India is a colorful country with diverse culture and traditions, but its uniqueness is in the little quirky things that many might find weird. 

In its average day-to-day endeavours, India witnesses and experiences events, places and people that are deemed crazy and unusual by the rest of the world; but these are things that characterise India and makes the country and its identity all the more endearing and exceptional.

Rural Olympics of Punjab

Kila Raipur sports festival held annually in Ludhiana, Punjab is a more exciting, rustic and a truly Punjabi version of the Olympics. The games include mud wrestling, bullock cart race, tractor pulling and so much more events spread over three days. They have become so popular that you could even find a few Punjabi teams from Canada fighting it out for the grand title.

For any Indian, the excitement of watching the Wagah border retreat ceremony as the sun goes down can only be surpassed by the last ball of an India-Pakistan cricket match. The sound of the bugles, as guards from either sides stomp their feet in an attempt to one up the other, is testimony to the strange bonhomie and shared history of the two countries.

Mumbai local train journey

To feel the pulse of this overcrowded nation, take a ride in the Mumbai local train during peak hours. You will overhear a conversation about every topic ranging from politics to economy to sports. But what will leave you wondering is how people survive the journey, clinging on to the barest metal pieces; no worries about getting in and out, the crowd will help you will that.

The short film by Nitin Das (placed above) captures the spirit of a Mumbai train journey in less than 3 minutes. "The city runs on the manthra: Struggle. Survive. Succeed," Das shows.

Boast Race
Boast RaceTwitter/National Games Kerala

Snake Boat race

Kerala showcases a festival of a diverse kind every year in the months of August and September. Thousand throng to the backwaters to watch the prestigious "Vallam Kali" as competitive boat racers battle it out in the Punnamada Lake, in the Alappuzha district, known as the Venice of the East. The "Snake Boat Race" is a tradition that has been going on for over 400 years. With a race course that has a total length of 1,370 meters, its official name is the "Nehru Trophy Boat Race", named after the very first Indian Prime Minister.

Palace on Wheels

Exactly as the name implies, it is the ultimate royal experience on railway tracks. Offering one of the top ten most luxurious journeys in the world, the train has 14 air-conditioned, ornate rooms, two restaurants serving the best of delicacies, a well-stocked bar and the most personalized of services.

 Rolling back in the wheels of time, the train has been serving absolute luxury since 1982. The concept was derived from the royal backgrounds of the coaches which were originally meant to be the personal railway coaches of the rulers of the princely states. The train starts its journey from New Delhi and halts first at Jaipur, and then chugs along Jaisalmer, Ranthambore, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bharatpur, Agra and ends back to New Delhi.