ASTRONOMY
You could with authority say that the Indians invented the science of astronomy during the Gupta period. The great Aryabhata, in his book Surya Sidanta, was the first to hold that the earth is a sphere that rotates around its own axis. He also discovered the causes of solar and lunar eclipses, and methods to predict their occurrence.

AYURVEDA
Dating from 5000 BC during the Vedic period, ayurveda which means 'way of life' in sanskrit, is perhaps the most important contribution to medicine that India has made. Ayurveda, through the use of natural substances such as plants, herbs and metals, has through centuries provided diagnosis on curing deseases. Today the magic of ayurvedic healing can be found ready-made packaged in bottles the world over.

BINDI
Traditionally seen as the mark of a married woman, the bindi is now worn more as a decoration for the sari or salwaar. Previously, bindi- wearing Indians abroad were scorned by locals. However now after the trendy and beautiful, Gwen Stefani, lead singer of the pop group No Doubt, has incorporated it as her trademark, the bindi is now set to gain a new popularity, and status in the West.

CHESS
The earliest reference to the game was found in the Mahabharat, when Yudhishtir gambled his wife, Draupadi, over a game of dyut. Now thankfully, chess has been given a more noble reputation by Vishwanath Anand. Anand helped to give the game mass appeal after winning the Super Grandmaster tournament in 1991.

CURRY
Perhaps the most popular of all India's exports, the curry was named recently as the most popular dish in Britain. Curry derives from 'kadi' the Tamil word for sabzi. In some parts of the world, going for a 'curry and a beer' are intrinsic for a good night out.

KAMASUTRA
The ancient text on sexual love, was written by Vatsyayana in the mid 4th century. The text was made accessible to the English-speaking world by Orientalist Sir Richard Burton. It is meant to be a phillosophy on love, and how to achieve happy and harmonius relationships, especially between a husband and wife.

ZERO
The zero, is probably the biggest contribution that India has given the world. It was invented by Maharishi Kanad during the Gupta period (320-480 AD) when India enjoyed it's own renaissance of Sanskrit, poetry, literature, astronomy and mathematics

PI
It was the great scholar Aryabhata who discovered the accurate value of the pi as 3.1416. Aryabhata was the first to treat mathematics as a distinct subject and deal with algebra and arithmetic, as well as areas and volumes in his classic book Aryabhata (499 AD). Aryabhata also developed the decimal system.

NOSE RINGS
For centuries Indian women have been wearing the nose ring, which was traditionally given to them by their in-laws on marriage. Now thanks to Western designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, nose rings in particular, and body piercing in general, have become the vogue, the world over.

YOGA
The ancient Hindu system of mental and physical exercise is practiced the world over. The belief that yoga can improve one's health and peace of mind, has attracted thousands of non-Indians.

SWASTIKA
It is unfortunate that the auspicious Hindu symbol, the swastik, was appropriated by the Nazis in the 1930's to symbolise one of the most destructive and evil political movements this century. It is more ironic that the Hindu derived Swastika strikes terror in the hearts of many NRI's when used by far right-wing groups who are continuing the Nazi legacy.