India's best contributions to the world

1. Buttons
Buttons were first used in Mohenjo-daro for ornamental purpose rather than for fastening. They were first
used in the Indus Valley Civilization by 2000 BCE.

2.Prefabricated home and movable structure

In 16th century Mughal India, during the reign of Akbar, the first prefabricated & movable structures were
invented.

3.Ruler
4. Shampoo
The word Shampoo is derived from chmpo (). It was initially used as a head massage oil for the
Nawabs of Bengal during the Mughal Empire around 1762. It evolved into shampoo over the years.

5.Snakes & LadderS

The game, Snakes & Ladders, was invented in India as a game of morals. Later it spread to England and
eventually introduced in the USA by game pioneer Milton Bradley in 1943.
6.Cotton cultivation

The ancient Greeks used to wear animal skins and were not even aware of cotton. But Indians were sort
of cool and started cultivating cotton during the 5th 4th millennium BCE in the Indus Valley Civilization.

7. Fibonacci Numbers
 The Fibonacci numbers were first described by
Virahanka, Gopala and Hemachandra as an
outgrowth of earlier writings by Pingala.

8. Suits Game

9. Cataract Surgery
Indian physician Sushruta (6th century BCE) had the knowledge of performing cataract surgery. It spread
to China from India. Greek scientists would visit India to get operations done and also to learn the nitty-
gritties

10. Diamond Mining (Phewwwww.. .)

Worldwide, India was the only source of diamonds until the discovery of mines in Brazil in the 18th
century. Almost 5000 years ago, diamonds were first recognized and mined in central India.
11. Water on Moon

ISROs Chandrayaan-1 made the startling discovery that our moon is not a dry ball of rocks. The
discovery of lunar water is attributed to the Chandrayaan mission.
12.Radio/Wireless communication

We all know that Marconi received a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1909 for contribution to the development of
wireless telegraphy. But the first public demonstration of radio waves for communication was made by Sir
Jagdish Chandra Bose in 1895, two years prior to Marconis similar demonstration in England.
Sir Bose was posthumously credited (more than a century later) for his achievement. The fact remains
that this discovery truly shaped the face of modern wireless communication.

13. Binary Code

 Binary numbers were first described by Pingala (c. 200 BC).
Pingala is the traditional name of the author of the
Chandastra, the earliest known Sanskrit treatise on prosody.

14. Ink
15. Steel and Metal Works
Ancient Indians were pioneers in metallurgy. High quality steel was produced, almost two thousand years
before it was understood by the West. One of the most remarkable feat in metallurgy: creating a
seamless celestial globe, was invented in Kashmir. It was earlier considered impossible to create a metal
globe without seams.
So thanks to India, Iron Man can wear his suit now

16. Fiber Optics

Named as one of the 7 Unsung Heroes by Fortune Magazine, Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany, is widely
recognized as the Father of Fiber Optics for his pioneering work in Fiber Optics technology. Watch him
speak eloquently on his entrepreneurial journey.

17. Plastic Surgery (You heard it right)

Indians were pioneers in Plastic Surgery too. It was carried out in India as early as 2000 BCE.

18. Kabbadi

19. Flush Toilets

Dholavira Sophisticated Water Reservoir, evidence for hydraulic sewage systems in the ancient Indus
Valley Civilization.
20.Visceral leishmaniasis:
The Indian (Bengali) medical practitioner Upendra Nath Brahmachari (19 December 1873 6 February
1946) was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1929 for his discovery of
'ureastibamine (antimonial compound for treatment of kala azar) and a new disease, post-kalaazar dermal
leishmanoid.'

21. Mysorean Rockets

The first iron-cased and metal-cylinder rockets were developed by Tipu Sultan, ruler of the South Indian
Kingdom of Mysore, and his father Hyder Ali, in the 1780s. He successfully used these iron-cased rockets
against the larger forces of the British East India Company during the Anglo-Mysore Wars.

22. Jaipur Foot

The idea of the

Jaipur Foot
was conceived
by Ram Chander
Sharma under the guidance of Dr. P.K. Sethi, who was then
the head of the Department of Orthopedics at Sawai
ManSingh Medical College in Jaipur, India.

The top five traditional Indian health practices

1. Warm water in the morning
Many of us are familiar with the ayurvedic injunction to start the day with a
drink of warm water.
Drinking a glass or two, with a little lemon juice and honey stirred in first
thing in the morning on an empty stomach, is said to cleanse the digestive
system and also relieve constipation.
"Water works like a broom in sweeping toxins out of the body," writes
Shubhra Krishan in her book, Essential Ayurveda. The lemon also induces
saliva in the mouth to flow freely and thus promotes digestion, she explains.

2. Walking barefoot on grass

We may own some of the most expensive designer pairs of shoes, but many
of us make it a point to spend at least a few minutes a day walking barefoot,
preferably on grass, earth or a similar natural surface. The practice stems
from the belief that nature intended us to walk barefoot and smothering our
feet in shoes and chappals has negative effects on our health.
According to Eastern healing traditions, the abundant nerve endings in the
soles of our feet are pressure points that correspond to different organs in
the body. Walking barefoot on different textures and surfaces helps to
massage these nerve endings, which stimulates the different organs they
are connected to, keeping them active and helping them to function better.
Walking barefoot even for as little as 15 to 30 minutes daily is said to ensure
this benefit.
3. Oil pulling
This popular Indian health remedy is mentioned in the Charaka Samhita, the
classic text on ayurveda, as Kavaala Gandoosha or Kavala Graha.
It involves rinsing the mouth with about a tablespoon of cold-pressed oil,
usually sesame or sunflower, early in the morning before eating or drinking
anything. Typically, a person takes the oil and swishes it around thoroughly
in the mouth. This is supposed to stimulate bodily enzymes to eliminate
toxins from the blood and purify it. After mixing with saliva, the oil becomes
whitish and foamy at which point it is spat out and the mouth is rinsed with
water.
While the overall benefits of oil pulling have not been medically proven,
studies have established that it can help to reduce oral bacteria
(Streptococcus mutans).
4. Surya namaskar
Surya namaskar is the Sanskrit term for prostrations or salutations
performed to honour the sun. These prostrations form a cycle of yogic
postures that are performed in sequence under the rising sun at dawn.
While performing the surya namaskar routine, it is important to maintain full
awareness to ensure fluidity of movement and help the body flow gracefully
from one position into the other. Also, breathing during the cycle is well-
defined so that both inhalation and exhalation correspond to specific steps
in the cycle.
Performing surya namaskar typically exercises most parts of the body and is
believed to help digestion, improve grace and agility, boost immunity, foster
confidence and help longevity.
5. Pranayama
Pranayama refers to the breathing exercises performed by Indians
generations before Ramdev Baba made them popular on national primetime
television. There are different types of pranayama, or techniques of breath
control and they all seek to regulate the prana or vital force that, it is
believed, is absorbed by a person through the air while breathing.
While medical studies have established the effectiveness of pranayama in
managing stress and relieving conditions such as asthma, practitioners also
claim other benefits such as increased focus and ability to concentrate. But
pranayama techniques are also believed to be potent exercises that are only
to be practiced under the guidance of an experienced teacher.