. False. Drink bottled water with an unbroken seal, and be careful with ice. Many visitors use bottled water even to brush their teeth.

Cover their head. Everyone must cover their head, as a sign of respect in Sikh tradition. Free head scarves are handed out at the entrance.

June to September. The summer monsoon lasts from June to September and brings more than 80 percent of India's yearly rain.

See a doctor the same day. See a doctor the same day. Rabies is present in India and is fatal once symptoms start, but treatment straight after a bite or scratch prevents it.