India is a country of vast landscapes, cultural diversity, and natural wonders. From the longest rivers and highest mountain peaks to the largest lakes and temples, India has many remarkable records. Here’s a comprehensive list of the Superlatives of India, covering the largest, longest, tallest, and highest records across different categories.
Geographical Superlatives of India
Longest River: Ganga – The Ganges River, flowing over 2,525 km, is the longest river in India.
Longest Tributary River: Yamuna – A major tributary of the Ganga, the Yamuna is the longest tributary river in India.
Longest River of Southern India: Godavari – Often called the “Dakshina Ganga,” the Godavari stretches over 1,465 km.
Highest Mountain Peak: Godwin Austin (K2) – Located in the Karakoram Range, K2 stands at 8,611 meters, making it India’s highest peak.
Largest Lake (Fresh Water): Wular Lake, Jammu & Kashmir – Spanning about 189 square km, Wular Lake is India’s largest freshwater lake.
Highest Dam: Bhakra Nangal Dam, Punjab – Standing 226 meters high, it is the tallest dam in India.
Longest Dam: Hirakud Dam, Odisha – The Hirakud Dam stretches over 25.8 km across the Mahanadi River, making it the longest dam in India.
Largest Lake (Saline Water): Chilka Lake, Odisha – Spread over 1,165 sq. km, Chilka is India’s largest brackish water lagoon.
Deepest River Valley: Bhagirathi and Alaknanda Valley – Found in Uttarakhand, these valleys are among the deepest in India.
Place with the Highest Rainfall: Mawsynram, Meghalaya – Mawsynram receives the highest annual rainfall in India, averaging around 467 inches.
Longest River Flowing Entirely in India: Godavari – Known as the Dakshina Ganga, the Godavari is 1,465 km long.
Longest River Island: Majuli, Assam – Located on the Brahmaputra River, Majuli is the largest river island in the world.
Largest Delta: Sundarbans Delta, West Bengal – Created by the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers, it spans approximately 10,000 sq. km.
Highest Mountain in Eastern India: Kanchenjunga – Standing at 8,586 meters, it’s the third-highest mountain in the world.
Largest Saltwater Lake: Sambhar Lake, Rajasthan – This lake spans around 230 sq. km and is a major source of salt production.
Deepest Lake: Manasbal Lake, Jammu & Kashmir – Known as the deepest lake in India, with a depth reaching up to 13 meters.
Largest Glacier: Siachen Glacier, Jammu & Kashmir – At 76 km, it’s the longest glacier in India.
Largest River Forming Estuary: Narmada – Known for its estuary along the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat.
Man-Made Structures
Largest Mosque: Jama Masjid, Delhi – Built by Emperor Shah Jahan, it is one of the largest mosques in India.
Largest Museum: Indian Museum, Kolkata – Established in 1814, it’s India’s oldest and largest museum.
Highest Gateway: Buland Darwaza, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra – Standing 54 meters tall, it was built by Akbar in 1601.
Largest Dome: Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur, Karnataka – The dome is 44 meters in diameter, making it one of the largest in the world.
Largest Zoo: Alipore Zoological Gardens, Kolkata – Covering 45 acres, it’s one of India’s largest zoos.
Largest Church: Calvary Temple, also known as St. Mary’s Basilica. It’s located in Secunderabad, Hyderabad, it’s the largest church in India.
Largest Cantilever Span Bridge: Howrah Bridge, Kolkata – Also known as Rabindra Setu, it has a span of 1,500 feet without a single bolt.
Tallest Minaret: Qutub Minar, Delhi – Standing at 72.5 meters, it is the tallest brick minaret in the world.
Largest Temple Complex: Akshardham Temple, Delhi – The temple complex covers over 100 acres and is known for its intricate architecture.
Tallest Statue: Statue of Unity, Gujarat – At 182 meters, this statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is the tallest in the world.
Largest Fort: Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan – Covering 700 acres, this fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Largest Stadium (Capacity): Narendra Modi Stadium, Gujarat – Located in Ahmedabad, it has a seating capacity of 132,000.
Tallest Clock Tower: Husainabad Clock Tower, Lucknow – At 67 meters, it’s the tallest clock tower in India.
Longest Aqueduct: Grand Anicut (Kallanai Dam), Tamil Nadu – Built on the Kaveri River, this ancient structure dates back over 2,000 years.
Largest Observatory: Jantar Mantar, Jaipur – A UNESCO World Heritage site, it houses the world’s largest stone sundial.
Transport and Infrastructure (Superlatives of India)
Longest Road: Grand Trunk Road – Built during the Mauryan Empire, it stretches from Sonargaon in Bangladesh to Kabul in Afghanistan.
Longest Expressway: Delhi–Mumbai Expressway – 1,350 km long, 8 lane wide (expandable to 12 lane), it connects India’s national capital New Delhi to its financial capital Mumbai.
Longest Railway Route: From Dibrugarh (Assam) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) – Covering around 4,286 km, this is the longest train route in India.
Longest Tunnel: Pir Panjal Tunnel, Jammu & Kashmir – At 11.2 km, this is the longest railway tunnel in India.
Longest National Highway: NH-44 – Extending from Srinagar to Kanyakumari, it spans over 3,745 km.
Longest Railway Platform: Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh – The platform is 1,366 meters long, making it the longest railway platform in India.
Longest Beach: Marina Beach, Chennai – Extending over 13 km, Marina Beach is India’s longest urban beach.
Largest Port: Mumbai Port – The busiest and largest port in India in terms of cargo volume.
Largest Airport: Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi – Spanning over 5,000 acres, it’s one of the busiest airports in South Asia.
Highest Rail Track: Kalka–Shimla Railway, Himachal Pradesh – A narrow-gauge track that reaches up to 2,076 meters above sea level.
Longest Rail Bridge: Vembanad Rail Bridge, Kerala – Extending over 4.62 km, it connects Edappally and Vallarpadam in Kochi.
Longest Railway Tunnel (Under Construction): Zojila Tunnel, Jammu & Kashmir – Expected to be the longest road tunnel in Asia at 14.15 km.
Highest Road: Khardung La, Ladakh – At 5,359 meters, it’s one of the highest motorable roads in the world.
Unique Natural Features (Superlatives of India)
Kunchikal Falls, Karnataka
Highest Waterfall: Kunchikal Falls, Karnataka – With a height of 455 meters, it’s the highest waterfall in India.
Largest Desert: Thar Desert, Rajasthan – This arid region is the largest desert in India, covering over 200,000 square km.
Highest Lake: Cholamoo Lake, Sikkim – Situated at around 5,330 meters above sea level.
Highest Battlefield: Siachen Glacier – Located in the eastern Karakoram Range, Siachen is the world’s highest battleground at over 6,000 meters.
Largest Plateau: Deccan Plateau – Covering eight states, it’s the largest plateau in India, spanning over 500,000 sq. km.
Largest Mangrove Forest: Sundarbans, West Bengal – This UNESCO site is the largest mangrove forest and home to the Bengal tiger.
Highest Grassland: Dzukou Valley, Nagaland-Manipur border – Known for rare flowering plants, this grassland sits at around 2,452 meters.
Highest River in India: Indus River – Originating near Mount Kailash, it flows at a high altitude before entering India.
Largest Coral Reef: Lakshadweep Coral Reef – Found in the Arabian Sea, it’s the only coral reef system in India.
Cultural and Religious Landmarks (Superlatives of India)
Cheraman Juma Masjid – Oldest Mosque in India
Largest Temple Corridor: Rameswaram Temple Corridor, Tamil Nadu – The corridor stretches over 1,200 meters with intricate carvings.
Largest Gurudwara: Golden Temple, Amritsar – Known as Harmandir Sahib, it is the holiest Sikh shrine.
Largest Animal Fair: Sonepur Mela, Bihar – Known as the largest cattle fair in Asia.
Largest Planetarium: Birla Planetarium, Kolkata – One of the largest in Asia, hosting numerous educational events.
Largest Monolithic Statue: Gomateshwara, Shravanabelagola, Karnataka – Standing 57 feet tall, this statue is a significant Jain pilgrimage site.
Oldest Mosque: Cheraman Juma Masjid, Kerala – Built in 629 AD, it’s considered the oldest mosque in India.
Oldest University: Nalanda, Bihar – Dating back to the 5th century, Nalanda was one of the world’s first residential universities.
Largest Cave Complex: Ellora Caves, Maharashtra – Known for 34 rock-cut temples, this UNESCO site represents a unique confluence of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain cultures.
Largest Temple Tank: Haridra Nadhi, Tamil Nadu – At the Srirangam temple complex, this sacred tank spans over 16 acres.
State and Population (Superlatives of India)
Largest State (Area): Rajasthan – Covering over 342,239 sq. km, Rajasthan is India’s largest state by area.
Largest State (Population): Uttar Pradesh – With over 200 million residents, it’s the most populous state.
Smallest State (Area): Goa – The smallest state, covering about 3,702 sq. km.
Smallest State (Population): Sikkim – India’s least populous state, with under a million residents.
State with Longest Coastline: Gujarat – The coastline extends around 1,600 km along the Arabian Sea.
State with Longest Coastline in South India: Andhra Pradesh – With a coastline of around 972 km, the longest in southern India.
Densest State by Population: Bihar – With a population density of around 1,106 people per sq. km, it is the densest state in India.
Highest Literacy Rate: Kerala – Known for a literacy rate of over 96%.
Largest Union Territory (Area): Ladakh – Spanning 59,146 sq. km, it is India’s largest union territory.
Smallest Union Territory: Lakshadweep – Covering just 32 sq. km, it’s the smallest UT.
Most Forested State: Madhya Pradesh – With over 77,482 sq. km of forest cover, it leads in forest area.
Awards and Honors (Superlatives of India)
Highest Civilian Award: Bharat Ratna – Established in 1954, it’s the highest civilian honor in India.
Highest Gallantry Award: Param Vir Chakra – Awarded for bravery and valor beyond the call of duty in the armed forces.
First Nobel Laureate: Rabindranath Tagore – Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.
First Woman to Receive Bharat Ratna: Indira Gandhi – Received this highest civilian award in 1971.
First Field Marshal: Sam Manekshaw – Honored with the rank of Field Marshal in 1973.
Youngest Param Vir Chakra Awardee: Arun Khetarpal – He received the award posthumously at age 21 for bravery in the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
Superlatives of India 2024 at a Glance
Superlatives of India in four separate table, categorized by Tallest, Largest, Biggest, and Highest in India.
