Indian Etiquette Don'ts 5 Things Not to Do in India .

Fortunately, Indians are very forgiving toward foreigners who aren't always aware of the etiquette of Indian culture. However, to hel you avoid e!"arrassing !ista#es, here are five things not to do in India. $ Don't wear tight or revealing clothing. Indians ado t a very conservative standard of dress, articularly in rural areas. %estern dress standards, including &eans on wo!en, are "eco!ing quite revalent in cities. However, it's still necessary to #ee your legs covered. 'ou'll rarely see an Indian !an wearing shorts, or an Indian wo!an wearing a s#irt a"ove the an#les (although college students are an e)ce tion*+. ,ure, you can do it, and erha s no one will say anything. -ut you will get !ore res ect "y dressing a ro riately. .overing your legs and shoulders is es ecially i! ortant when visiting te! les in India. / Don't wear your shoes inside. It's good !anners to ta#e your shoes off "efore entering so!eone's ho!e, and it's a rerequisite "efore entering a te! le or !osque. Indians will often wear shoes inside their ho!es, such as when going to the "athroo!. However, these shoes are #e t for do!estic use and never worn outdoors. ,hoes are so!eti!es also re!oved "efore entering a sho . If you see shoes at an entrance, it's a good idea to ta#e yours off as well. 0 Don't oint your feet at eo le. Feet are considered to "e unclean and therefore it's i! ortant to avoid ointing your feet at eo le, or touching eo le or o"&ects ( articularly "oo#s+ with your feet or shoes. If you accidentally do so, you should a ologi1e straight away. 2lso, note that Indians will often touch their head or eyes as a show of a ology. 3n the other hand, it's a sign of res ect to "end down and touch an elder erson's feet in India. 4 Don't eat food or ass o"&ects with your left hand. The left hand is considered to "e unclean in India as it's used to erfor! !atters associated with going to the "athroo!. Therefore, you should avoid your left hand co!ing into contact with food or any o"&ects that you ass to eo le. 5 Don't "e offended "y intrusive questions. Indians are really inquisitive eo le and their culture is one where eo le do anything "ut !ind their own "usiness, often due to the lac# of ersonal s ace and rivacy in India. 2s a result, don't "e sur rised or offended if an Indian as#s you how !uch you earn for a living and a host of other ersonal questions, all u on first !eeting. %hat's !ore, you should feel free to as# these ty e of questions in return. 5ather than causing offense, the eo le you are conversing with will "e leased that you've ta#en such an interest in the!* %ho #nows what fascinating infor!ation you'll learn as well.

6reetings7edit89

8 Na!aste8, na!as#ar or Na!as#ara(:annada8+ or Na!as#ara! (Telugu8, ;alayala!8+, <ana##a! (Ta!il8+,No!osh#aar (-engali8+, No!os#ar (2ssa!ese8+ is a co!!on s o#en greeting or salutation, though "eco!ing considered old=fashioned "y so!e. Na!as#ar is considered a slightly !ore for!al version than Na!aste "ut "oth e) ress dee res ect. It is co!!only used in India and Ne al8 "y Hindus8, >ains and -uddhists, and !any continue to use this outside the (Indian su"continent8+. In Indian and Ne ali culture, the word is s o#en at the "eginning of written or ver"al co!!unication. However, the sa!e hands folded gesture is !ade usually wordlessly u on de arture. Ta#en literally, it !eans ?I "ow to you?. The word is derived fro! ,ans#rit8(na!ah+@ to "ow8, o"eisance8, reverential salutation8, and res ect8, and (te+@ ?to you?. 2s e) lained "y an Indian scholar, in literal ter!s Na!aste refers to '6odliness in !e "ows to 6odliness in you' or 'Divinity in !e, salutes divinity in you'. In !ost Indian fa!ilies, younger !en and wo!en are taught to see# the "lessing of their elders "y reverentially "owing to their elders. This custo! is #nown as AranB!a8. 3ther greetings include ?2!i 2schi? (in -engali8+,?>ai ,hri :rishna?, ?5a! 5a!?, and ,at ,hri 2#al8 (Aun&a"i8, used "y followers of ,i#his!8+, >ai >inendra8, a co!!on greeting used across the >ain co!!unity8 and ?Na!a ,hivaya?, ?>ai a!"e?, ?>ai ,ri 5a!? etc. These traditional for!s of greeting are no longer used in the world of "usiness and in India's ur"an environ!ent. The handsha#e is the co!!on for! of greeting "etween !en and !en and also "etween wo!en and wo!enC the handsha#e is often long and soft. ;en should greet Indian wo!en with a slight nod unless the wo!an offers her hand for a short handsha#e.7059 Danguages in India The different states of India have different official languages, so!e of the! not recogni1ed "y the central govern!ent. ,o!e states have !ore then one official language. -ihar in east India has three official languages = Hindi, Erdu and-engali = which are all recogni1ed "y the central govern!ent. -ut ,i##i!, also in east India, has four official languages of which only Ne ali is recogni1ed "y the central govern!ent. -esides the languages officially recogni1ed "y central or state govern!ents, there are other languages which don't have this recognition and their s ea#ers are running olitical struggles to get this recognition. .entral govern!ent decided that Hindi was to "e the official language of India and therefore it also has the status of official language in the states. Etiquette and .usto!s in India ;eeting Etiquette $ / 0 4 5eligion, education and social class all influence greetings in India. This is a hierarchical culture, so greet the eldest or !ost senior erson first. %hen leaving a grou , each erson !ust "e "id farewell individually. ,ha#ing hands is co!!on, es ecially in the large cities a!ong the !ore educated

who are accusto!ed to dealing with westerners. 5 ;en !ay sha#e hands with other !en and wo!en !ay sha#e hands with other wo!enC however there are seldo! handsha#es "etween !en and wo!en "ecause of religious "eliefs. If you are uncertain, wait for the! to e)tend their hand. Na!ing .onventions Indian na!es vary "ased u on religion, social class, and region of the country. The following are so!e "asic guidelines to understanding the na!ing conventions, although you will always find e)ce tions to rules@ Hindus@ F In the north, !any eo le have "oth a given na!e and a surna!e. G In the south, surna!es are less co!!on and a erson generally uses the initial of their father's na!e in front of their own na!e. H The !an's for!al na!e is their na!e ?sIo? (son of+ and the father's na!e. %o!en use ?dIo? to refer to the!selves as the daughter of their father. J 2t !arriage, wo!en dro their father's na!e and use their first na!e with their hus"and's first na!e as a sort of surna!e. 6ift 6iving Etiquette $K Indians "elieve that giving gifts eases the transition into the ne)t life. $$ 6ifts of cash are given to friends and !e!"ers of the e)tended fa!ily to cele"rate life events such as "irth, death and !arriage. $/ It is not the value of the gift, "ut the sincerity with which it is given, that is i! ortant to the reci ient. $0 If invited to an Indian's ho!e for a !eal, it is not necessary to "ring a gift, although one will not "e turned down. $4 Do not give frangi ani or white flowers as they are used at funerals. $5 'ellow, green and red are luc#y colours, so try to use the! to wra gifts. $F 2 gift fro! a !an should "e said to co!e fro! "oth he and his wifeI!otherIsister or so!e other fe!ale relative. $G 6ifts are not o ened when received. Dining Etiquette $H Indians entertain in their ho!es, restaurants, rivate clu"s, or other u"lic venues, de ending u on the occasion and circu!stances. $J 2lthough Indians are not always unctual the!selves, they e) ect foreigners to arrive close to the a ointed ti!e. /K Ta#e off your shoes "efore entering the house. /$ Dress !odestly and conservatively. // Aolitely turn down the first offer of tea, coffee, or snac#s. 'ou will "e as#ed again and again. ,aying no to the first invitation is art of the rotocol. There are diverse dietary restrictions in India, and these !ay affect the foods that are served@

/0 Hindus do not eat "eef and !any are vegetarians. /4 ,i#hs do not eat "eef. /5 Da!", chic#en, and fish are the !ost co!!only served !ain courses for non= vegetarian !eals as they avoid the !eat restrictions of the religious grou s. Ta"le !anners are so!ewhat for!al, "ut this for!ality is te! ered "y the religious "eliefs of the various grou s. /F ;uch Indian food is eaten with the fingers. /G %ait to "e told where to sit. /H If utensils are used, they are generally a ta"les oon and a for#. /J 6uests are often served in a articular order@ the guest of honour is served first, followed "y the !en, and the children are served last. %o!en ty ically serve the !en and eat later. 0K 'ou !ay "e as#ed to wash your hands "efore and after sitting down to a !eal. 0$ 2lways use your right hand to eat, whether you are using utensils or your fingers. 0/ In so!e situations food !ay "e ut on your late for you, while in other situations you !ay "e allowed to serve yourself fro! a co!!unal "owl. 00 Deaving a s!all a!ount of food on your late indicates that you are satisfied. Finishing all your food !eans that you are still hungry. -usiness Etiquette and Arotocol in India 5elationshi s L .o!!unication 04 Indians refer to do "usiness with those they #now. 05 5elationshi s are "uilt u on !utual trust and res ect. 0F In general, Indians refer to have long=standing ersonal relationshi s rior to doing "usiness. 0G It !ay "e a good idea to go through a third arty introduction. This gives you i!!ediate credi"ility.

-usiness ;eeting Etiquette 0H If you will "e travelling to India fro! a"road, it is advisa"le to !a#e a oint!ents "y letter, at least one !onth and refera"ly two !onths in advance. 0J It is a good idea to confir! your a oint!ent as they do get cancelled at short notice. 4K The "est ti!e for a !eeting is late !orning or early afternoon. 5econfir! your !eeting the wee# "efore and call again that !orning, since it is co!!on for !eetings to

"e cancelled at the last !inute. 4$ :ee your schedule fle)i"le so that it can "e ad&usted for last !inute rescheduling of !eetings. 4/ 'ou should arrive at !eetings on ti!e since Indians are i! ressed with unctuality. 40 ;eetings will start with a great deal of getting=to= #now=you tal#. In fact, it is quite ossi"le that no "usiness will "e discussed at the first !eeting. 44 2lways send a detailed agenda in advance. ,end "ac#=u !aterials and charts and other data as well. This allows everyone to review and "eco!e co!forta"le with the !aterial rior to the !eeting. 45 Follow u a !eeting with an overview of what was discussed and the ne)t ste s. -usiness Negotiating 4F Indians are non=confrontational. It is rare for the! to overtly disagree, although this is "eginning to change in the !anagerial ran#s. 4G Decisions are reached "y the erson with the !ost authority. 4H Decision !a#ing is a slow rocess. 4J If you lose your te! er you lose face and rove you are unworthy of res ect and trust. 5K Delays are to "e e) ected, es ecially when dealing with the govern!ent. 5$ ;ost Indians e) ect concessions in "oth rice and ter!s. It is acce ta"le to e) ect concessions in return for those you grant. 5/ Never a ear overly legalistic during negotiations. In general, Indians do not trust the legal syste! and so!eone's word is sufficient to reach an agree!ent. 50 Do not disagree u"licly with !e!"ers of your negotiating tea!. 54 ,uccessful negotiations are often cele"rated "y a !eal. 55 Dress Etiquette -usiness attire is conservative. 5F ;en should wear dar# coloured conservative "usiness suits. 5G %o!en should dress conservatively in suits or dresses. 5H The weather often deter!ines clothing. In the hotter arts of the country, dress is less for!al, although dressing as suggested a"ove for the first !eeting will indicate res ect. Titles 5J Indians revere titles such as Arofessor, Doctor and Engineer. FK ,tatus is deter!ined "y age, university degree, caste and rofession. F$ If so!eone does not have a rofessional title, use the honorific title ?,ir? or ?;ada!?. F/ Titles are used with the erson's na!e or the surna!e, de ending u on the erson's na!e. (,ee ,ocial Etiquette for !ore infor!ation on Indian na!ing conventions.+ F0 %ait to "e invited "efore using so!eone's first na!e without the title.

-usiness .ards -usiness cards are e)changed after the initial handsha#e and greeting. F4 If you have a university degree or any honour, ut it on your "usiness card. F5 Ese the right hand to give and receive "usiness cards. FF -usiness cards need not "e translated into Hindi. FG 2lways resent your "usiness card so the reci ient !ay read the card as it is handed to the!.

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India 2sia Federal 5e u"lic

English en&oys associate status "ut is the !ost i! ortant language for national, olitical, and co!!ercial co!!unicationC Hindi is the national language and ri!ary tongue of 0KM of the eo leC there are $4 other official languages@ -engali, Telugu, ;arathi, Ta!il, Erdu, 6u&arati, ;alayala!, :annada, 3riya, Aun&a"i, 2ssa!ese, :ash!iri, ,indhi, and ,ans#ritC Hindustani is a o ular variant of HindiIErdu s o#en widely throughout northern India "ut is not an official language ;2>35 Hindu HK.5M, ;usli! $0.4M, 5EDI6I3N(,+ .hristian /.0M, ,i#h $.JM, other @ $.HM, uns ecified K.$M. ;2>35 Indo=2ryan G/M, Dravidian /5M, ETHNI.653 ;ongoloid and other 0M. EA,@

India Donts N Do not offer to sha#e the hand of a erson of the o osite se) unless they offer first. N Do not wal#ing over "oo#s and a er, even news a er or even touching the! with your feet, as Indian eo le treat "oo#s as a !eta hor for the 6oddess of learning. N Do not use the sa!e hand for eating and also for ta#ing food fro! a co!!on dish on the dining ta"le. Indians "elieve other eo leOs saliva is unhygienic. Tasting and ta#ing a si fro! othersO glasses is regarded as violation of rivate s ace. If you need a s oon, you will need to as# for it or "ring one along. Ty ically, eo le eat with their (right+ hand. N Do not "rea#ing te! le rules while on a visit to a te! le. Feet, articularly shoesIsandals, are considered unclean, always ta#e the! off when entering a te! le (e)ce t in so!e %esterni1ed, ur"an congregations+. In so!e te! les tourists are not even allowed to wal# into the !ost holy areas with their shirts on* N Do not touch anyone or receiveIgive anything with oneOs left hand, as the left hand is only used for oneOs P!orning "usiness.Q N Do not drin# any alcohol or s!o#e in u"lic. ItOs offensive. N Do not hunt, as #illing wildlife can get you in serious trou"le. Do not hurt a cow, as !any Hindus consider the cows are holy, and are offended if they are hit "y strangers. N Do not discuss religion, es ecially with ;usli!s who for! $$M of IndiaOs o ulation. Do not !a#e co!!ents of ridicule or disres ect toward the society or any religion. Aeo le are very resentful of %estern (ignorant+ &udg!ents. N Do not do any u"lic reaching or handing out of tracts, and that #ind of activity is rohi"ited when you are in India on a tourist visa N Do not visit areas in the e)tre!e north or north=east, as foreigners, es ecially west Euro eans and 2!ericans are at ris# to "e hostaged "y terrorists in those areas. The other areas of India is safe for everyone. N Do not "uy food fro! roadside stalls or !o"ile canteens. Do not drin# local ta water, drin# "ottled water only. Do not eat fresh fruit and vegeta"les that you cannot eel. N Do not ta#e offers of s iritual salvation and !agic re!edies fro! saints, god!en and quac#s. There is no way you can distinguish the genuine ones fro! the croo#s. N Do not try to e) lore Indian road yourself, nor to drive in India unless you have "een trained on Indian roads. N Do not ever urchase air, rail or "us tic#ets through strangers or unauthori1ed travel agents or tour o erators. In any case avoid ersistent touts and ta)i=wallahs at air ortIstationsI"us stand to hel you find your hotel. 2lways use tourist assistance des# for ro er advice. N Do not hire any ty e of trans ortation fro! unlicensed o erators. In case of ta)is

and auto=ric#shaws, try to hire the! fro! the re= aid "ooths if ossi"le. 3therwise, insist on going "y the !eter or set a fare in advance to avoid "eing over charged. India Dos N Do dress !odestly if you are fe!ale. No sleeveless "louses, no short s#irts, no shorts, no low, loose collars. 2nd !en do not wear shorts. N Do re are yourself at the earliest. Indian traffic and roads are ha less. N Do greet eo le with "ig s!ile. Handsha#e with ladies es ecially in rural areas should "e avoided. N If ossi"le do cover yourself with travel insurance for thefts, loss and !edi=clai!. Do e)change !oney only through authori1e "an#s or !oney changers. N Do i!!uni1ed yourself against various diseases li#e ty hoid, !alaria, he atitis and tetanus that are revalent in India. Do ta#e whatever !edications you need in a! le su ly. N Do "argain with half rice when you "uy things fro! roadside stalls or haw#ers, "ut do not "argain in ro er sho s es ecially where dis lay Pfi)ed riceQ signs. N Do !a#e sure to re!ove your footwear when visiting a lace of worshi or !ausoleu!. N 2s custo!ary, do "ring so!e s!all gifts as hostess gifts and as resentations to oneOs students, it can "e as s!all as a ostcard fro! your ho!e region.