The amount of English words of Indian origin is larger than what many people might think. The reason why English preserves a part of its vocabulary drawn from India goes obviously back to the times of British colonisation in that nation. A large number of words were borrowed due to the economic and cultural exchanges between both countries.

Here's a list of words that have their origin in that beautiful and fascinating country:

Guru, meaning teacher, priest

Jungle, from hindi jangal, meaning desert, forest, wasteland, uncultivated land

Pundit, meaning learned hindu

Bungalow, from hindi bangla, meaning low thatched house

Shampoo, from hindi champoo, meaning massage on the head with oil

Avatar, meaning descent from a hindu deity

Cash, from Tamil kasu, which refers to the indian monetary system