Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reuters/Adnan Abidi This weekend, Obama will head to India for the second time in his two-term presidency.

He'll be the first president to visit the South Asian nation twice — and the first in ages to make such a long-distance trip just to visit a single country. Obama also hosted India's new prime minister, Narendra Modi, in Washington, D.C., back in September.

It's clear that diplomatic relations with India have become a priority for the president – especially since the pro-business, pro-America Modi rocketed to power last May. So if we're going to sidle up next to India and become better friends, we'd best get to know the country.

Here's our list of 17 fascinating facts you should know about India.