Five Extraordinary Villages in India you might have never heard before

India is much more than just the big towns and cities, documented heavily in those travel books. In the deepest interior of the country, lie some hidden gems. Here is a list of some ordinary villages with things extraordinaire!

• The Twin Village

(Source: Twitter)

Kodinhi, a small village in the district of Malappuram in Kerala is home to more than 280 pairs of twins (official estimates). The mind-boggling phenomenon started over the last three generations only. Scientists and researchers have been unable to comprehend the reason for this bizarre activity. Apparently, the rate of birth of twins in the village is continually rising yearly. A Local doctor, Dr Krishnan Sribiju, has been examining this over the past few years but has been unable to fathom the mystery behind the marvel.

• The Sanskrit Village

(Source: Twitter)

Mattur (or Mathur), a village in Shimoga district of Karnataka state, just 30 Km away from Bengaluru, is a unique Indian village. Some thousands of inhabitants of this village use the Sanskrit language for their day-to-day communication even as the official language of the state is Kannada. In traditional India, Sanskrit was used for religious purposes and daily conversations used to take place in Prakrit. Gradually, the usage of Sanskrit became obscure as times changed and Prakrit was replaced by Hindi. However, the inhabitants of Mattur have still held on to the now-disappearing language and have treasured the rich heritage with it. Every child in the village is taught this language during their schooling years. The village is also known for its efforts to support Gamaka art form, a unique form of storytelling in Karnataka.

• The Chess Village

(Source: Twitter)

Marottichal, a tiny village in Puthur Gram of the Thrissur district of Kerala is a place famous for its obsession with the game of chess. The game has changed the face of the village which was once in disrepute due to incessant gambling and alcoholism. The ancient game of chess pulled the people out of their fatal addiction and playing the game was adopted in place of the former addiction. C. Unnikrishnan, a resident of the village, was inspired by Bobby Fischer, the youngest grandmaster and introduced the people of the area the strategic game, and there has been no looking back since then. Alcohol, check and mate.

• The Ambidextrous Village

(Source: Twitter)

Bundela village in the Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh is home to Veena Vadini School. All students of the school are trained in writing ambidextrously i.e. they can write with both their hands. Set up by an ex-soldier, VP Sharma, the first President of India, Rajendra Prasad, is the inspiration behind the innovative endeavour. The school begins training the student from class 1 onwards and within 2 years they are able to write effortlessly with both the hands. Not limited to writing in only Hindi, the students know how to write in English, Urdu, Arabic and several other languages. Interestingly, the students here can write two different scripts simultaneously.

• The Door-Less Village

(Source: Twitter)

Shani Shingnapur in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra is known for its popular Shani Dev temple, the Hindu God associated with Saturn planet. The village is an emblem of complete surrender in the hands and wills of God, where the Lord himself is their protector and guardian. What is strange is that the houses or shops in this village only have frames but no doors. Surprisingly, no thefts have ever been reported from the place. People sleep carefree with no locks or even doors on their shops or homes.