The Taj Mahal and Mughal history
India’s history goes back thousands of years and includes many kingdoms and empires. One of the most famous was the Mughal Empire, which built grand palaces, forts and gardens.
The Taj Mahal in Agra is India’s best-known building. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built it in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.[2] Construction took place from about 1631 to 1648, with other buildings finished by 1653.[2] It is a mausoleum, or tomb, made of white marble decorated with inlaid precious and semi-precious stones.[2] It stands on the bank of the Yamuna River inside a large garden.[2]
UNESCO calls the Taj Mahal the greatest achievement of Indo-Islamic architecture.[2] Shah Jahan also built the Red Fort in Delhi as the palace of his new capital, named after its huge walls of red sandstone.[3] Its design mixes Islamic, Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions.[3]
Festivals: Diwali and Navaratri
Diwali, also called Deepavali, is one of India’s most important festivals. People light lamps and candles, clean and decorate their homes, and celebrate the victory of light over darkness.[4] It falls on the new moon in October or November and lasts several days.[4] Families exchange gifts and sweets, share meals and enjoy music, dance and fireworks.[4] Diwali joined UNESCO’s intangible heritage list in 2025.[4]
Navaratri is a Hindu festival that honors the feminine divine energy known as Shakti.[5] In the state of Gujarat, people celebrate it with garba, a dance in which participants move in a circle around a lit clay pot or an image of the goddess Amba, singing and clapping as the music speeds up.[5] Garba joined UNESCO’s list in 2023.[5]
These festivals are celebrated by Indian communities around the world, including in the United States. They are a great example of how traditions connect families across generations.[4]
Yoga and other traditions
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice. UNESCO describes it as a mix of physical postures, meditation, controlled breathing and chanting, based on the idea of uniting the mind with the body.[6] Its ideas have influenced health, education and the arts in India.[6] Yoga joined UNESCO’s intangible heritage list in 2016.[6] Today people practice it all over the world, including in many schools.
The Kumbh Mela is a huge religious festival in which pilgrims bathe in a sacred river.[7] It rotates among four cities: Allahabad (Prayagraj), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik.[7] UNESCO calls it the largest peaceful gathering of pilgrims on Earth, with millions of people taking part.[7]
Traditions like these are passed down through families, teachers and communities, and many of them are shared by people of different backgrounds across India.[6][7]
People, languages and faiths
With about 1.46 billion people, India has more people than any other country.[1] Its people speak many languages. Hindi and English are used by the national government, and each state also has its own official languages, such as Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and many more.
India is also home to many faiths, including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism. Festivals from different faiths are celebrated across the country.
Because India is so big and varied, food changes a lot from region to region. Rice is a main food in many places, while flatbreads such as roti are common in others, and dishes are flavored with many spices. Students can compare India with its neighbors on our Asia page.
Famous places in India
India has many UNESCO World Heritage sites.[8] Here are some that students often learn about.
The Taj Mahal in Agra: the white marble tomb built by Shah Jahan.[2]
The Red Fort in Delhi: Shah Jahan’s red sandstone palace fort, with a water channel called the Stream of Paradise running through its private rooms.[3] UNESCO notes that it was the place where Indian independence was first celebrated.[3]
The Himalayas: the world’s highest mountain range runs along India’s northern border.
The Ganges River: one of India’s great rivers and a sacred river for many people.
From deserts in the west to rainforests in the south, India has many landscapes to explore.
Free printable: map of Asia (PDF)
Questions people ask
What is India famous for?
India is famous for the Taj Mahal, festivals like Diwali, yoga, spicy food and having the largest population in the world.[1][2][4][6]
Who built the Taj Mahal?
The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built it in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, from about 1631 to 1648.[2]
What is Diwali?
Diwali, or Deepavali, is a festival of lights held on the new moon in October or November, when people light lamps and celebrate light over darkness.[4]
How many people live in India?
About 1.46 billion people lived in India in 2025, according to the World Bank.[1]
Where does yoga come from?
Yoga is an ancient practice from India that combines postures, meditation and breathing.[6]
Sources
- World Bank Open Data: India · data.worldbank.org/country/india (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Taj Mahal · whc.unesco.org/en/list/252 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Red Fort Complex · whc.unesco.org/en/list/231 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Deepavali · ich.unesco.org/en/RL/deepavali-02312 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Garba of Gujarat · ich.unesco.org/en/RL/garba-of-gujarat-01962 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Yoga · ich.unesco.org/en/RL/yoga-01163 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Kumbh Mela · ich.unesco.org/en/RL/kumbh-mela-01258 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: India (State Party page) · whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/in (accessed 2026-10-30)
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