Travelling Treasures 2.0: 75 Incredible Tales of Things India Gave to the World

Mala Kumar

From pepper to polo, mangoes to mindfulness, discover what India gave to the world!

A land of bustling ports, stitched ships, wandering monks and brilliant thinkers, India is where many everyday objects began their journey.

Did you know that the game of chess began as chaturanga in ancient India? That shampoo comes from the Hindi word champo? That comfy pyjamas, fragrant cardamom, golden ghee and even clever mathematical ideas crossed borders long ago? From the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita and the Vedas to bindis, buttons, kathak and khaki, treasures from India travelled far and beyond.

Packed with tales as tangy as amla and as sweet as sugarcane, this A-to-Z expedition brings you 75 fascinating stories of how things, tastes, games and life lessons journeyed from undivided India to the rest of the world.

Take a deep breath. Turn the page.

Your voyage begins now. Shubh yatra!

Chess. Zero. Shampoo. Yoga. Pyjamas. They all started here.

A companion to the bestselling Travelling Treasures: 100 Incredible Tales of How Things Came to India by Mala Kumar — more stories of history, exploration and the objects that shaped India.