India

India (Hindi: भारत or Bharat) is the largest country in

the Indian subcontinent and shares borders with Pakistan
to the northwest, China and Nepal to the north, Bhutan to
the northeast, and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east.
Nearby island countries in the Indian Ocean are Sri Lanka
to the southeast and the Maldives to the southwest.
India is the seventh largest country in the world by area,
and the second most populous country with over a bil-
lion people, and prides itself on being the largest democ-
racy on Earth. It’s an extremely diverse country, with vast
differences in geography, climate, culture, language and
ethnicity.

1 Regions
India is administratively divided into 29 states and 7 union
territories. The states are broadly demarcated on linguis-
tic lines. They vary in size; the larger ones are bigger
and more diverse than some countries of Europe. The
union territories are smaller than the states—sometimes
Map of India’s regions and states
they are just one city—and they have much less auton-
omy.
India has two island chains located off the mainland – the • Jaipur — the Pink City, a major exhibit of the Hindu
Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Rajput culture of medieval Northern India
the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea. • Kochi (Cochin) — the Queen of the Arabian Sea,
These states and union territories are grouped by conven- historically a centre of international trade, now the
tion into the following regions: gateway to the sandy beaches and backwaters

• Kolkata (Calcutta) — the cultural capital of India,

known as the City of Joy, and home to numerous
2 Cities colonial buildings

These are nine of India’s most notable cities. Other cities
can be found under their specific regions.
• Delhi — the capital of India and the heart of North-
ern India
• Bangalore (Bengaluru) — the garden city, once the
sleepy home of pensioners, now transformed into a
city of pubs and high-technology companies
• Mumbai (Bombay) — the largest city and the finan-
cial capital of India, the city that never sleeps, home
of “Bollywood”, the Hindi film industry
• Varanasi (Banaras or Kashi) — considered the most
sacred Hindu city, located on the banks of the
Ganges, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities
of the world

• Chennai (Madras) — the main port in Southern In- 3 Other destinations

dia, cultural centre, automobile capital of India and
a fast emerging IT hub India has many outstanding landmarks and areas of out-
• Hyderabad — known for pearl and diamond trading, standing beauty. Here are some of the most notable.
now with major manufacturing and financial institu-
tions and a growing IT sector • Main temple complex in Bodh Gaya, the place

1
2 4 UNDERSTAND

where the Buddha Sakyamuni attained enlighten- drivers don't even have meters and have fixed the rates
ment, including the Mahabodhi temple for even short distances – and you just pay the amount
demanded; if you do get an honest driver, consider your-
• Ellora/Ajanta — spectacular rock-cut cave monas- self lucky. India shows extreme variation in most things,
teries and temples, holy place for the Buddhists, and one needs patience and luck to find the best. Never
Jains and Hindus. assume you know everything about any aspect of India;
• Golden Temple — Sikh holy site located in Amritsar be prepared to see completely new things every day.

• Hampi — the awesome ruins of the empire of Vi-

jayanagara 4.1 History
• Temple complexes in Khajuraho, famed for their See also: Mughal Empire, British Raj
erotic sculptures

• Konark — Sun Temple, a unique example of Kalin-

gan architecture which is a UNESCO World Her-
itage site

• Meenakshi Temple — a spectacular Hindu temple

in Madurai

• Taj Mahal — the incomparable marble tomb in

Agra, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern
World

See also:

• UNESCO World Heritage List, India section

• UNESCO World Heritage List (India) Hindu pilgrims bathing in the Ganges at Varanasi

• Forts and Palaces of India

Humans are thought to have first migrated into the Indian
• Indian National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries subcontinent around 70,000 BCE and there are some
archaeological sites for stone age India. One important
• Indian Zoos and Botanical Gardens one is at Mehrgarh (Pakistan), with the oldest known ev-
idence of agriculture in the subcontinent, around 7000
• Natural Wonders of India BCE.
• Sacred sites of the Indian sub-continent The Indus Valley Civilization (3300-1300 BCE) was
one of the world’s first Bronze Age civilizations and quite
advanced for its time. At its peak (2600-1900 BCE)
4 Understand it covered most of what is now Pakistan, plus some of
northern India and eastern Afghanistan. The two main
India’s culture and heritage is a rich amalgam of the past archaeological sites, both in Pakistan, are Mohenjo-daro
and Harappa.
and the present. This vast and populous country offers the
visitor a view of fascinating religions and ethnography, a Sometime after 2000 BCE, the region was invaded and
vast variety of languages, and monuments that have been conquered by the Aryans, herdsmen from somewhere to
present for thousands of years. As it opens up to a glob- the northwest. At about the same time, related groups
alised world, India still has a depth of history and intensity invaded Greece (Hellenic Greeks displacing Minoans),
of culture that awe and fascinate the many who visit there. Anatolia or Turkey (the Hittites), Persia and other areas.
One thing that foreign travellers need to know is that In- All the invaders spoke related languages and many mod-
dia is, in every way, heterogeneous. If they experience ern languages, including most of those spoken in north-
one set of behaviours from the locals in one part of the ern India and in Europe and some in Central Asia, are
country, it does not mean that the same behaviour will descended from them. Linguists classify them all in the
happen in another area. To give a very simple example, Indo-European language family.
a taxi driver in Mumbai will without saying a word drop Indians date their history from the Vedic Period, roughly
his meter flag and return the exact change, while in Delhi 1500-500 BCE, after the Aryan invasion. This is the pe-
you have to tell the driver to use the meter and hope you riod when the Vedas, the oldest and holiest books of Hin-
get your change, and in other areas taxi drivers or auto duism, were compiled. They were in an Indo-European
4.1 History 3

language, Sanskrit. Some rituals of Hinduism took shape the Rajputs in resisting invasion of their land is legendary
during that period. and celebrated in ballads all over the forts of Rajasthan.
The Vedic civilisation influences India to this day. Prominent among the Rajputs was Maha Rana Pratap,
Present-day Hinduism traces its roots to the Vedas, but is the ruler of Chittorgarh, who spent years in exile fight-
also heavily influenced by literature that came afterwards, ing Akbar, the third of the Mughals. Eventually, how-
like the Upanishads, the Puranas, the great epics — ever, the Rajputs were subdued, and the Rajput-Mughal
Ramayana and Mahabharata, and the Bhagavad Gita. alliance remained strong till the end of the empire. This
By tradition, these books claim to only expand and distill period of North India was the golden age for Indian art,
architecture, and literature, producing the monumental
the knowledge that is already present in the Vedas.
gems of Rajasthan and the Taj Mahal. Hindi and Urdu
In the 1st millennium BCE, various schools of thought in also took root in medieval North India. During the Is-
philosophy developed, enriching Hinduism greatly. Most lamic period, some Hindus also converted to Islam. To-
of them claimed to derive from the Vedas. However, two day, some 13% of the Indian population follows Islam.
of these schools – Buddhism and Jainism – questioned
the authority of the Vedas, and they are now recognised Sikhism, another major religion, was established in
as separate religions. Punjab during the Mughal period. Relations between
Sikhism and the Mughals varied over time. The Golden
Many great empires were formed between 500 BCE and Temple at Amritsar was built and recognised all over the
500 CE. Notable among them were the Mauryas and the world as Sikhs major pilgrimage center. By the time
Guptas, both with their capital in the city of Patalipu- of its tenth Guru - Guru Gobind Singh, however, rela-
tra, now called Patna. Further west, the Gandharan civil- tions were hostile, primarily due to the antagonism of Au-
isation (an independent kingdom, later part of the Mau- rangzeb, the most intolerant and bigoted of the Mughals.
rya Empire) ruled much of what are now Pakistan and Conflict between the Sikhs and the Mughals was one of
Afghanistan. Their city Taxila was a great center of Bud- the causes for the eventual decline of the Mughal Empire.
dhist and other learning. The other cause was the challenge of the Marathas in
Later there was a gradual decline of Buddhism and Jain- Maharashtra, which were started by Shivaji and carried
ism. The practice of Buddhism, in particular, disap- on by the Peshwas. The Marathas established a short-
peared from India’s heartland, though Buddha himself lived confederacy that was almost as large as the Mughal
was incorporated into the Hindu pantheon. Jainism con- empire. Marathas lost their command over India after
tinues to be practiced by a significant number who are the third battle of Panipat, which in turn paved a way for
ambivalent about whether they consider themselves Hin- British colonialism.
dus or not. Hinduism itself went through significant
changes. The importance of Vedic deities like Indra and
Agni reduced and Puranic deities like Vishnu, Shiva, their
various Avatars and family members gained prominence.

Shore Temple (c. 700 CE), Mamallapuram

South India followed a different trajectory, being less af-

Jama Masjid, Delhi
Islamic incursions started in the 8th century. Gradually
the raiders started staying as rulers, and soon much of
North India was ruled by Muslims. The most important
Muslim rulers were the Mughal Empire that at its peak
covered almost the entire subcontinent (save the southern
and eastern extremities), while the major Hindu force that
survived in the North were the Rajputs. The bravery of
fected by Islamic rule. The period from 500 to 1600
CE is called the classical period dominated by great
South Indian kingdoms. Prominent among them were the
Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas and Vijayanagara empires
who ruled from present day Karnataka and the Pallavas,
Cheras, Pandyas and Cholas who ruled from present
day Tamil Nadu & Kerala. Among them, the Cholas, who
ruled from various capital cities including Thanjavur and
Gangaikondacholapuram, are widely recognised to be the
most powerful of the South Indian kingdoms, with their
territory stretching as far north as Pataliputra and their in-
4 4 UNDERSTAND

fluence spreading as far east as Sumatra, Western Borneo Sikkim and Tibet was re-opened in 2006 for trade. Se-
and Southern Vietnam at the height of their power. Some curity concerns over Pakistan and China prompted India
of the grandest Hindu and Jain monuments that exist in to test nuclear weapons twice (including the 1974 tests
India were built during this time in South and East India.
described as “peaceful explosions”). India wants to be ac-
European traders started visiting India beginning in the cepted as a legitimate nuclear power and is campaigning
late 16th century. Prominent among these were the for a permanent Security Council seat.
British, French and the Portuguese. The British East In- India is proud of its democratic record. Constitutional
dia Company made Calcutta their headquarters in 1772. government and democratic freedoms have been safe-
They also established subsidiary cities like Bombay and guarded for most of its 66 years as an independent coun-
Madras. Calcutta later went on to become 'the second try.
city of the empire after London'. By the 19th century, Current concerns in India include corruption, poverty,
the British had, one way or the other assumed political over-population, environmental degradation, ongoing
control of virtually all of India, though the Portuguese border disputes with Pakistan and China, cross-border
and the French too had their enclaves along the coast. terrorism, and ethnic and religious strife which occurs
There was an uprising by Indian rulers in 1857 which was from time to time. India’s current obsession, at least
suppressed, but which prompted the British government among the educated elite, is over whether India will be
to take over from the Company and make India a part of able to overtake China in economic growth and be an eco-
the empire. This period of rule by the crown, 1858-1947, nomic and military superpower.
was called the British Raj. Many Indians converted to
Christianity during the period, for pretty much the same
reasons as they converted to Islam, though forcible con-
versions ended in British India after 1859, and Queen 4.2 Politics
Victoria’s proclamation promised to respect the religious
faiths of Indians.
India is a parliamentary democracy modeled on the
Non-violent resistance to British colonialism under Mo- British Westminster system. The President, indirectly
handas Karamchand Gandhi led to independence on elected, is the Head of State, but his position, while not
15 August 1947. However, independence was simultane- entirely ceremonial, has limited powers. The Prime Min-
ously granted to the secular Hindu-majority state of In- ister runs the government with a Cabinet of Ministers,
dia and the smaller Muslim-majority state of Pakistan, and in practice wields the most authority in government.
and the orgy of Hindu-Muslim bloodletting that followed The Parliament is bicameral. The Lok Sabha (House of
Partition led to the deaths of at least half a million and People), the lower house, is directly elected by univer-
the migration of 12-14 million people. sal adult franchise, while the Rajya Sabha (Council of
India achieved self-sufficiency in food grains by the States), or the upper house, is indirectly elected. The Lok
1970s, ensuring that the large-scale famines that had been Sabha is the more powerful of the two, primarily because
common are now history. However these policies also a majority in the Lok Sabha is required to form a govern-
led to shortages, slow growth and large-scale corruption. ment and pass budgets, and the Prime Minster by con-
After a balance-of-payments crisis in 1991, the coun- vention is always a member of the Lok Sabha. India has
try adopted free-market reforms which have continued a vast number of political parties, and currently the BJP
at a meandering pace ever since, fueling strong growth. party has a majority in the Lok Sabha. India has a strong
The IT and the business outsourcing industries have and independent judiciary and a free press.
been the drivers for the growth, while manufacturing India is also a federal republic, divided into states and
and agriculture, which have not experienced reforms, union territories. Each of these have their own legisla-
are lagging. About 60% of Indians live on agriculture tures, with government run by a chief minister and a cab-
and around 36% remain in poverty. inet.
Relations with Pakistan have been frosty. The two coun- Street demonstrations and political agitations occur, as
tries have fought four wars, three of them over the status they do in any democracy. There is also occasional low-
of Kashmir. The third war between the two countries in level political violence, but a visitor has a vanishingly
1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming Bangladesh. In- small chance of getting caught in that.
dia continues to experience occasional terrorist attacks,
many of which are widely believed to originate in Pak-
istan and be ordered or assisted by its military-intelligence
complex. 4.3 Time zone
China and India went to war in 1962 over a border dis-
pute. Though current relations are peaceful, there is still Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5 hours and 30 minutes
military rivalry and no land crossings are allowed between ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+5.5). Daylight
the two countries, though one border crossing between Savings Time is not observed in India.
4.6 Culture 5

4.4 Geography

Mountains, jungles, deserts and beaches, India has it all.

It is bounded to the north and northeast by the snow-
capped Himalayas, the tallest mountain range in the
world. In addition to protecting the country from in-
vaders, they also feed the perennial rivers Ganga, Ya-
muna (Jamuna) and Sindhu (Indus) on whose plains In-
dia’s civilization flourished. Though most of the Sindhu
is in Pakistan now, three of its tributaries flow through
Punjab. The other Himalayan river, the Brahmaputra
flows through the northeast, mostly through Assam.
South of Punjab lies the Aravalli range, which cuts
Rajasthan into two. The western half of Rajasthan is
occupied by the Thar desert. The Vindhyas cut across Gulmarg
Central India, particularly through Madhya Pradesh and
signify the start of the Deccan plateau, which covers al- more important one, as it causes rains over most parts
most the whole of the southern peninsula. of the country, and is the crucial variable that decides
The Deccan plateau is bounded by the Western Ghats how the crops will do. It lasts from June to September.
range (which is called Sahyadri in Maharashtra) to the The Southwest monsoon hits the west coast the most, as
west and the Eastern Ghats to the east. The plateau is crossing the Western Ghats and reaching the rest of India
more arid than the plains, as the rivers that feed the area, is an uphill task for the winds. The western coastline is
such as the Narmada, Godavari and the Kaveri, run dry therefore much greener than the interior. The North-
during the summer. Towards the northeast of the Deccan east monsoon hits the east coast between October and
plateau is what used to be a thickly forested area that cov- February, mostly in the form of occasional cyclones that
ers the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, the eastern edge cause much devastation every year. The only region that
of Maharashtra and the northern tip of Andhra Pradesh. gets rains from both monsoons is North-Eastern India,
This area is still forested, poverty stricken and populated which consequently experiences the highest rainfall in
by tribal people. This forest acted as a barrier to the in- the world.
vasion of South India. India experiences at least three seasons a year, Summer,
India has a long coastline. The west coast borders the Rainy Season (or “Monsoon”) and Winter, though in the
Arabian Sea and the east coast the Bay of Bengal, both tropical South calling the 25°C (77°F) weather “Winter”
parts of the Indian Ocean. would be stretching the concept. The North experiences
some extremes of heat in Summer and cold in Winter, but
except in the Himalayan regions, snow is almost unheard
4.5 Climate of. November to January is the winter season and April
and May are the hot months when everyone eagerly awaits
the rains. There is also a brief spring in February and
March, especially in North India.
Opinions are divided on whether any part of India actu-
ally experiences an Autumn, but the ancients had cer-
tainly identified such a season among the six seasons (or
ritus - Vasanta - Spring, Greeshma - Summer, Varsha -
Rainy, Sharat - Autumn, Hemanta - “Mild Winter"/"late
autumn”, Sheet - Winter) they had divided the year into.

4.6 Culture

India’s rich and multi-layered cultures are dominated by

Lakshadweep Islands
In India, it rains only during a specific time of the year.
The season as well as the phenomenon that causes it is
called the monsoon. There are two of them, the South-
west and the Northeast, both named after the directions
the winds come from. The Southwest monsoon is the
religious and spiritual themes. While it is a mistake to
assume that there is a single unified Indian culture, there
certainly are unifying themes that link the various cul-
tures. India’s cultural heritage is expressed through its
myriad of languages in which much great literature and
poetry has been written. It can be seen in its music -
both in its classical (Carnatic and Hindustani) forms and
6 4 UNDERSTAND
in modern Bollywood music. India also has a vast tradi-
tion of classical and folk dances. Art and theatre flour-
ish amongst the bustling cities of the country, against the
backdrop of the ever expanding western influences.
Indians value their family system a lot. Typically, an In-
dian’s family encompasses what would be called the ex-
tended family in the West. It is routine for Indians to live
as part of the paternal family unit throughout their lives
- i.e. sons live together with their parents all their lives,
and daughters live with their parents till they get married. Diwali lighting
The relationship is mutually self-supporting. Parents may
support their children for longer than is common in the
West, brothers and sisters may support each other, and
sons are expected to take care of their parents in their old
age. “Living with parents” does not carry the same stigma
as it does in the US. Naturally, the arrangements are not
perfect and there are strains and breakups, especially by
the time the third generation grows up. Also, it has now
become common for children to move away from the
parental house for education and employment. Nonethe-
less, it is fair to say that the joint family is still seen as the
norm and an ideal to aspire to, and Indians continue to
care about their family’s honour, achievements and fail-
ures even while they are not living together.
Despite the weakening of the caste system (which has
officially been outlawed by the Indian government), In-
dia remains a fairly stratified society. Indians care more
about a person’s background and position in society than
is the norm in the individualist West. This attitude, when
combined with the legacy of colonial rule, results in some
rather interesting, if unfortunate consequences. People
with white skin are placed high on the societal totem
pole, and they may find that Indians are obsequious to-
wards them to the point of embarrassment. People with
dark skin, however may find that they are discriminated
against. If it is any consolation, Indians display simi-
lar prejudices based on skin colour and ethnicity among
themselves and not just towards foreigners. (See more in
the Stay Safe and Respect sections)
4.7 Holidays/Festivals
There are three national holidays: Republic Day (26
January), Independence Day (15 August), and Gandhi
Jayanti (2 October) which occur on the same day every
year. In addition, there are three major nationwide festi-
vals with shifting dates to be aware of:
• Diwali (Deepavali), Oct-Nov — The festival of
lights, celebrates the return of the Hindu God Rama
to the capital of his kingdom, Ayodhya after an ex-
ile of 14 years and victory of justice over injustice
when Narakasura was killed by Satyabhama with the
help of Krishna. Probably the most lavish festival in
the country, reminiscent (to U.S. travellers at least)
of the food of Thanksgiving and the shopping and
gifts of Christmas combined. Houses are decorated,
there is glitter everywhere, and if you wander the
streets on Diwali night, there will be firecrackers go-
ing off everywhere including sometimes under your
feet.
• Durga Puja / Navarathri/Dussehara, Sep-Oct —
A nine-day festival culminating in the holy day of
Dasara, when locals worship the deity Durga. Work-
ers are given sweets, cash bonuses, gifts and new
clothes. It is also new year for businessmen, when
they are supposed to start new account books. In
some places like West Bengal, Durga Puja is the
most important festival. In the north Dussehara
celebrations take place and the slaying of Ravana
by Lord Rama is ceremonially reenacted as Ram
Lila. In Gujarat and South India, it is celebrated as
Navarathri where the festival is celebrated by danc-
ing to devotional songs and religious observances
like fasts extended over a period of nine nights.
• Holi, in March — The festival of colour is a major
festival celebrated mainly in North, East and West-
ern India. On the first day, people go to temples
and light bonfires, but on the second, it’s a water-
fight combined with showers of coloured powder.
This is not a spectator sport: as a visible foreigner,
you're a magnet for attention, so you'll either have
to barricade yourself inside, or put on your most
disposable clothes and join the fray. Alcohol and
bhang (cannabis) are often involved and crowds can
get rowdy as the evening wears on.
• Ganesh Chaturthi, is celebrated all over India.
Ganesh Chaturthi is festival of Lord Ganesh.
Ganesh Chaturthi is most enjoyed in Maharashtra.
It is the best time to visit cities like Mumbai, Pune,
Nagpur.
• Christmas and New Years Day are public holidays
across the country and Bank Holidays as well.
• Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-uz-Zuha, Eid-e-Milad-un-
Nabi, Yawm-e-Aashoora and Ramazaan are
widely celebrated and observed as public holidays
across the country.
4.9 Touts 7

• In Spite of the Gods, Edward Luce; an exceptionally

insightful and readable book on the unlikely rise of
modern India. (ISBN 0316729817)
• No Full Stops In India, Mark Tully; “India’s West-
ernised elite, cut off from local traditions, want to
write a full stop in a land where there are no full
stops. From that striking insight Mark Tully has
woven a superb series of stories which explore ev-
erything from communal conflict in Ahmedabad to
communism in Kolkata, from the Kumbh Mela in
Allahabad (probably the biggest religious festival in
the world) to the televising of a Hindu epic.” (ISBN
Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesha Idol during Ganesh Chaturthi 2013 0140104801)
• Mother Pious Lady, Santosh Desai; An excellent
Apart from these, each state has its own major na- account of middle class beliefs and customs from
tional festival like Onam in Kerala, Makar Sankranti the pre-liberalisation era till date. For anyone
and Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh, Utarayan in Gujarat, who wants to understand the culture of present
Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Baisakhi for Punjab, Bihu for India, this is a must read where the author cuts
Assam,Rathayatra(Car festival for lord Jagannath) in through the chaos and confusion letting you to see
Odisha,Nuakhai for Western Odisha. India is a diverse things more clearly . (ISBN 8172238643 Invalid
nation, and festivals are main part of life for the locals, ISBNTemplate:Main other)
and they provide holidays for about a week.
• Indian journals, March 1962-May 1963: Notebooks,
Religious holidays occur on different days each year, be- diary, blank pages, writings. Ginsberg, A. (1970).
cause the Hindu and Islamic festivals are based on their San Francisco: Dave Haselwood Books. Travel di-
respective calendars and not on the Gregorian calendar. ary written by the famous beat poet Allen Ginsberg.
Most of them are celebrated only locally, so check the
state or city you are visiting for information on whether See also the Wikivoyage article On the trail of Kipling’s
there will be closures. Different regions might give some- Kim.
what different names to the same festival. To cater to
varying religious practices, offices have a list of optional
holidays (called restricted holidays by the government) 4.9 Touts
from which employees are allowed to pick two, in ad-
dition to the list of fixed holidays. This may mean thin Touts are ubiquitous, as in many developing countries,
attendance and delayed service even when the office is and you should assume that anyone 'proactively' trying
officially open. to help you has a hidden agenda to part you from your
money. However, in areas hardly or not at all visited by
tourists, it is not at all uncommon for people who go out
4.8 Suggested reading of their way to 'proactively' help you when you approach
without expecting anything in return. During your travels
• A Goddess in the Stones: Travels in India by Nor-
in India, you will be deluged with touts trying to get you
man Lewis (Cape 1991; US: Holt 1992), In “God-
to buy something or patronise particular establishments.
dess in the Stones”, influential journalist and author
Norman Lewis undertakes a journey of 2500 miles There are a myriad of common scams, which range from
in search of the old India. telling you your hotel has gone out of business (of course,
they'll know of one that’s open with vacancies), to giving
• India: A History, John Keay; “A superb one-volume wrong directions to a government rail ticket booking of-
history of a land that defies reduction into simple fice (the directions will be to their friend’s tour office),
narrative... Without peer among general studies, to trying to get you to take diamonds back to your home
a history that is intelligent, incisive, and eminently country (the diamonds are worthless crystal), to 'poor stu-
readable.” -- Kirkus Review (starred review) (ISBN dents’ giving you a sightseeing for hours and then with pity
0802137970) make you buy school books for them (tremendously over-
• India: A Million Mutinies Now, V.S. Naipaul; “With priced from a bookstore with whom they are affiliated).
this book he may well have written his own enduring There will also be more obvious touts who “know a very
monument, in prose at once stirring and intensely good place for dinner” or want to sell you a chess set on
personal, distinguished both by style and criti- the street.
cal acumen” -- K. Natwar-Singh, Financial Times Faced with such an assault, it’s very easy to get into a
(ISBN 0670837024) siege mentality where all of India is against you and out
8 5 TALK

to squeeze you dry. Needless to say, such a mentality may India has 22 official languages at the federal level, namely
affect any true appreciation of the country. Dealing with Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi,
touts is very simple: assume anyone offering surprising Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam,
information (such as “your hotel is shut down”) is a tout. Manipuri (also known as Meitei), Marathi, Nepali,
Never be afraid to get a second or third answer to a ques- Odia (also known as Oriya), Punjabi, Sanskrit,
tion. To get rid of a tout: Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
There are also hundreds of other less prominent languages
• Completely ignore him/her and go about your busi- like Tulu, Bhojpuri and Ladakhi that are the main spoken
ness until he goes away. This may take quite a while, language of some places.
but patience is key to managing India.
A good though not fool-proof rule of thumb is to assume
• Tell him “NO”, very firmly, and repeatedly. that each Indian state has a different local language.
Hindi, natively spoken by about 40% of the population,
It is also beneficial to have a firm Indian friend whom you is the native tongue of the people from the “Hindi Belt” in
can trust. If they show you around, they will act to help Northern India, which includes the capital, Delhi, and the
you ward off such touts. main working language of the Union Government. Many
Basic strategy will help you: more speak it as a second language. Although many di-
alects of Hindi exist, the prestige dialect of Hindi used in
• Don't get harassed, consider each problem and joy as media and education is based on the dialect of the area
your experience, that’s why you are travelling. Isn't around Delhi, and is understood by most Hindi speakers.
it? If you can only afford one phrasebook, pick up the Hindi
one as it will allow you to get by in most of India.
• Hiring a qualified guide, if you manage to find a Sanskrit was the language of the Aryan invaders who
trustworthy one, will sort out your most of the prob- arrived about 1500 BCE, and is the language in which
lems, almost every problem. much of ancient Indian literature and religious texts are
• If you still have any issues or want to chat friendly written. Today Sanskrit survives as a liturgical language,
to an Indian, then seek for an Indian tourist, or a and has a status similar to that of Latin in Europe: few if
fellow pedestrian or passenger, but never take unso- any people speak Sanskrit as a native language, but quite
licited guidance or help which may turn out unpleas- a few scholars know it. Many modern Indian languages
ant. He/she may help you if he/she knows English are descended from Sanskrit, and even those unrelated to
but may likely know less than you about the place Sanskrit have been strongly influenced by it.
you're visiting. While most north Indian languages, including Hindi, are
descended from Sanskrit, the main languages of the south
— Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam — are in a
4.10 Discriminatory pricing completely different group called Dravidian; these are
thought to be descended from the languages of the peo-
Foreign visitors will quickly encounter the special for- ples who inhabited the region before the Aryan invasion.
eigners’ rates that they are charged in some places in Nevertheless, due to the influence of Hinduism, they too
India. This applies to some tourist attractions. This contain many loan words from Sanskrit.
may seem discriminatory and unfair to many visitors but
is practiced in most developing countries in Asia and The central government has tried to establish Hindi as a
Africa. national language, but this has not been entirely success-
ful; in particular it has met with considerable resistance
Some tourist attractions that are run by the Archaeolog- in areas where the local languages are unrelated to Hindi.
ical Survey of India have different rates for Indians and Avoid speaking Hindi in places such as Tamil Nadu and
foreigners. These rates are prominently posted at the en- the Northeast, as Hindi is met with hostility from many
trance and ticketing booths. The rates for foreigners may of the locals there. Also do not refer to the other lan-
be as many as five to ten times those for Indians. Like- guages as dialects of Hindi; they are separate languages,
wise, if you are reserving a hotel room or an airline ticket mostly mutually unintelligible with different writing sys-
over the internet, you may find that paying in US dollars tems, and some (like the Dravidian languages) are com-
costs significantly higher. You can get an Indian friend pletely unrelated to Hindi.
to book in rupees and in most cases, no one will question
you at the time of check in. Fluency in English varies vastly depending on education
levels, occupation, age and region. English is compulsory
in all schools, and is widely spoken among affluent sectors
of the population in major cities and around most tourist
5 Talk places, as well as in most police stations and government
offices, and acts as the lingua franca among educated In-
See also: Hindi phrasebook
6.1 Visas 9

dians. However, if possible, you are better off picking 6.1 Visas

up as many words as you can of the local language of the
place you are going to - people are proud of their state’s
(or region’s) culture and language and will appreciate it
if an outsider makes an attempt to communicate in it.
Code-switching between English and the local language is
common among the youth in urban areas, although most
educated people would speak standard English (British)
when talking to foreigners.
Many Indian languages lack a word for please, just like
the Scandinavian languages. Instead, verbs have many
forms denoting levels of politeness and formality. As
Visa policy of India
there is no such distinction in English, Indians may also
seem commanding to a westerner. You may here phrases
like come here which may sound commanding to Anglo- Rules and validity of visas will differ based on citizenship.
phones from Western cultures, but this is not meant to be Check the website of the Indian embassy, consulate or
rude. high commission in your country, found on this list.
There are plenty of English language TV shows that air Citizens of Nepal and Bhutan may enter and live in India
in India (without dubbing) on Zee Cafe, FX, Star World, indefinitely without a visa.
BBC Entertainment, AXN, Warner Bros and BIG CBS
Depending on the purpose of the visit, with most pass-
Prime. However, with the exception of BIG CBS Prime,
ports you can get a tourist visa (six months), a business
shows are usually a season behind. Nearly all shows are
visa (6 months, one year or more, multiple entries) or a
American (except for the ones on BBC Entertainment).
student visa (up to 5 years). A special 10-year visa is
There are many other TV channels in English; in fact,
available to nationals of certain countries, including U.S.
there are more English TV channels than in any other
citizens (US$100). An Indian visa is valid from the
Indian language. English language films in cinemas are
day it is issued, not the date of entry. For example, a
generally shown in their original language with subtitles
6-month visa issued on 1 January will expire on 30 June,
in the local language. Cartoon Network, Pogo, Nat Geo,
regardless of your date of entry.
and Discovery may be dubbed in Hindi, Telugu or Tamil
in their respective areas. However, this can be changed As of 2012, for nationals of Afghanistan, China, Iran,
to English by changing the audio settings. Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, and Bangladesh, foreigners of Pak-
istan and Bangladesh origin, and stateless persons, there is
Non-verbal communication is also important. Much
a minimum sixty-day waiting period between consecutive
has been made of the confusing Indian head nod for yes
tourist visas or visits on tourist or visitor visas; this rule
and no, but the only important thing to understand is that
was abolished for all other nationalities in 2012. Tourist
Indians have different nods for yes, ok and no.
visas valid for 6 months can have maximum duration of
stay of 90 days per visit, depending on citizenship. Make
• If they are nodding their head up and down, they sure to check maximum duration per visit with your local
mean yes or I agree, as in a standard nod. embassy.

• If they are shaking their head in a tilting motion India has a e-Tourist Visa (eTV) facility. Electronic
from right to left and back, they mean I understand visas can be applied for between 4 and 34 days in ad-
or I get what you said. vance of arrival and are valid for a single entry and a stay
of up to 30 days. Travellers cannot receive more than two
• If they shake their head sideways (left to right to eTVs in a calendar year. Entry with an eTV must be at
left), they mean no. one of sixteen designated airports (Ahmedabad, Amrit-
sar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Hy-
• There are differences in the way these signs are used derabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Tiruchira-
in northern and southern India. The back to forth palli, Trivandrum, Varanasi - check the web link for a
is yes and a vigorous left-right shift is no in north- current list). The eTV is currently available to citizens
ern India, though latter may be construed for yes in of over 100 countries (again, check the web link for the
southern states like Tamilnadu. Look for verbal cues latest list; some EU countries, along with most of Africa
that accompany these sounds (like 'aaan' for yes ) in and the Middle East, are excluded). Persons of Pakistani
southern India to get the correct meaning. origin, regardless of nationality, are not eligible. The fee
for the eTV is dependent on nationality.
The eTV facility replaced the limited visa-on-arrival
6 Get in scheme in January 2015; there are no longer any visa-
on-arrival facilities in India.
10
Regular visa applications for U.S. passport holders (for
travellers not eligible for eTV) begin at Indian Visa On-
line before being submitted to a Visa Application Center
either by FedEx or in person.
Nationals or former nationals of Pakistan, Afghanistan,
North Korea and Iran must apply for a visa a long time
in advance (a minimum of 45 days for Pakistanis, and a
minimum four weeks for the others). Contact your lo-
cal Indian diplomatic post long before making any travel
plans.
Many Indian embassies have outsourced visa process-
ing in full or in part to third party companies, so check
ahead before going to the embassy. For example, in the
USA as of 21 May 2014, your visa application must be
submitted to Cox & Kings Global Services rather than
the embassy. Applications through these agencies also
attract an application fee (in the US to CKGS, this fee
is USD20) above that which is detailed on most embassy
websites and should be checked prior to submitting your
paperwork. In addition, many Indian embassies only of-
fer visas to residents of that country: this means you
should get your visa before you leave home instead of
trying to get it in a neighbouring country (although, as
at August 2009, non-residents are able to apply for visas
through the Bangkok embassy for an additional 400 THB
“referral fee”).
It’s wise to ask for a multiple-entry visa even if you
aren't planning to use it - they cost the same, are handed
out pretty liberally and come in handy if you decide last
minute to dip into one of the neighbouring countries.
A business visa may required if you intend to do any-
thing work related in India. Note that the eTV does per-
mit 'casual business visits’ and will be easier to obtain. If
you do need a business visa, then be prepared to provide a
great deal of documentation about your company in your
home country as well as the company you are visiting in
India. This will include (but may not be limited to) an
invitation letter from the company that you are visiting as
well as business registration documents and possibly tax
returns and other sensitive documents. It may be worth
applying for a short-term visa (such as 6 months) since
the criteria may be less in your case.
There are other categories for specialised purposes . The include ₹500 and ₹1000 notes.
missionary visa is mandatory for anyone who is visit-
ing India “primarily to take part in religious activities”.
This rule is meant to combat religious conversion, partic-
ularly of Hindus to Christianity. There have been cases
where preachers have been deported for addressing re-
ligious congregations while on a tourist visa. You don't
need to be worried if you are just on a religious tour of
churches in India.
If you are on a Student, Employment, Research or Mis- port in 2008. The Hyderabad airport is rated as one of
sionary visa, you need to register within 14 days of ar- the top 5 airports in the 10-15 million category. There
rival with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office are many nonstop, direct and connecting choices to these
where you will be staying. If the place you are staying at cities from Europe, North America, Middle East , Africa
doesn't have one, you need to register at the local police and Australia.
6 GET IN
station. All visitors who intend to stay more than 180
days also need to be registered.
Overstaying a visa is to be avoided at all costs as you will
be prevented from leaving the country until you have paid
some fairly hefty fines and presented a large amount of
paperwork to either the local immigration office or police
station. This whole process is unlikely to take less than 3
days, and can take much longer if you include weekends,
numerous government holidays and the inevitable bizarre
bureaucratic requirements.
6.2 Customs and immigration
Clearing customs can be a bit of a hassle, though it has
improved vastly over the last decade. In general, avoid
the touts who will offer to ease your baggage through
customs. There are various rules regarding duty-free al-
lowances — there are differing rules for Indian citizens,
foreign “tourists”, citizens of Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan,
non-citizens of Indian origin and people moving to India.
Cast a quick glance at the website of the Central Board of
Excise and Customs for information about what you can
bring in. Foreign tourists other than Nepalis, Bhutanese
and Pakistanis and those entering through Nepal, Bhutan
or Pakistan, are entitled to bring in their “used personal
effects and travel souvenirs” and ₹4,000,- worth of ar-
ticles for “gifts”. If you are an Indian citizen or are of
Indian origin, you are entitled to ₹25,000,- worth of ar-
ticles, (provided of course you aren't entering through
Nepal, Bhutan or Pakistan.) The other rules are on the
web site. If you are bringing any new packaged items
along, it is a good idea to carry along the invoices for
them to show their value. You are also allowed to bring
in 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grammes of tobacco
and 1 litre (2 litres for Indians) of alcohol duty-free. If
you do not have anything to declare, you can go through
the green channel clearly marked at various airports and
generally you will not be harassed.
Importing and exporting Indian rupees by foreign nation-
als is theoretically prohibited, although in practice there
are no checks. Indian nationals can import or export up
to ₹7500,- maximum, but on trips to Nepal, this cannot
6.3 By plane
The major points of entry are Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru,
Hyderabad and Chennai. The airports at these cities are
either new or undergoing development. Delhi unveiled its
new international Terminal 3 in time for the 2010 Com-
monwealth Games and Bangalore launched its new air-
6.4 By boat 11

For secondary points of entry to India, consider Goa, from/to Thailand, Air India Express flies from Chennai
Kolkata or the Malabar coast. There are many connec- and Kolkata to Bangkok. Jet Airways, Air India and
tions to the Malabar coast region to cities like Kochi, Thai Airways fly from there to a range of Indian cities
Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram from the Middle as well. Silk Air flies from Singapore to Hyderabad as
East. Most of the major Middle Eastern carriers offer one well. IndiGo, an Indian low-cost-carrier,also offers at-
stop connections to the coast from their Gulf hubs. Goa is tractive fares to Singapore and Bangkok and is a pretty
a favourite European tourist destination and thus is con- good option to consider.
nected by many European charter operators like Condor,
Edelweiss, Monarch Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines and
Thomson Airways. Kolkata is served by Emirates, Qatar 6.4 By boat
Airways, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways.
India has several international ports on its peninsula.
India has homegrown international airlines like Air India,
Kochi, Mumbai, Goa and Chennai are the main ones
Jet Airways, Indigo and SpiceJet There are daily flights to
handling passenger traffic, while the rest mainly handle
major hubs across the world by these airlines. Note that
cargo. However, due to the profusion of cheap flights,
you must carry a printed air ticket in order to take many
there no longer appear to be any scheduled ferry services
domestic flights.
from India to the Middle East. The southern island of
From the United States, United Airlines offers nonstop Minicoy in Lakshadweep islands is now a permitted en-
daily service from Newark to Delhi and Mumbai; Air try point.
India offers daily non-stop service to Delhi from New
Some cruise lines that travel to India include Indian
York JFK and Chicago O'Hare and to Mumbai from
Oceans Eden II and Grand Voyage Seychelles-Dubai.
Newark. American Airlines offers nonstop daily service
from Chicago to Delhi. Various European airlines of-
fer connecting service through their European hubs from
6.5 By train
most major US cities and various Asian airlines offer
connecting service from West Coast cities through their
There are two links from Pakistan. The Samjhauta Ex-
Asian hubs.
press runs from Lahore to Attari near Amritsar in Punjab.
Entries from Europe and Northern America are possible The Thar Express, restarted in February 2006 after 40
using many European airlines such as Lufthansa, Finnair, years out of service, runs from Munabao in the In-
British Airways, KLM, Air France and Virgin Atlantic. dian state of Rajasthan to Khokrapar in Pakistan’s Sindh
For long-term visitors (3–12 months), Swiss Airlines of- province; however, this crossing is not open to foreign
ten have good deals from Switzerland with connecting tourists. Neither train is the fastest, safest or the most
flights from major European and some American cities practical way to go between India and Pakistan due to the
as well. long delay to clear customs and immigration (although the
To save on tickets, consider connecting via Gulf coun- trains are sights in their own right and make for a fasci-
tries, with Air Arabia (Sharjah-based low cost carrier nating trip). Ths Samjhauta express was the victim of a
with some connections to Europe), Etihad (especially if terrorist strike in February 2007, when bombs were set
you need a one-way ticket or are going back to Europe off killing many people. Should you want to get from one
from another Asian country) via Abu Dhabi, as well as country to the other as quickly as possible, walk across at
Emirates via Dubai or Qatar Airways via Doha. Obvi- Attari/Wagah.
ously, these airlines are also the easiest way to come from From Nepal, trains run between Khajuri in Dhanusa dis-
the Gulf countries themselves, along with Indian carri- trict of Nepal and Jaynagar in Bihar, operated by Nepal
ers, Air India, Air India Express, Indigo, Jet Airways and Railways. Neither is of much interest for travellers and
SpiceJet. there are no onward connections into Nepal, so most trav-
From East Asia and Australia, Singapore (which is served ellers opt for the bus or plane instead.
by Air India, its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express, Jet Train services from Bangladesh were suspended for 42
Airways, as well as Singapore Airlines, its subsidiary Silk years, but the Moitree Express started running again be-
Air and low-cost subsidiary Tiger Airways) has arguably tween Dhaka to Kolkata in April 2008. The service is
the best connections with flights to all the major cities biweekly: A Bangledeshi train leaves Dhaka every Sat-
and many smaller ones. As for the cheap way to or from urday, returning on Sunday, while an Indian train leaves
Southeast Asia, Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia is of- Kolkata on Saturdays and returns the next day.
ten the best choice (if booked well in advance, one-way
You can see what trains are available between stations at
ticket price is normally below US$100, sometimes be-
the following sites: http://www.indiarail.gov.in . How-
ing less than US$50, they have connections from China,
ever, for booking of rail tickets through the internet
Australia and most South-east Asian countries). They
you should use the Government of India’s website http:
fly from Kuala Lumpur into New Delhi, Mumbai, Chen-
//www.irctc.co.in. For booking through this site, you
nai, Kolkata, Kochi and Tiruchirapalli. If you're going
have to register (which is free) and you need a credit/debit
12 6 GET IN

card. You can also take the services of many travel agents 6.7.3 From Pakistan
that charge a nominal service fee for booking train tick-
ets. From Pakistan the only land crossing is from Lahore
to Amritsar via the Attari/Wagah border crossing. De-
spite tensions between the two countries, there is a steady
6.6 By car trickle of travellers passing this way. The immigration
procedures are fairly straightforward, but note that nei-
ther Pakistan nor India issue visas at the border. Expect
From Pakistan the only land crossing is from Lahore
to take most of the day to go between Lahore and Amrit-
to Amritsar via the Attari/Wagah border crossing. See
sar on local buses. Normally it’s possible to get a direct
Istanbul to New Delhi over land. You will need a Carnet
bus from Amritsar to the border, walk to the other side
de Passage if crossing with your own vehicle. The process
and catch a direct bus to Lahore, although you may need
is not particularly lengthy - crossing with your own vehi-
to change at some point on route. Amritsar and Lahore
cle from/to Pakistan should take a maximum of 3 hours
are both fairly close to the border (about 30–40 minutes
to clear both borders for you and your vehicle. There are
drive), so taxis are a faster and easier option.
also crossing points with Bangladesh and Nepal.
The direct Delhi-Lahore service has restarted, though it
The Nathu La pass in Sikkim, which borders Tibet in
is far more costly than local buses/trains, not any faster,
China is the only open border crossing between India and
and would mean you miss seeing Amritsar. You will also
China. For now though, only traders are allowed to cross
be stuck at the border for much longer while the bus is
the border, and it is still not open to tourists. Special per-
searched and all of the passengers go through immigra-
mits are required to visit the pass from either side.
tion.
There is now a bus service across the 'Line of control'
between Indian and Pakistani Kashmir; however, it is not
6.7 By bus
open to foreign tourists.
Tour from bus is possible from neighbouring nations of
Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. 6.7.4 From Bangladesh

From Bangladesh there are a number of land entry points

6.7.1 From Nepal
• From Nepal buses cross the border daily, usu-
ally with connections to New Delhi, Lucknow,
Patna and Varanasi. However, it’s cheaper and
more reliable to take one bus to the border cross-
ing and another from there on. The border
crossings are (India/Nepal side) Sunauli/Bhairawa
from Varanasi, Raxaul/Birganj from Patna, Kolkata,
Kakarbhitta from Darjeeling, and Mahendrenagar-
Banbassa from Delhi.
6.7.2 From Bhutan
• The Royal Bhutanese Government runs a service
to/from Phuentsholing. These buses depart from
Kolkata’s Esplanade bus station at 7PM on Tuesday,
Thursday and Saturday and from the Phuentsholing
Bhutan Post office at 3PM on Monday, Wednesday
and Friday. The journey takes around 18 hours and
costs ₹300. The buses are comfortable, but because
much of the highway to Kolkata is like the surface
of the moon, don't bank on getting much sleep on There is also a regular bus service between Dhaka and
the way.
• There is frequent service between Siliguri and ing its vehicles six days a week with a round fare costing
Phuentsholing.
to India. The most common way is the regular air-
conditioned and comfortable bus services from Dhaka
to Kolkata via Haridaspur (India)/Benapole (Bangladesh)
border post. Bus companies 'Shyamoli', 'Shohag', 'Green
Line' and others operate daily bus services under the label
of the state owned West Bengal Surface Transport Ser-
vice Corporation (WBSTSC) and the Bangladesh Road
Transport Corporation (BRTC). From Kolkata 2 buses
leave every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday while from
Dhaka they leave on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The journey usually takes around 12 hours with a one-way
fare of ₹400-450 or BDT600-800, roughly US$8–10.
Another daily bus service by 'Shyamoli' and others
under the BRTC label from Dhaka connects Siliguri,
but the buses in this route do not cross the Changra-
banda/Burimari or Burungamari border post. Rather,
passengers reaching the border have to clear customs,
walk a few hundred yards to cross the border and board
the awaiting connecting buses on the other end for the
final destination. Ticket for Dhaka-Siliguri-Dhaka route
costs BDT 1,600, roughly US$20–25 depending on con-
version rates. Tickets are purchased either in Dhaka or in
Siliguri.
Agartala, capital of Tripura. Two BRTC buses daily from
Dhaka and the Tripura Road Transport Corporation ply-
US$10 connect the two cities. There is only one halt at
7.1 By plane
Ashuganj in Bangladesh during the journey.
Other entry points from Bangladesh are Hili, Chila-
hati/Haldibari, Banglaband border posts for entry to West
Bengal; Tamabil border post for a route to Shillong in
Meghalaya, and some others with lesser known routes to
north-eastern Indian regions.
7 Get around
India is big and there are lots of interesting ways to travel
around it, most of which could not very well be described
as efficient or punctual. Allow considerable buffer time
for any journey with a fixed deadline (e.g. your flight
back), and try to remember that getting there should be
half the fun.
Note that travel in much of the North-East (with the no-
table exception of Assam) and parts of Andaman and
Nicobar, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal will require obtaining
a Protected Area Permit (PAP). The easiest way to get
one is to request it along with your visa application, in
which case it will be added to your visa. Otherwise, you
will need to hunt down a local Ministry of Home Affairs
office and battle with bureaucracy.
7.1 By plane
Map of airports in India
India’s large size and uncertain roads make flying a viable
option, especially as prices have tumbled in the last few
years. Even India’s offshore islands and remote moun-
tain states are served by flights, the main exceptions being
Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh (although crossing over
13
from neighbouring states is fairly easy). Due to the avia-
tion boom over the last few years, airports have not been
able to keep up with the air traffic. Most Indian airports
continue to function with one runway and a handful of
boarding gates. Check in and security queues can be quite
long, especially in Delhi and Mumbai. India has recently
built two new international airports in Hyderabad and
Bengaluru, which are modern and well-equipped. Mum-
bai and New Delhi airports have been upgraded. The
newly constructed terminal 3 in the Delhi airport is the
8th largest terminal in the world.
In northern India, particularly Delhi, heavy winter fog
can wreak havoc on schedules, especially during Christ-
mas Season and January, leading to massive delays across
the country. Flights to small airports up in the mountains,
especially to Leh in Ladakh (which is reachable only by
plane for most of the year), are erratic at the best of times.
7.1.1 Airlines
At one time, domestic flights were the monopoly of
the government-owned Indian Airlines, but things have
changed dramatically and now there are quite a few com-
petitors, with prices a traveller’s delight.The main opera-
tors are:
• Air India, India’s state owned carrier. Formerly two
carriers, Indian Airlines (domestic) and Air India
(mainly international). These merged in 2007. Air
India has the largest network in the country and pro-
vides excellent regional connectivity. Service is gen-
erally below par. Their services have been quite a
few times in the past been affected by pilots’ strikes.
Air India also operates low-cost carrier Air India
Express, which flies mainly on trunk routes and to
international destinations in the Gulf and South-East
Asia, and Air India Regional, which flies small air-
craft to obscure places.
• IndiGo Airlines - low cost airline, connecting
around 33 cities throughout the country. Their
planes are new A320s purchased directly from Air-
bus a few years ago at most.
• Jet Airways, full service airline with very good cov-
erage. Now services London (LHR) directly from
Delhi and Mumbai and flights to/from Toronto via
Amsterdam. Their subsidiary Jetlite, formerly Air
Sahara, offers low cost services.
• Go Air, another low cost carrier connecting around
22 cities across the country. Mostly flies from their
Mumbai base.
• SpiceJet, a third low cost airline, serves around 34
domestic destinations.
• Air Asia India, new launched low cost service air-
line
14
• Vistara ,new launched full service airline
Keep in mind, however that in India ,air connectivity is
not all that good considering its vast size. So flying to a
city and taking a train is not a bad idea either.
7.1.2 Fares
The earlier you book, the lower you pay. You will hear
a lot about air tickets at ₹500, but those are promotional
rates for limited seats which are sold out within seconds.
In some other cases, the advertised fare may not include
charges such as passenger service fees, air fuel surcharge
and taxes which will be added subsequently. Nonetheless,
you do get good rates from the budget airlines. Tickets
for small cities will cost more than those for the metros,
because of the spotty coverage noted above. Indian ticket
pricing has not attained the bewildering complexity that
the Americans have achieved, but they are getting there.
As of now, you don't have to worry about higher prices
on weekends, lower prices for round-trips, lower prices
for travel around weekends.
There are two complications for non-Indians trying to buy
plane tickets:
1. Many airlines have higher fares for foreigners
than for Indians. Foreigners (“non-residents”) will
be charged in US dollars, whereas Indians will be 7.2 By train
charged in rupees. In practice, you can simply pre-
tend to be Indian when booking online as the check-
in desk will rarely if ever care, but you are still run-
ning a small risk if you do this. When possible it’s
best to patronize those airlines that do not follow this
practice.
2. Many online booking sites and some of the low-
cost carriers reject non-Indian credit cards. Read
the small print before you start booking, or book
directly with the airline or through a bricks-and-
mortar travel agency instead.
7.1.3 Check in
Checking in at Indian airports tends to be slow, involv- The Delhi Metro
ing lots of queues and multiple security checks. A few
pointers to smooth your way:
• Arrive at least two hours before departure if trav-
elling from the major airports. (For domestic flights
from minor airports, 60 or 90 minutes before is
fine.) The new rule dictates that check-in closes
45 minutes before departure time and boarding gate
closes 25 minutes before departure. Though the
original boarding might take longer, this rule is now
being strictly implemented widely to avoid delays in
flight departures.
7 GET AROUND
• Bring a print-out of your ticket or a soft copy
of your ticket and a government-issued id, or else
you are not allowed to enter the airport. They are
checked and matched compulsorily at the airport en-
try gate by security guards. If you possess neither a
printout or a soft copy, you can get a copy at the air-
line offices just outside the airport entry gate. Some
airlines have started to charge for this privilege.
• Most older airports require that you screen your
checked bags before check-in, usually at a stand
near the entrance. In high-security airports like
Jammu, Srinagar or anywhere in the Northeast, even
carry-on baggage needs to be screened. In fact all
carry on baggage will be screened by an X-ray scan-
ner and at the discretion of the security personnel,
physically too.
Don't hesitate to ask someone if you are unsure. Most
staff in airports are very helpful to passengers and will
take pains to ensure you catch your flight. There are sepa-
rate queues for passengers travelling light (without check-
in baggage) and these queues are usually less crowded.
Different airlines have different standards for what they
allow as cabin baggage, so err on the side of caution, es-
pecially if you are travelling by a low-cost airline. Usually
the allowed free baggage limit is 15 kg on most airlines.
See also: Rail travel in India
Railways were introduced in India in 1853, more than
one and half a century ago by the British, and today India
boasts of the biggest network of railway lines in the world,
and the rail system is very efficient, if rarely on schedule.
Travelling on Indian Railways gives you the opportunity
to discover first hand the landscape and beauty of India,
and is generally more economical than flying domestic. It
is one of the safest ways of travel in India. With classes
7.2 By train 15

ranging from luxurious to regular, it’s the best way to get Tourism Development Corporation and Indian Railways
to know the country and its people. Most train passengers to promote Rajasthan as a global tourist destination. The
will be curious about you and happy to pass the time with venture turned out to be a great success among overseas
a chat. If you are on a budget, travelling on an overnight travellers and a few decades later more such train jour-
sleeper train will reduce a night’s stay at a hotel. neys followed.
At present there are 5 trains offering 12 signature jour-
7.2.1 Regular trains neys across major tourist destinations in India. Operated
jointly by Indian Railways and respective state tourism
Trains come in many varieties, but the broad hierarchy departments, luxury trains in India offer a wonderful way
from luxurious to normal is as follows: to experience the sights in India without having to worry
about the hassles of travel and accommodation. Jour-
1. Rajdhani Express neys on board these trains are all inclusive of accom-
modation, dining, sightseeing, transportation and porter
2. Shatabdi Express charges. Each of these luxury trains are equipped with
state of the art amenities such as live television, individ-
3. Duronto Express ual climate control, restaurant, bar, lounges and cabins
4. Jan Shatabdi Express with electronic safe and attached bathrooms.
Mentioned below is the brief overview of the Indian Lux-
5. Garib Rath Express ury Trains:
6. Superfast Trains
• Palace on Wheels, — The Palace on Wheels offer
7. Mail/Express Trains 7 nights/8 days itinerary starting from US $520 and
carry the guests on a weeklong voyage across royal
8. Fast Passenger Trains destinations in Rajasthan. All destinations included
9. Passenger Trains in the itinerary happen to be former princely states
of Rajputana. The destinations covered in Palace
10. Local/suburban trains on Wheels train itinerary are Jaipur, Ranthambore,
Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharat-
The 'Rajdhani' & 'Shatabdi' trains are the most luxuri- pur, Agra and Delhi and includes sightseeing of
ous and fastest trains on Indian Railways. They are com- forts, palaces along with a dash of wildlife, heritage
pletely air-conditioned and have breakfast, lunch, evening and cultural interactions.
tea and dinner included in your ticket price. The food is
served at your seat during travel. Most of these trains also • Maharajas’ Express, — Dubbed as the most lux-
have modern German designed LHB coaches which are urious train of Asia, Maharajas Express is an in-
extremely comfortable and luxurious The 'Rajdhani' Ex- ternationally acclaimed and award winning luxury
press trains are fast long distance overnight that connect train in India. Maharajas’ Express also happens to
regional state capitals to the national capital New Delhi. be the latest luxury train to be introduced in India.
The 'Shatabdi' Express trains are fast short distance day- It has created significant buzz in the global luxury
time intercity trains that connect important cities in a travel segment owing to its refined interior, intricate
region, for example two adjacent states’ capitals. The decor, world class facilities and impeccable service.
'Duronto' Express (introduced in 2009) are fast long- It is the only luxury train which offers accommo-
distance “point to point” non stop trains that directly con- dation in presidential suite spanning over an entire
nect, without stopping, two important cities located far carriage. Redefining the art of elegant travelling in
apart. These trains have no commercial halts on their India, Maharajas’ Express train offers 5 rail journeys
way but only operational halts for maintenance and crew across tastefully selected tourist destinations in In-
changes. The 'Garib Rath' literally means the chariot of dia,. The itineraries include 3 pan-Indian programs
the poor, and it is a good option for those who want to along with 2 golden triangle short tours. The jour-
use good facilities at low cost. neys offered by this Indian luxury train are classified
as the Heritage of India, The Indian Panorama, The
Indian Splendor, Treasures of India and the Gems
7.2.2 Luxury trains of India. State of the art amenities, elegant inte-
riors, refined luxury and impeccable service along
Although the history of luxury train travelling in India with technology such as pneumatic hydraulic sus-
dates back to the time of maharajas during the days of pension system add to the pampering and class of
British Raj, the modern history of this mode of trans- this marvelous rail tour in India.
portation dates back to 1982 with the introduction of
India’s first luxury train Palace on Wheels. Palace on • Deccan Odyssey, — Second luxury train to be in-
Wheels was introduced as a joint venture of the Rajasthan troduced in India after the Palace on Wheels, Dec-
16 7 GET AROUND

can Odyssey train journey covers destinations across 7.2.3 Classes

two Indian states of Maharashtra and Goa. The
Deccan Odyssey train offers a weeklong journey Most countries offer two classes of service, but India has
which crisscrosses through the fascinating terrains no less than seven to choose from. In descending order
of Western Ghats and the Konkan Coast. Included of cost & luxury, they are:
in the itinerary is the trip to coastal fortress town
of Sindhudurg, Ajanta and Ellora rock cut caves, • Long-distance
Tarkali Beaches and Old Goa and Vasco among oth-
ers. The all inclusive tariff of the Deccan Odyssey • AC First (1A)
starts from US $425 per person per night on triple • AC 2 Tier (2A)
on triple occupancy basis during the peak season and
• AC 3 Tier (3A)
US $315 for the same during lean season (April and
September run). • Sleeper Class (SL)
• Short-distance
• The Golden Chariot, — The Golden Chariot • AC Chair Car (CC)
is the only luxury train offering two train tour • Second Class Chair Car (2S)
itineraries in South India. The itineraries are
named the Pride of the South and The Splendor of • Unreserved
the South. Whereas the Pride of the South tour
itinerary covers destinations in Karnataka along with • General compartments (GS)
a halt the India’s most prominent beach destina-
tion Goa, the Splendor of the South Itinerary of- Not all classes are available on all trains: for example,
fers tours to tastefully selected destinations across Chair Cars are usually found only on short-distance day-
South India. Destinations covered during the 8 time trains, while the sleeper classes are only found on
days itinerary of the Splendor of the South aboard overnight journeys.
the Golden Chariot include Bangalore, Chennai, Full information about this classes is here.
Pondicherry, Thanjavur, Madurai, Thiruvanantha-
puram, Alleppey and Kochi. Both journeys include
a dash of cultural sights, World Heritage Sites, local 7.2.4 Different types of trains
interactions and wildlife.
Basically there are five types of trains:

• Royal Rajasthan on Wheels — Equipped with • Passenger Trains are slow trains that stop in all sta-
modern amenities such as Wi-Fi internet, direct dial tions including very small stations.
phones, Spa and satellite television, Royal Rajasthan
on Wheels offer royal ride across destinations in Ra- • Fast Passenger Trains are passenger trains that
jasthan along with stops in Varanasi, Khajuraho and skip smaller stations and offer the same fare struc-
Agra. ture.
• Express Trains stop only at major railway stations
and charge higher than Passenger trains.
• The Indian Maharaja — This train happens to
be the India’s first privately managed luxury train. • Superfast Trains skip some of the major stations
Winner of the coveted World Travel Awards in the and charge even higher than Express Trains.
category of Asia’s Leading Luxury Train, the In-
• Rajadhani and Shadabdhi Trains are elite trains
dian Maharaja takes guests on a weeklong adven-
that offer only air conditioned coaches. They stop
ture through several exotic destinations covering the
only at selected stations. The fare is quite high be-
vast expanse of Western, Central and North India.
cause all food is included.
Destinations included in the itinerary of this lux-
ury train are Mumbai, Aurangabad, Udaipur, Sawai
Modhopur, Jaipur, Agra and Delhi. The train is 7.2.5 Train Fare
equipped with two dining cars serving fine Indian
and Continental cuisine and catering and hospitality The average fare for a 200 km distance for different
on board is managed by the prestigious Taj Group classes is given below :
of hotels. To add to the luxury of the journey facili-
ties such as a library, gymnasium and beauty parlour • First Class AC: ₹1,200
along with Wi-Fi internet and large screen live TVs
are available on board. • Two Tier AC: ₹617
7.3 By taxi 17

• Three Tier AC: ₹430 It is sometimes difficult to book Tatkal tickets online be-
cause of excess amount of traffic on Indian railway web-
• AC Chair Car: ₹203 site. Indian railway recently launched E-wallet facility
which enables user to keep money on Indian railway web-
• Sleeper Class: ₹120 site for faster booking of tickets. This facility reduces
the time of ticket booking because users skips the pay-
• Second class seat in Express train: ₹70 ment gateway processing time. It is very fast to book
tickets using E-wallet facility. You may also need IFSC
• Second class seat in Passenger train: ₹30 Code to transfer fund to Ewallet, but now you can also
pay using your debit cards, credits cards, internet bank-
ing, etc. IFSC Code generally stands for Indian Financial
7.2.6 Ticketing System code which uniquely identifies bank branches in
India, IFSC code is required to transfer money online in
Trains tend to fill up early. Tickets can be reserved up to India. You can easily find IFSC Code using IFSC Code
4 months in advance. School summer vacation time — finder
mid-April to mid-June — is peak season for the railways,
which means that you may need to book well in advance.
Other festival days, long weekends or holidays may see a 7.2.7 Meals
similar rush.
Booking tickets from the railway website can be a frus- Most long distance night trains(though not all) have a
trating and character-building experience due to its poor pantry car and if you are in the sleeper or air-con classes,
user interface, frequent timeouts and crashes. Allow you can buy meals on board the train. The pantry staff
plenty of time and draw upon your reserves of patience. will visit your seat before meal timings to take down your
Also, be prepared to see your money get deducted from order. However mostly the pantry car meals aren't re-
your credit card or bank account and the ticket not come ally good in quality or taste. The Railways are concerned
through. You will have to wait 3 days for the refund. about the bad quality of pantry car meals and efforts are
Also, try not to book normal tickets during 09:00 to underway to improve things, but do not count on it as yet.
12:00, as traffic to the website would be much higher due If you are finicky, bring enough food for the journey in-
to tatkal reservation time and cause much higher failure cluding delays: bananas, bread, and candy bars are good
rate. basics to have. You can purchase bottled waters, colas,
packaged snacks or biscuits from the pantry staff, who
Tickets are also available from counters at most railway keep circulating them going from one coach to another.
stations. Rail passes are also available, and are called At most stations hawkers selling tea, peanuts, and snack
Indrail passes. Details of facility available for tourists food and even complete meals will go up and down the
from abroad are available at the official website of the train. Most stations will have vendors selling all kinds of
Indian Railways edible stuff. So you can also get down on the station plat-
form to look for food , but make sure you know well, the
stoppage timing of the train at that station. Note that in
the most luxurious 'Rajdhani' & 'Shatabdi' trains, meals
are included in your ticket price and served at your seat
during travel. There are no dining cars in Indian Railways
except in select luxury trains.

7.3 By taxi

There was a time when the metered taxi was unheard of

outside India’s largest cities, and when it could be found,
getting one that would take you to your destination and
charge you the right rate was a rare event. This situation
Sandwiches at the kitchen coach
has undergone a drastic change for the better in the past
One day before the departure date of a train the Tatkal few years, with many companies offering taxi services.
quota seats become available. Tatkal accounts for about Prominent among these are Meru, Ola, Taxi for sure and
10% of the total number of seats. This allows tourists Easy Cabs. Uber too can be found in some cities of India.
who like to plan a trip as they go to book seats closer to In central locations of big cities like airports or stations
the day of departure, for an extra fee. However booking reliable pre-paid taxis are available and will save you
for this service online or in person is an even more fraught money as well as the bargaining hassle. These pre-paid
experience. taxi booth are managed by local traffic police officials,
18 7 GET AROUND

prefer to use this facility where ever available to avoid in- in advance), and have limited stops, making them well
convenience. However, beware of touts who would claim worth the slight extra expense. But even these better-class
themselves to be running pre-paid taxis. Always collect buses rarely have toilets and make occasional snack and
the receipt from the counter first. The receipt has two toilet breaks.
parts - one part is for your reference and the other part Private buses may or may not be available in the area you
you will need to handover to the taxi driver only after you are travelling to, and even if they are, the quality could
reach your desired destination. The taxi driver will get his vary a lot. Be warned that many of the private buses, es-
payment by submitting or producing this other part to the pecially long-distance lines, play music and/or videos at
pre-paid taxi counter. Be aware that the taxi driver may
ear-splitting volume. Even with earplugs it can be nerve-
not know how to get to your destination, and will not tell wracking. Restrooms are available in large bus stations
you this beforehand. This may result in the taxi stopping
but are crowded. Unfortunately, the bus industry is ex-
at various points during the journey as the driver gets out tremely fragmented and there are few operators who
to ask for directions. Insist on being taken to your origi-
offer services in more than 2 or 3 neighbouring states.
nal destination, and not a substitute offered by the driver Travel agents usually only offer seats on private buses.
(e.g. a different hotel).
However, long distance bus operators such as Raj Na-
Normal taxis running by meter are usually more common. tional Express and KPN Travels are currently beginning
to roll out their operations across the country modelled on
the lines of the Greyhound service in the Unites States.
7.4 By bus Their services are good and they provide entertainment
on board.
Regardless of class of travel, all buses have to contend
with the poor state of Indian highways and the havoc of
Indian traffic which usually makes them slower, less com-
fortable and less safe than trains. Night buses are partic-
ularly hazardous, and for long-distance travel it’s wise to
opt for sleeper train services instead.
It is recommended to book your bus ticket online for
your own ease. For searching available bus options be-
tween any routes and booking tickets online, use on-
line Indian travel portals like Redbus, Travelyaari,
Buskiraya Makemytrip etc.

Ordinary-class Himachal Road Transport Co bus, Dharamsala

7.5 By car
While you can't take a cross-country bus-ride across In-
dia, buses are the second most popular way of travelling Our itinerary article Grand Trunk Road describes one
across states and the only cheap way of reaching many of India’s major roads, running east-west through the
places not on the rail network (e.g. Dharamsala). Ganges valley and west across northern Pakistan to
Kabul.
Every state has its own public bus service, usually named
"X Road Transport Corporation” (or XRTC) or "X State
Transport Corporation” (or XSTC) which primarily con- 7.5.1 Driving on your own
nects intrastate routes, but will also have services to neigh-
bouring states. There are usually multiple classes of In India driving is on the left of the road — at least most
buses. The ordinary buses (called differently in differ- of the time. You can drive in India if you have a local li-
ent states, e.g. “service bus”) are extremely crowded with cence or an International Driving Permit, but unless you
even standing room rarely available (unless you're among are accustomed to driving on extremely chaotic streets,
the first on board) as reservations are not possible and they you probably will not want to. The average city or vil-
tend to stop at too many places. On the upside, they're lage road is narrow, often potholed and badly marked.
very cheap, with even a 5-6 hour journey rarely costing National Highways are better, but they are still narrow,
over ₹100. and Indian driving discipline is non-existent. In the past
In addition to ordinary public buses, there are luxury or few years the Central government has embarked on an
express buses available, and most have air-conditioning ambitious project to upgrade the highways. The Golden
now-a-days. Some state transport corporations have even Quadrilateral connecting the four largest cities of Chen-
introduced “Volvo” brand buses on some routes which are nai, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata with four-laned high-
extremely luxurious and comfortable. These better class ways has been completed and is of a reasonable standard.
“express” or “luxury” buses have assured seating (book Some of it is of an international standard but that cannot
7.6 By motorcycle 19

be said for all of it. However, improving the quality of
the roads does not improve the way in which people drive
and it is very dangerous to drive on the roads in India as
people drive as they like without regard to any rules (rules
do exist but are almost never enforced).
Make sure you can trust your driver before you leave your
goods with him. If he shows any suspicious motives or
behavior make sure you keep your bags with you. Con-
versely, if your driver is very friendly and helpful, it is a
nice gesture to buy him a little something to eat or drink
when stopping for food. They will really appreciate this.

7.5.2 Hiring driver with car Your driver may in some cases act as a tout, offering to
take you to businesses from which he gets baksheesh (a
Instead, if you desire going by a car, opt for driver while sort of commission). This isn't necessarily a bad thing -
renting the car. Rates are quoted in rupees per kilome- he may help you find just what you're looking for, and
ter and you will have to pay for both ways even if you add a little bit to his paltry income at the same time.
are going only one way. The driver’s salary is low (typ- On the other hand, you should always evaluate for your-
ically around ₹100-150 per day) that it adds little to the self whether you are being sold on a higher-cost prod-
cost of renting the car. The driver will find his own ac- uct than you want. Also, many times, these places that
commodation and food wherever you are travelling, al- supply commissions to the driver (especially restaurants)
though it is customary to give him some money to buy may not always be the best or most sanitary, so use your
some food when you stop somewhere to eat. A com- judgement. Avoid touts on the road posing as guides that
mon rental vehicle is the legendary Hindustan Motors your driver may stop for because he gets a commission
Ambassador, which is essentially an Indian-made copy of from them; supporting them only promotes this unpleas-
the 1956 Morris Oxford: it’s large, boxy, with space for ant practice. The driver might ask for a tip at the end of
5 passengers (including driver) and a decent-sized boot. the trip. Pay him some amount (₹100/day is generally
However, the Tata Indica (a hatchback) and Tata Indigo sufficient) and don't let him guilt-trip you into paying too
(a small saloon) are now replacing the Ambassador as the much.
cheap car of choice. Imported international models may If you rent a car for a trip to a remote destination, make
be available at a premium. If the number of people trav- sure before getting out that you will recognize the driver
elling together is large, popular rental vehicles are Tata and write down the license plate number and his phone
Sumo, Mahindra Xylo and Toyota Innova. The larger ve- number (nearly all drivers have mobile phones). Touts at
hicles are suitable if you are travelling in larger groups or tourist areas will may try to mislead you into getting into
have excess luggage. Many vehicles come equipped with the wrong car when you leave; if you fall for this you will
a roof carrier, so one may opt for a smaller vehicle for 2- certainly be ripped off, and possibly much worse such as
3 passengers even with excess luggage. (Note: You may sexual assault if you are female traveller.
need to specifically ask for a vehicle with a roof carrier)
Be wary of reckless driving when renting a car with a
There are numerous advantages to having a car and driver. driver. Do not be afraid to tell the driver that you have
time to see around and that you are not in a hurry. Indian
• A good local driver is the safest means of car travel. highways can be extremely dangerous. Make sure also that
your driver gets enough rest time and time to eat. In gen-
• You can keep your bags and shopping goods with eral as you visit restaurants, the driver may eat at the same
you securely wherever you go. time (either separately at the same restaurant or at some
other nearby place). He may be willing to work nonstop
• The driver will often have some knowledge of local for you as you are the “boss”, but your life depends on
tourist destinations. his ability to concentrate, so ensure that your driving de-
mands are reasonable; for example, if you decide to carry
• A car is the quickest and most reliable means of go-
your own food with you on the road, be sure to offer your
ing from point to point. After the initial agreement
driver time to get a lunch himself.
you needn't spend any time finding further transport,
or haggling over price. Avoid travel at night. Indian roads are dimly lit if at all,
and there are even more hazards on the road after dark —
• You can stop anywhere you like, and change plans even highway bandits if you get far enough off the beaten
at the last minute. track.
• Driving around India is chaotic as traffic rules are
routinely violated, and it is best that someone with 7.6 By motorcycle
experience of driving in India drives you around.
Some people point out that the best way to experience
It is rare to find a driver that speaks more than a few words India is on a motorbike. Riding a motorbike and travel-
of English. As a result, misunderstandings are common. ling across India you get the closer look and feel of India
Keep sentences short. Use the present tense. Use single with all the smells and sounds added. There are Compa-
words and hand gestures to convey meaning. nies which organise packaged tours or tailor made tours
20 7 GET AROUND

for Enthusiastic bikers and adventurous travellers for a

safer motorbike experience of India. Blazing Trails tours,
Wild Experience tours and Extreme Bike tours are the
known names in the market.
Another choice, popular with people who like taking
risks, is to buy a motorcycle. Not for the faint of heart
or inexperienced rider. India boasts the highest motor
vehicle accident rate in the world.
The Royal Enfield is a popular (some would say, the only)
choice for its classic looks and macho mystique. This
despite its high petrol consumption, 25 km/litre to 30
km/litre, supposed low reliability (it is “classic” 1940s
engineering after all and requires regular service adjust- A typical Indian autorickshaw, Andaman Islands
ment; you can find an Enfield mechanic who has worked
on this bike for ten, twenty, thirty years in every town in
India, who will perform miracles at about ₹100 an hour
labour cost), and claimed difficulty to handle (actually the
bike handles beautifully, but may be a wee heavy and seat
high for some).
in color, with one wheel in the front and two in the back,
Or, one can opt for the smaller yet quicker and more fuel with a leather or soft plastic top.
efficient bikes. They can range from 100 cc to the newly
When getting an auto-rickshaw, you can either negotiate
launched 220 cc bikes. Three most popular bike manu-
the fare or go by the meter. In almost all cases it is better
facturers are Hero, Bajaj and Honda. The smaller vari-
to use the meter—a negotiated fare means that you are
ants (100-125 cc) can give you a mileage exceeding 50
being charged a higher than normal rate. A metered fare
km/litre on the road, while giving less power if one is
starts around ₹13(different for different areas), and in-
opting to drive with pillion on the highways. The bigger
cludes the first 1 to 2 kilometres of travel. Never get in
variants (150-220 cc) are more powerful and one can get
an auto-rickshaw without either the meter being turned
a feel of the power especially on highways - the mileage
on, or the fare negotiated in advance. In nearly all cases
is lesser for these bikes anywhere between 35 km/litre to
the driver will ask an exorbitant sum (for Indian stan-
45 km/litre.
dards) from you later. A normal fare would be ₹11-12
Preferably tourists should go for second hand bikes rather for the first km and ₹7-8 per km after that. In most of
than purchasing new ones. The smaller 100 cc variants the cities, auto-rickshaw drivers are provided with a rate
can be purchased for anywhere between ₹15,000-25,000 card that elaborately describes the fares on per kilome-
depending on the year of make and condition of vehicle. tre basis. A careful tourist must verify the meter-reading
The bigger ones can be brought from ₹30,000 onwards. against the rate-card before making a payment. Auto-
rickshaws carry either digital or analog meters wherein
the analog meters may have been tampered with. It may
7.7 By hitch hiking be a better option to go for a negotiated fare when the
auto-rickshaw has an analogue meter.
Hitch hiking in India is very easy due to the enormous
Ideally, you should talk with a local to find out what the
number of cargo trucks on every highway and road. Most
fare for any estimated route will be. Higher rates may ap-
drivers do not speak English or any other international
ply at night, and for special destinations such as airports.
language; however, most have a very keen sense of where
Finally, factor in that auto drivers may have to pay bribes
the cities and villages are located along the road. It is rare
to join the queue for customers at premium location such
for any of them to expect payment.
as expensive hotels. The bribe will be factored in the fare.
Make sure that the driver knows where he is going. Many
7.8 By auto-rickshaw autorickshaw drivers will claim to know the destination
without really having any clue as to where it is. If you
The auto-rickshaw, usually abbreviated and referred to as know something about the location, quiz them on it to
auto and sometimes as rickshaw, is the most common screen out the liars. If you do not know much about the
means of hired transportation in India. They are very location, make them tell you in no uncertain terms that
handy for short-distance travel in cities, especially since they know where it is. This is because after they get lost
they can weave their way through small alleys to bypass and drive all over the place, they will often demand extra
larger cars stuck in travel jams, but are not very suitable payment for their own mistake. You can then tell them
for long distances. Most are green and yellow, due to the that they lied to you, and wasted your time, so they should
new CNG gas laws, and some may be yellow and black be happy to get the agreed-upon fee.

7.9 Addresses
If you need to get anywhere, call in advance and ask for
detailed directions. Bear in mind that street signs in In-
dia tend to be rare or nonexistent outside the cities. Postal
addresses will often carry landmark details “Opp. Prithvi
theatre” or “Behind Maruti Showroom” or “near temple /
church / mosque / bank branch / police station / school” to
ease the search. Unlike the western system of address, the
Indian system uses plot number or house number, street,
road followed by landmark and the location pin code in-
stead of street name and block number. Finding a place
will usually involve some searching, but you will always
find someone around the area willing to guide you. Un-
like many other countries, Indians ask passers-by, nearby
shopkeepers or cops for guidance on street addresses. So
you may do the same, people would be happy to help. Us-
ing Google maps with GPS works well most of the times
in major cities but at times may not be accurate due to in-
correct spelling of road or incorrect positioning on map.
7.10 Inner Line permit
Inner Line Permit is an official travel document issued by
the Government of India to allow inward travel of an In-
dian citizen into a protected/restricted area for a limited
period. It is obligatory for Indian citizens from outside
those states to obtain permit for entering into the pro-
tected state. The document is an effort by the Govern-
ment to regulate movement to certain areas located near
the international border of India. This is a security mea-
sure and it is applicable for the following states:
• Arunachal Pradesh – permits are issued by the Sec-
retary of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh.
The permits are required for entering the Indian
state of Arunachal Pradesh through any of the check
gates across the inter-state border with Assam or
Nagaland. Permits are obtained at Arunachal Bha-
van in all major cities. Permits are given to specific
districts and therefore plan the itinerary before ap-
plying for district entry permits. Check points at ev-
ery district border only allow locals and permit hold-
ers.
• Mizoram – permits are issued by the Government
of Mizoram. The permit is required for entering the
Indian state of Mizoram through any of the check
gates across the inter-state borders.
• Nagaland – a permit is mandatory for a mainland
Indian citizen entering the state of Nagaland through
any of the check gates across the inter-state borders.
• Sikkim - a permit required for the recently opened
'Nathu La' Pass which was an important passage of
silk route in medieval era and now a part of border Red Fort, Delhi
21
between India and China. Foreigners are not pro-
vided the permits. Only Indian citizens are allowed
beyond the point. Further permits for high altitude
regions like 'Lachung-Lachen' along with a high al-
titude lake called 'Gurudongmar Lake' can be ob-
tained from Gangtok directly. Foreigners may be
allowed. Another point known as 'Zero Point' also
requires permits.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands - non-Indians need a
Restricted Area Permit to visit the islands, but these
are now issued on arrival at the Port Blair airport; if
you plan to arrive by sea, you'll need to arrange your
permit before arrival, either in Chennai or when ap-
plying for your Indian visa. Indian nationals do not
require a permit to visit the Andamans, but permits
are required to visit Nicobar Islands and other tribal
areas, and are rarely given.
8 See
To see all the places worth visiting in India, even a
6-month visit is arguably inadequate. There are more
tourist destinations in India than can be mentioned in a
full-length book, let alone a summary. Almost every state
in India has over ten major tourist destinations and there
are cities which can barely be tasted in a full week. Sev-
eral Indian states by themselves are bigger and more pop-
ulous than most of the countries in the world, and there
are 29 states and 7 Union Territories in India, including
two island chains outside the Mainland.
That said, below are some highlights.
8.1 Historical monuments and forts
Probably the most famous single attraction in India is the
Taj Mahal, which is widely recognized as the jewel of
Islamic art in India and one of the universally admired
masterpieces of the world’s heritage.
22 8 SEE

The Qutb Minar and the impressive Red Fort are the 8.3 Geographical
two most prominent historical monuments in Delhi.
Jaipur, the capital of the western state of Rajasthan, is
incredibly rich in forts and palaces, including the tremen-
dous Amber Fort, beautiful Jal Mahal (Water Palace)
and unique Hawa Mahal.
Nalanda in Bihar has the remains of a university of Bud-
dhism that was established in 450 CE.
For a rather different and more modern kind of histor-
ical monument, the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad,
founded by the Mahatma himself, is a repository of all
things Gandhi.

8.2 Houses of worship

Munshi Ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi
No visit to India would be complete without a trip to
some of the country’s fantastic temples. All regions of
the country are replete with temples. The city of Jammu, India is a very geographically varied country. In the north
the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir state, has so of the country, one can see the Himalayas, the Earth’s
many temples that it’s called the “City of Temples” and highest mountain range. There are hilly areas in many
is a major draw for Hindu pilgrims. Bishnupur in West non-Himalayan states, too. In India, hill stations —
Bengal is home to famous terracotta temples. The Sri towns in the cooler areas in foothills or high valleys sur-
Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, is rounded by mountains, which were favored by rajas, then
dedicated to Vishnu and is also a major draw for pil- the British and now Indian tourists in the hot summer
grims. The Tantric temple complexes of Khajuraho months — are considered sights and experiences in them-
in Madhya Pradesh are much beloved for their thousand- selves. The largest of them is Jammu and Kashmir’s sum-
year-old sacred erotic wall carvings, considered by some mer capital, Srinagar, but Darjeeling, in view of Mount
art historians to be the pinnacle of erotic art. The Kangchenjunga in the northern part of West Bengal, is
Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, very famous for its tea. Other famous hill stations include
is a centre of worship of Parvati, the consort of Shiva. Shimla, Ooty and Gangtok, and there are many others —
The city of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu known for its grand most states have some.
Chola-era temples. India is also a country of numerous rivers. Several of
Hinduism is not the only religion represented among the them are traditionally considered holy, but especially the
great temples of India. The world headquarters of the Ganges, locally known as Ganga, which brings life to the
Sikh religion are in the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Indian Plains, India’s breadbasket, and is not just an im-
Punjab. Leh and environs, in the Kashmiri region of pressive body of water but a centre of ritual ablutions,
Ladakh, are one of a number of areas that have splen- prayer and cremation. There are several holy cities along
did Buddhist temples or monasteries. The Ranakpur the river that have many temples, but they are often less
Temple in the small Rajasthani town of Ranakpur is an places of pilgrimage to specific temples than holy cities
impressive and historic Jain temple. whose temples have grown because of the ghats (steps
India’s second-largest religion in adherents after Hin- leading down to the holy river) and most interesting to
duism is Islam, and many parts of India were ruled visit for the overall experience of observing or partaking
by Muslim dynasties for hundreds of years, so it’s not in the way of life and death along the river. Foremost
surprising that India is also home to many magnificent among these holy cities is Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, where
mosques. Some of them, like the mosque in the Taj, are some 5,000-year-old rituals are still practiced; other cities
part of historical monuments. One impressive mosque worth visiting to experience the Ganges include Rishikesh
that’s very much in use to this day is the lovely 17th- and Haridwar, much further upstream.
century Jama Masjid in Old Delhi. Hyderabad in the India also has a long coastline. The beaches of Goa, also
south has several historical mosques, including Charmi- an interesting former Portuguese colony; Kochi; and the
nar Masjid and Mecca Masjid. Andaman Islands are among the most appreciated by do-
There are also notable churches in various Indian cities, mestic and foreign visitors.
and the dwindling ancient Jewish community of Kochi, Finally, India has a vast desert, the Thar Desert in
Kerala, continues to use their famous synagogue, which Rajasthan. Several Rajasthani cities including Jaisalmer
is a tourist attraction nowadays. are good bases for camel safaris.
9.2 Sports
8.4 Wildlife
India is famous for its wildlife, including the Bengal
tigers, Asiatic lions and elephants. The Bandhavgarh
National Park in Madhya Pradesh and Ranthambhore
National Park in Rajasthan are the most likely places
for you to spot an Indian tiger in the wild, though you will
still have to have some luck and persistence. Gir Forest
National Park in Gujarat is dedicated to the preserva- 9.2 Sports
tion of Asiatic lions. Sundarbans National Park is the
largest mangrove forest and delta in the world, home to
the famous Royal Bengal tigers and estuarine crocodiles
but also fascinating as an overall ecosystem.
9 Do
9.1 Fairs and festivals
Goa Fair (carnival). February heralds the carnival at
Goa. For three days and nights the streets come alive
with color. Held in mid February the week-long event
is a time for lively processions, floats, the strumming of
guitars, graceful dances and of non-stop festivity. One of
the more famous of Indian carnivals, the Goa Festival is
a complete sell out in terms of tourism capacities.
Surajkund Mela (1–15 February). As spring glides in,
full of warmth and vibrancy, leaving the grey winter be-
hind, Surajkund adorns itself with colourful traditional
crafts of India. Craftsmen from all over the country as-
semble at Surajkund during the first fortnight of February
to participate in the annual celebration that is the Sura-
jkund Crafts Mela.
Holi. The Spring Festival of India, Holi is a festival of
colours. Celebrated in March or April, according to the
Hindu calendar, it was meant to welcome spring and win
the blessings of Gods for good harvests and fertility of
the land. As with all Hindu festivals, there are many in-
teresting legends attached to Holi, the most popular being
that of Prince Prahlad, who was a devout follower of Lord
Vishnu. It is the second most important festival of India
after Diwali. Holi in India is a festival of fun and frolic
and has been associated with the immortal love of Kr-
ishna and Radha. The exuberance and the festivity of the
season are remarkable.
Diwali. The festival of lights, Diwali, illuminates
the darkness of the New Year’s moon, and is said to
strengthen close friendships and knowledge with a self-
realisation. Diwali is celebrated on a nation-wide scale
on Amavasya – the 15th day of the dark fortnight of the
Hindu month of Ashwin (Oct/Nov) every year. It sym-
bolises that age-old culture of India which teaches to van-
quish ignorance that subdues humanity and to drive away
darkness that engulfs the light of knowledge. The festival
of lights still today projects the rich and glorious past of
India.
23
Pushkar Mela. Every November the sleepy little town-
ship of Pushkar in Rajasthan comes alive in a riot of
colours and a frenzied burst of activity during the Pushkar
Fair. Few fairs in the world can match the liveliness of
Pushkar. It includes the world’s largest camel fair, but is
much more than that.
• Cricket. India is a cricket-obsessed country and
cricket is in the blood of most Indians. India plays an
important role in world cricket and has been world
champion twice in the ICC Cricket World Cup, in
1983 beating the mighty West Indies in the final and
most recently in 2011 defeating Sri Lanka. India
also emerged triumphant in the inaugural ICC T20
World Cup in 2007 held in South Africa beating
arch-rival Pakistan in a nail-biting final. The popu-
larity of cricket in India is second to no other game,
so seeing children playing cricket in parks and al-
leys with rubber balls and makeshift wickets is very
common. Until 2008, Indian cricket was all about
the national team playing against other countries in
one-day matches or epic 5 day Test marathons, but
the advent of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has,
for better or worse, brought fast-paced, commer-
cialized “Twenty20” cricket to the fore, complete
with cheerleaders and massive salaries. In inter-
national matches, while Australia and South Africa
make viable opposition, the biggest rivalry by far is
with neighbouring Pakistan, and matches between
the two sides are often a very charged affair. About
half-a dozen Indian stadiums have a capacity of
over 45,000 and watching a cricket match can be
quite an experience. Eden Gardens cricket stadium
in Kolkata is Asia’s highest capacity stadium with
over 90,000 seating capacity and is the oldest cricket
stadium in the Indian subcontinent, established in
1865, and is comparable to the stadiums of Lords’
in London and the MCG in Melbourne. The at-
mosphere of most matches is electrifying. Nearly
all international matches have sellout crowds, and it
is quite normal for fans to bribe officials and make
their way in. Starting ticket prices are quite cheap;
they can be as low as ₹250-300. India and Pakistan
are all-time arch rivals, and cricket matches between
the two nations attract up to a billion TV viewers.
• Football. You can come across young boys play-
ing with a football on any open space that is avail-
able, as with cricket. Club football is very popu-
lar, especially among youth and you will find peo-
ple getting into heated arguments in public places
over their favorite teams. Many people also sup-
port national teams other than India, but it usually
depends on the nationality of their favourite play-
ers. Also, many large restaurants and bars offer a
24 10 BUY

view of important European club matches and the tea (₹5), for bus fare (₹2 to ₹10), and for giving exact
World Cup matches.The most famous and electri- change for an auto-rickshaw.
fying Derby club match is between Mohun Bagan Indians commonly use lakh and crore for 100,000 and
Athletic club (Estd.−1889) and East Bengal Foot- 10,000,000 respectively. Though these terms come from
ball club (Estd.−1920) held in Salt Lake stadium Sanskrit, they have been adopted so deeply into Indian
(the second largest non-auto racing stadium in the English that most people are not aware that they are not
world) in Kolkata, the football capital of India and astandard in other English dialects. You may also find non-
tremendously football crazy city. standard, although standard in India, placement of com-
mas while writing numerals. One crore rupees would be
• Hockey (field hockey). The national game of In- written as ₹1,00,00,000, so first time you place a comma
dia, hockey retains a prominent position in the hearts after three numerals, then after every two numerals. This
of many Indians, despite the craze for cricket and format may puzzle you till you start thinking in terms of
football. Although the viewership has dwindled sig- lakhs and crores, after which it will seem natural.
nificantly, (as compared to the golden era before
cricket came to the fore in the mid-1980s), it hasn't
vanished completely. It still has a significant fan
base, especially in North India, some eastern parts 10.2 Changing money
like Jharkhand, Odisha and the Northeastern states.
The introduction of the Premier Hockey League has
helped recover its popularity in recent times.

• Formula One. Not very popular in India his-

torically, Formula One has recently has become
much more popular. People now know the names
of drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and Fernando
Alonso, while ten years earlier only a few knew this
sport. One can enjoy Formula One at Noida, where
the Airtel Indian Grand Prix is held every year dur-
ing the last week of October.

10 Buy
Rajasthani fabric for sale, Jodhpur
10.1 Currency
The Indian rupee is not officially convertible, and a few
The currency in India is the Indian rupee (sign: ₹; code: government-run shops will still insist on seeing official ex-
INR) (रुपया — rupaya in Hindi and similarly named in change receipts if you are visibly a foreigner and attempt
most Indian languages, but taka in Maithili and Taakaa in to pay in rupees instead of hard currency. Rates for ex-
Bengali and Toka in Assamese). The rupee is subdivided changing rupees overseas are often poor and importing
into 100 paise (singular: paisa). 5 rupees 75 paise would rupees is theoretically illegal, although places with sig-
normally be written as ₹5.75. nificant Indian populations (e.g. Dubai, Singapore) can
Common bills come in denominations of ₹5 (green), give decent rates.
₹10 (orange), ₹20 (red), ₹50 (purple), ₹100 (blue), Outside airports, you can change your currency at any
₹500 (brown) and ₹2,000 (pink). (Bill denominations one of the numerous foreign exchange conversion units
of ₹500 (yellow) and ₹1000 were discontinued on 8 including banks.
November 2016, and are no longer legal tender.) It Most ATMs will pay out ₹40,000 in each transaction.
is always good to have a number of small bills on hand, State Bank of India (SBI) is the biggest bank in India
as merchants and drivers sometimes have no change. A and has the most ATMs. ICICI bank has the second
useful technique is to keep small bills (₹10-50) in your largest network of ATMs and accepts most of the interna-
wallet or in a pocket, and to keep larger bills separate. tional cards at a nominal charge. International banks like
Then, it will not be obvious how much money you have. Citibank, HSBC, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, ABN Amro
Many merchants will claim that they don't have change and Standard Chartered have a significant presence in
for a ₹100 or ₹500 note. This is often a lie so that they major Indian cities. It is always worthwhile to have bank
are not stuck with a large bill. It is best not to buy unless cards or credit cards from at least two different providers
you have exact change. to ensure that you have a backup available in case one
The coins in circulation are 50 paise, ₹1, ₹2, ₹5, and card is suspended by your bank or simply does not work
₹10 (recently introduced). Coins are useful for buying work at a particular ATM.
10.5 Tipping 25

In many cities and towns, credit cards are accepted at re-
tail chain stores and other restaurants and stores. Small
businesses and family-run stores almost never accept
credit cards, so it is useful to keep a moderate amount
of cash on hand.
₹30, though, in a restaurant expect, to pay around ₹200-
300 for a beer or two. Overnight buses and trains can
cost anywhere from ₹600-1,000 dependent on distance
and locations, though an uncomfortable government bus
(benches only) may be cheaper.

10.3 Maximum Retail Price - MRP 10.5 Tipping

When buying factory packaged food or drinks (e.g. In India there has traditionally been little or no tipping,
Lemonade, Cola etc.) always have a look for a stamp on and today tipping is unusual outside of fancier restau-
the packaging. It will tell you the MRP (short for maxi- rants where up to 10% is appropriate. The fancier restau-
mum retail price) and you can always insist on paying not rants may also levy a service charge of up to 15% apart
more than that. from government taxes. Some restaurants have also have
started placing jars at the cashier for people to drop in
some change if they feel so, but this is a rather rare phe-
10.4 Costs nomenon. Most clubs in India have a complete ban on its
members from tipping. Usually no service industry ex-
Costs in India can vary widely from region to region, and cept the food services industry expects a tip. In India, it
even in the same city, depending on the quality of ser- is unlawful for taxi or rickshaw drivers to charge anything
vice or product, brand, etc. But usually, India is not very above the meter.
expensive for the foreign traveller.

10.4.1 Mid-range to high-range travellers 10.6 Shopping

₹ 5000, at least, needed for a decent room in a good ho- In India, you are expected to negotiate the price with
tel offering cable TV, air conditioning and a direct tele- street hawkers but not in department stores and the like.
phone; however, this price doesn't include a refrigerator. If not, you risk overpaying many times, which can be okay
Food will cost at least ₹ 150 for a decent meal (at a stall, if you think that it is cheaper than at home. In most of
not a hotel), but the sky is the limit. While bus trans- the big cities and even smaller towns retail chain stores
portation will cost approximately ₹ 5 for a short distance are popping up where the shopping experience is essen-
of about 1 km, a taxi or rickshaw may cost ₹ 22 for the tially identical to similar stores in the West. There are
same distance without air conditioning. There are radio also some government-run stores like the Cottage Empo-
taxis that are available at ₹ 20 to 25 per km in key Indian rium in New Delhi, where you can sample wares from all
cities which have GPS navigation, air conditioned and ac- across the country in air-conditioned comfort. Although
cept debit/credit cards for payments. They are a very safe you will pay a little more at these stores, you can be sure
mode of travel. So the total for one day would be about that what you are getting is not a cheap knockoff. The
as below: harder you bargain, the more you save money. A few
tries later, you will realise that it is fun.
• Hotel: US$60 for a good place per day Often, the more time you spend in a shop, the better deals
you will get. It is worth spending time getting to know
• Food: US$10 for a good meal per day the owner, asking questions, and getting him to show you
other products (if you are interested). Once the owner
• Travel: US$10 taxi and bus together feels that he is making a sufficient profit from you, he will
often give you additional goods at a rate close to his cost,
Total: US$80 for a couple, US$70 for a person alone rather than the common “foreigner rate”. You will get
better prices and service by buying many items in one
store than by bargaining in multiple stores individually.
10.4.2 Budget travellers If you see local people buying in a store, probably. you
can get the real Indian prices. Ask someone around you
Budget travel around India is surprisingly easy, with the quietly, “How much would you pay for this?"
savvy backpacker able to get by (relatively comfortably)
on as little as US$25–35 per day. It is generally cheaper Also, very often you will meet a “friend” in the street
than South East Asia with a night in a hotel costing as inviting you to visit their family’s shop. That almost al-
little as ₹200-1,000 (though there will be probably no air ways means that you pay twice as much as when you had
conditioning or room service for this price). Beach huts in been in the shop without your newly found friend.
the cheaper places of Goa can cost around ₹800 per night. Baksheesh—small bribes—is a very common phe-
A meal can be bought from a street trader for as little as nomenon. While it is a big problem in India, doing it can
26 11 EAT

ease certain problems and clear some hurdles. Baksheesh 11 Eat

is also the term used by beggars if they want money from
you and may refer to tips given those who provide you a
See also: South Asian cuisine
service. Baksheesh is as ancient a part of Middle Eastern
and Asian culture as anywhere else. It derives from the
Arabic meaning a small gift. It refers as much to charity Indian cuisine takes its place among the great cuisines of
as to bribes. the world. There is a good chance that you'd have tasted
Packaged goods show the Maximum Retail Price “Indian food” in your country, especially if you are a trav-
(MRP) right on the package. This includes taxes. Re- eller from the West, but what India has exported abroad
tailers are not supposed to charge more than this. Though is just one part of its extraordinary range of culinary di-
this rule is adhered to at most places, at tourist destina- versity.
tions or remote places, you may be charged more. This is Indian food can be spicy: Potent fresh green chilis or red
especially true for cold drinks like Coke or Pepsi, where a chili powder will bring tears to the eyes of the uniniti-
bottle (300 ml) cost around ₹33-35 when the actual price ated, and can be found in unexpected places like sweet
is ₹30. Also, keep in mind that a surprising number of cornflakes (a snack, not breakfast) or even candies. The
things do not come in packaged form. Do check for the degree of spiciness varies widely throughout the country:
authenticity of the MRP, as shopkeepers may put up a Andhra food is famously fiery, while Gujarati cuisine is
sticker of his own to charge more from you. quite mild in taste with the exception of Surti food (from
Surat).
To enjoy the local food, start slowly. Don't try every-
10.7 What to look for/buy thing at once. After a few weeks, you can get accustomed
to spicy food. If you would like to order your dish not
• Wood Carvings: India produces a striking variety spicy, simply say so. Most visitors are tempted to try at
of carved wood products that can be bought at very least some of the spicy concoctions, and most discover
low prices. Examples include decorative wooden that the sting is worth the trouble. Remember, too, that
plates, bowls, artwork, furniture and miscellaneous while “spicy” is a convenient short-hand for “chili-laden,”
items that will surprise you. Check the regulations the spiciness of food in India doesn't always mean lots of
of your home country before attempting to import chili: Indian cuisines often use a multitude of different
wooden items. spices and other aromatic ingredients in highly creative
and flavourful ways.
• Clothing: It depends on the state/region you are vis-
iting. Most of the states have their speciality to of-
fer. For example go for silk sarees if you are visiting 11.1 Cuisine
Benaras; Block prints if you are in Jaipur
Cuisine in India varies greatly from region to region. The
“Indian food” served by many so-called Indian restaurants
• Paintings: Paintings come on a wide variety of
in the Western hemisphere is inspired by North Indian
media, such as cotton, silk, or with frame in-
cooking, specifically Mughlai cuisine, a style developed
cluded. Gemstone paintings incorporate semi-
by the royal kitchens of the historical Mughal Empire, and
precious stone dust, so they have a glittering appear-
the regional cuisine of the Punjab, although it has been
ance to them.
Britainized and the degree of authenticity in relation to
actual Mughlai or Punjabi cooking is variable at best and
• Marble and stone carvings: Common carved dubious at worst.
items include elephants, Hindu gods/goddesses.
North India is a wheat-growing area, so you have Indian
Compare several of the same kind. If they look too
breads (known as roti), including chapatti (unleavened
similar bargain hard as they are probably machine
bread), paratha (pan-fried layered roti), naan (cooked
made.
in a clay tandoor oven), puri (deep-fried and puffed up
bread) and many more. A typical meal consists of one or
• Jewellery: Beautiful necklaces, bracelets and other more gravy dishes along with rotis, to be eaten by break-
jewellery are very inexpensive in India. ing off a piece of roti, dipping it in the gravy and eating
them together. Most of the Hindi heartland of India sur-
vives on roti, rice, and lentils (dal), which are prepared
• Pillow covers, bedsets: Striking and rich designs
in several different ways and made spicy to taste. Served
are common for pillows and bed covers.
on the side, you will usually find spiced yogurt (raita) and
either fresh chutney or a tiny piece of exceedingly pun-
Designer brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Zara, gent pickle (achar), very much an acquired taste for most
A & F, all are available in upmarket stores. visitors — try mixing it with curry, not eating it plain.
11.1 Cuisine
A variety of regional cuisines can be found throughout
the North. Tandoori chicken, prepared in a clay oven
called a tandoor, is probably the best-known North Indian
dish, innovated by a Punjabi immigrant from present-
day Pakistan during the Partition. For a taste of tra-
ditional Punjabi folk cooking, try dal makhani (stewed
black lentils and kidney beans in a buttery gravy), or sar-
son da saag, a yummy gravy dish made with stewed mus-
tard greens, served with makke di roti (flatbread made
from maize). There are also the hearty textures and robust
flavours of Rajasthani food, the meat-heavy Kashmiri
dishes from the valley of Kashmir, or the mild yet in-
gratiating Himalayan (pahari) cuisine found in the higher
reaches. North India also has of a variety of snacks like
samosa (vegetables encased in thin pastry of a triangular
shape) and kachori (either vegetable or pulses encased in
thin pastry). There is also a vast constellation of sweet
desserts like jalebi (deep-fried pretzel with sugar syrup-
shaped like a spiral), rasmalai (balls of curds soaked in
condensed milk) and halwa. Dry fruits and nuts like al-
monds, cashews and pistachios are used a lot, often in the
desserts, but sometimes also in the main meal.
Authentic Mughal-style cooking, the royal cuisine of the
Mughal Empire, can still be found and savoured in some
parts of India, most notably the old Mughal cities of
Delhi, Agra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, and Hyder-
abad in Andhra Pradesh. It is a refined blend of Persian,
Turkic and Subcontinent cooking, and makes heavy use
of meat and spices. The names of some Mughal dishes
bear the prefix of shahi as a sign of its prestige and royal
status from a bygone era. Famous Mughal specialties
include biryani (layered meat and rice casserole), pu-
lao (rice cooked in a meat or vegetable broth), kebab
(grilled meat), kofta (balls of mincemeat), rumali roti
(flatbread whirled into paper-thin consistency) and shahi
tukray (saffron and cardamom-scented bread pudding).
A typically south Indian banana leaf meal
See also: Southern India#Eat
In South India, the food is mostly rice-based. A typ- dishes include maccher jhal, a brothy fish stew which lit-
ical meal includes sambhar (a thick vegetable and lentil erally means “fish in sauce”, and shorshe ilish (cooked in
chowder) with rice, rasam (a thin, peppery soup), or avial
27
(mixed vegetables) with rice, traditionally served on a ba-
nana leaf as a plate. Seasoning in South India differs
from northern regions by its ubiquitous use of mustard
seeds, curry leaves, pulses, fenugreek seeds, and a vari-
ety of souring agents such as tamarind and kokum. There
are regional variations too — the coastal regions make
greater use of coconut and fish. In the State of Kerala, it
is common to use grated coconut in everything and co-
conut oil for cooking, while someone from the interior
could be surprised to learn that coconut oil can be used for
cooking. The South also has some great breakfast dishes
like idli (a steamed cake of lentils and rice), dosa, a thin,
crispy pancake often stuffed with spiced potatoes to make
masala dosa, vada, a savoury Indian donut, and uttapam,
a fried pancake made from a rice and lentil batter with
onions and other vegetables mixed in. All of these can
be eaten with dahi, plain yogurt, and chutney, a condi-
ment that can be made from practically anything. Try the
ever popular masala dosa, which originated from Udupi
in Karnataka, in one of the old restaurants of Bangalore
like CTR and Janatha in Malleswaram or Vidyarthi Bha-
van in Basavangudi or at MTR near Lalbagh. South In-
dian cuisine is predominantly vegetarian, though there are
exceptions: Seafood is very popular in Kerala and the
Mangalorean coast of Karnataka; and Chettinad and Hy-
derabad cuisines use meat heavily, and are a lot spicier.
Coffee tends to be the preferred drink to tea in South In-
dia.
To the West, you will find some great cuisine groups.
Gujarati cuisine is somewhat similar to Rajastani cook-
ing with the heavy use of dairy products, but differs
in that it is predominantly vegetarian, and often sweet-
ened with jaggery or sugar. Gujaratis make some of the
best snack items such as the Dhokla and the Muthia.
Mumbai is famous for its chaat, as well as the food of
the small but visible Irani and Parsi communities con-
centrated in and around the city. The adjacent states of
Maharashtra and Goa are renowned for their seafood, of-
ten simply grilled, fried or poached in coconut milk. A
notable feature of Goan cooking is that pork and vinegar
is used, a rare sight in the rest of India. Vindaloo origi-
nated in Goa, and is traditionally cooked with pork, and
in spite of its apparent popularity in Indian restaurants
abroad, it is not common in India itself.
To the East, Bengali and Odishan food makes heavy use
of rice, and fish due to the vast river channels and ocean
coastline in the region. Bengali cooking is known for
its complexity of flavor and bittersweet balance. Mus-
tard oil, derived from mustard seeds, is often used in
cooking and adds a pungent, slightly sweet flavour and
intense heat. Bengalis prefer freshwater fish, in partic-
ular the iconic ilish or hilsa: it can be smoked, fried,
steamed, baked in young plantain leaves, cooked with
curd, aubergine and cumin seeds. It is said that ilish
can be prepared in more than 50 ways. Typical Bengali
28
a gravy made from mustard seed paste). Eastern India is
also famous for its desserts and sweets: Rasgulla is a fa-
mous variant of the better-known gulab jamun, a spher-
ical morsel made from cow’s milk and soaked in a clear
sugar syrup. It’s excellent if consumed fresh or within
a day after it is made.Sondesh is another excellent milk-
based sweet, best described as the dry equivalent of ras
malai.
A lot of food has also filtered in from other countries.
Indian Chinese (or Chindian) is far and away the most
common adaptation: most Chinese would barely recog-
nize the stuff, but dishes like veg manchurian (deep-
fried vegetable balls in a chilli-soy-ginger sauce) and chilli
chicken are very much a part of the Indian cultural land-
scape and worth a try. The British left fish and chips
and some fusion dishes like mulligatawny soup, while
Tibetan and Nepali food, especially momo dumplings,
are not uncommon in north India. Pizza has entered In-
dia in a big way, and the chains such as Pizza Hut and
Domino’s have Indianised the pizza and introduced adap-
tations like paneer-tikka pizza. There is an Indian chain
called Smokin Joe’s, based in Mumbai, which has mixed
Thai curry with pizzas.
It is, of course, impossible to do full justice to the range
and diversity of Indian food in this brief section. Not only
does every region of India have a distinctive cuisine, but
you will also find that even within a region, castes and
ethnic communities have different styles of cooking and
often have their signature recipes which you will proba-
bly not find in restaurants. The adventurous traveller is
advised to wangle invitations to homes, try various by-
lanes of the city and look for food in unlikely places like
temples and Gurudhwaras in search of culinary nirvana.
11.2 Fruits
While a wide variety of fruits are native to India, includ-
ing the chikoo and the jackfruit, nothing is closer to an
Indian’s heart than a juicy ripe mango. Hundreds of va-
rieties are found across most of its regions — in fact, In-
dia is the largest producer, growing more than half the
world’s output. Mangoes are in season at the hottest part
of the year, usually between May and July, and range
from small (as big as a fist) to some as big as a small
cantaloupe. They can be consumed in their ripe, unripe
and also a baby form (the last 2 predominantly in pick-
les). The best mango (the “King of Mangoes”, as Indi-
ans call it) is the “Alphonso” or Haapoos (in Marathi),
in season in April and May along the western coast of
Maharashtra. Buy it from a good fruit shop in Mum-
bai or Mahatma Phule market (formerly Crawford mar-
ket) in South Mumbai. Dushheri Mangoes are also pop-
ular in north india. Other fruits widely available (depend-
ing on the season) are bananas, oranges, guavas, lychees,
apples, pineapples, pomegranates, apricots, melons, co-
conuts, grapes, plums, peaches and berries.
11 EAT
11.3 Vegetarian
Visiting vegetarians will discover a culinary treasure that
is found nowhere else in the world. Owing to a large
number of strictly vegetarian Hindus and Jains, Indian
cuisine has evolved an astonishingly rich menu that uses
no meat or eggs. The Jains in particular practice a strict
form of vegetarianism based on the principles of non-
violence and peaceful co-operative co-existence: Jains
usually do not consume root vegetables such as potatoes,
garlic, onions, carrots, radishes, cassava, sweet potatoes
and turnips, as the plant needs to be killed prior to its
end of normal life cycle, in the process of accessing these
. At least half the menus of most restaurants are de-
voted to vegetarian dishes, and by law all packaged food
products in India are tagged with a green dot (vegetar-
ian) or red dot (non-veg). Veganism however is not a
well-understood concept in India, and vegans may face a
tougher time: milk products like cheese (paneer), yogurt
(dahi) and clarified butter (ghee) are used extensively, and
honey is also commonly used as a sweetener. Milk in In-
dia is generally not pasteurized, and must be boiled before
consumption.
Even non-vegetarians will soon note that due to the Hindu
taboo, beef is generally not served (except in the Mus-
lim and Parsi communities, Goa, Kerala and the North-
Eastern states), and pork is also uncommon due to the
Muslim population. Chicken and mutton are thus by far
the most common meats used, although “buff” (water
buffalo) is occasionally served in backpacker establish-
ments. Seafood is of course ubiquitous in the coastal re-
gions of India, and a few regional cuisines do use duck,
venison and other game meats in traditional dishes.
11.4 Etiquette
In India eating with your hand (instead of cutlery like
forks and spoons) is very common. There’s one basic rule
of etiquette to observe, particularly in non-urban India:
Use only your right hand. The left hand is reserved for
unhygienic uses. Don't stick either hand into communal
serving dishes: instead, use the spatula with your left hand
to serve yourself and then dig in. Needless to say, it’s wise
to wash your hands well before and after eating.
For breads for all types, the basic technique is to hold
down the item with your forefinger and use your middle-
finger and thumb to tear off pieces. The pieces can then
be dipped in sauce or used to pick up bits before you stuff
them in your mouth. Rice is more challenging, but the
basic idea is to use four fingers to mix the rice in curry
and pack a little ball, before you pop it in your mouth by
pushing it with your thumb.
Most of the restaurants do provide cutlery and its pretty
safe to use them instead of your hand.
Eating by hand is frowned on in some “classier” places.
If you are provided with cutlery and nobody else around
12.1 Tea 29

you seems to be doing it, then take the hint. 12.1 Tea

One can get tea (chai in most North Indian languages)

11.5 Restaurants of one variety or the other everywhere in India. The
most common method of preparing chai is by brewing
Indian restaurants run the gamut from roadside shacks tea leaves, milk, and sugar altogether in a pot and keeping
(dhabas) to classy five-star places where the experience is it hot until it’s all sold. It is sweet and uniquely refresh-
comparable to places anywhere in the world. Away from ing once you get the taste for it. Masala chai will have,
the big cities and tourist haunts, mid-level restaurants are added to the above mix, spices such as cardamom, ginger
scarce, and food choices will be limited to the local cui- or cinnamon etc. For some people, that takes some get-
sine, Punjabi/Mughlai, “Chinese” and occasionally South ting used to.
Indian. While Masala chai is popular in Northern and Central In-
dia, it must be noted that people in Eastern India (West
The credit for popularizing Punjabi cuisine all over the Bengal and Assam) generally consume tea without spices,
country goes to the dhabas that line India’s highways. the English way. This is also the part of India where most
Their patrons are usually the truckers, who happen to be tea is grown.
overwhelmingly Punjabi. The authentic dhaba serves up
simple yet tasty seasonal dishes like roti and dhal with
onions, and diners sit on cots instead of chairs. Hygiene 12.2 Coffee
can be an issue in many dhabas, so if one’s not up to your
standards try another. In rural areas, dhabas are usually In South India, filter coffee replaces tea as the standard
the only option. beverage. Indian filter coffee is a coffee drink made by
In Southern India, “Hotel” means a local restaurant serv- mixing frothed and boiled milk with the decoction ob-
ing south Indian food, usually a thali—a full plate of food tained by brewing finely ground coffee powder in a tradi-
that usually includes a kind of bread and an assortment of tional Indian filter.
meat or vegetarian dishes—and prepared meals.
Although you may be handed an extensive menu, most
dishes are served only during specific hours, if at all. 12.3 Alcohol

Drinking alcohol can either be frowned upon or openly

accepted, depending on the region and religion of the area
12 Drink within which you are drinking. For example, Goa, Pun-
jab, and Pondicherry tend to be more free-wheeling (and
One of the sweetest and safest beverages you can get is have low taxes on alcohol), while a few southern areas like
tender coconut water (naryal paani). You can almost al- Chennai are less tolerant of alcohol, and may even charge
ways find it in any beach or other tourist destinations in excessive taxes on it. Some states such as Gujarat are
the south. In summer (Mar-Jul), you can get fresh sug- legally “dry” and alcohol cannot be bought openly there,
arcane juice in many places and even a lot of fresh fruit although there is a substantial bootlegging industry.
juice varieties. Favorite Indian tipples include beer, notably the ubiqui-
India is famous for its Alphonso variety of mangoes, gen- tous Kingfisher (a decent lager), and rum, particularly
Old Monk. Prices vary by state, especially for hard
erally regarded as the King of Mangoes among connois-
seurs. Frooti, in its famous tetra-pack, is the most popular liquor, but you can expect to pay ₹50-100 for a large bot-
tle of beer and anywhere between ₹170-250 for a 750 ml
processed drink, followed by Maaza (bottled by Coca-
Cola) or Slice (bottled by PepsiCo), both of which con- bottle of Old Monk. Mumbai tends to be the most ex-
tain about 15% Alphonso mango pulp. Both cost about pensive, due to local taxes, which can be three-times as
₹30-50 for a 600 ml bottle. much as Meghalaya.

As for bottled water, make sure that the cap’s seal has not
been broken; otherwise, it is a tell-tale sign of tamper-
ing or that unscrupulous vendors reuse old bottles and fill
them with tap water, which is generally unsafe for for-
eign tourists to drink without prior boiling. Bottled water
brands like Aquafina (by PepsiCo) and Kinley (by Coca-
Cola) are widely available. Local brands like Bisleri are
also acceptable and perfectly safe. Tastes may vary due to
the individual brands’ mineral contents. In semi-urban or
rural areas, it may be appropriate to ask for boiled water
as well.
Indian wines, long a bit of a joke, have improved remark-
ably in recent years and there’s a booming wine industry
in the hills of Maharashtra. The good stuff is not par-
ticularly cheap (expect to pay around ₹500 a bottle) and
selections are mostly limited to white wines, but look out
for labels by Chateau Indage or Sula.
Illegal moonshine, called tharra when made from sugar
cane and toddy when made from coconuts, is widely avail-
able in some states. It’s cheap and strong, but very dan-
gerous as quality control is nonexistent, and best avoided
entirely. In the former Portuguese colony of Goa you can
30 13 SLEEP

obtain an extremely pungent liquor called fenny or feni, Most Indian train stations have rooms or dormitories, are
typically made from cashew fruits or coconuts. cheap, relatively well maintained (the beds, sheets, not
the showers) and secure. There are also the added bonus
of not being accosted by the rickshaw mafia, getting your
12.4 Cannabis bag off quickly and, for the adventurous, you are highly
likely to be able to jump on a cheap public bus back to
the train station, just ask. Keep in mind you must have
an arrival or departure train ticket from the station where
you intend to sleep and there could be a limit on how many
nights you may stay.
Midrange options are plentiful in the larger cities and ex-
panding fast into second-tier cities as well. Dependable
local chains include Treebo, Country Inns, Ginger and
Neemrana, and prices vary from ₹1,000-4,000 per night.
Local, unbranded hotels can be found in any city, but
quality varies widely.
If your wallet allows it, you can try staying in a maharaja’s
palace in Udaipur or modern five-star hotels which are
now found pretty much all over the country. The top-
end of Indian luxury rests with the Oberoi, Taj, and ITC
Government-authorized bhang shop, Jaisalmer Welcomgroup hotel chains, who operate hotels in all the
major cities and throughout Rajasthan. The usual inter-
Cannabis in its many forms — especially ganja (weed) national chains also run major 5-star hotels in most Indian
and charas (hash) — is widely available throughout India, metropolises, but due to India’s economic boom availabil-
but they are all illegal in the vast majority of the coun- ity is tight and prices can be crazy: it’s not uncommon to
try, and the letter of the law states that simple possession be quoted over US$300/night for what would elsewhere
may mean fines or years in jail, depending on the quantity be a distinctly ordinary business hotel going for a third
possessed. of the price. Also beware that some jurisdictions includ-
ing Delhi and Bengaluru charge stiff luxury taxes on the
However, in some states (notably Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, rack rate of the room, which can lead to nasty surprises
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Orissa) the at check-out time.
one legal and socially accepted way to consume cannabis
is as bhang, a low-grade preparation sold at government- Two important factors to keep in mind when choosing a
licensed shops that is not only smoked, but also made into place to stay are 1) safety and 2) cleanliness. Malaria is
cookies, chocolate and the infamous bhang lassi, an herb- alive and well in certain areas of India - one of the best
laced version of the normally innocuous yogurt drink. ways to combat malaria is to choose lodgings with air con-
Bhang lassi is usually available at varying strengths, so use ditioning and sealed windows. An insect-repellent spray
caution if opting for the stronger versions. It’s also occa- containing DEET will also help.
sionally sold as “special lassi”, but is usually easily spot- Dak bungalows exist in many areas. These were built by
ted by the ₹30-50 price tag (several times higher than the the British to accommodate travelling officials and are
non-special kinds). An important point to bear in mind now used by the Indian and state governments for the
is that the effects of “Bhang” are slow and heighten when same purpose. If they have room, most will take tourists
consumed with something sweet. Also, first-time users at a moderate fee. They are plain — ceiling fans rather
may want to wait a while before consuming too much in than air conditioning, shower but no bath. — but clean,
an effort to judge their tolerance. comfortable and usually in good locations. Typically the
staff includes a pensioned-off soldier as night watchman
and perhaps another as gardener; often the gardens are
lovely. Sometimes there is a cook. You meet interesting
13 Sleep Indian travellers this way.
Don't count on having a reliable electricity supply if you
Choices vary widely depending on your budget and loca-
aren't staying in an upmarket hotel. Brownouts are fre-
tion. Cheap travellers’ hotels are numerous in big cities
quent, and many buildings have unsafe wiring.
where you can get a room for less than ₹450. Rooms at
guest-houses with a double bed (and often a bathroom) Make sure to bring your passport wherever you go, as
can be found in many touristic venues for ₹150-200. most hotels will not rent out rooms without you producing
Good budget hotels in India are not hard to find. You a valid passport.
can find accommodation in clean dormitories for as little
as ₹50 in many Indian districts.
 31

14 Learn 15 Work
There are many things to learn that interest foreigners all Foreigners need a work permit to be employed in India. A
over India, but there are a few destinations that have be- work permit is granted if an application is made to the lo-
come particularly well known for certain things: cal Indian embassy along with proof of potential employ-
ment and supporting documents. There are many expa-
• Yoga is popular in Haridwar and Rishikesh. triates working in India, mostly for multinational Fortune
1,000 firms. India has always had an expatriate commu-
• Ayurveda is popular in Kerala. nity of reasonable size, and there are many avenues for
finding employment, including popular job hunting web-
• Hindi in Delhi and Varanasi.
sites.
• Classical musical instruments in Varanasi. There are many volunteer opportunities around the coun-
try including teaching. India has a reasonable presence
• Classical vocal music and classical dance forms of foreign Christian missionaries, who for the most part
in Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. form the non-local religious workers, since the other ma-
jor religions of the world either grew out of India or have
• Sanskrit at 'Samskrita Bharati' in Bangalore and had a long term presence.
Delhi.
A living can be made in the traveller scenes by provid-
• Buddhism in Dharamsala and Bir in Himachal ing some kind of service such as baking Western cakes,
Pradesh as well as in Bodh Gaya in Bihar. tattooing or massage.
Previously, an AIDS test result was required as part of the
• Cooking classes are also popular. The most well- work visa application process. It is highly recommended
known exported type of Indian food is Punjabi, as that applicants obtain test results in their home country
the Sikhs have been the most successful in spread- beforehand if at all possible.
ing Indian restaurants throughout the western world.
However, styles vary a lot throughout the country, so
if you have the time and appetite it’s worth check-
ing out courses in a variety of areas such as Kerala, 16 Stay safe
Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.

There are many Universities imparting education but at As a rule India is quite safe for foreigners, apart from in-
the helm are Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) stances of petty crime and theft common to any develop-
for technical undergraduates, Indian Institutes of Man- ing country, as long as certain basic precautions are ob-
agement (IIMs) for management postgraduates and Na- served (i.e. women travellers avoiding travelling alone
tional Law Universities/Schools (NLUs) which are at night). You can check with your embassy or ask for
world class institutes. Most of the ambitious students who local advice before heading to Jammu and Kashmir in
northern-most India, and to Northeast India i.e. (Assam,
want to get a good high level education thrive to get into
these institutes through admission processes which are Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur and
Arunachal Pradesh). These areas have had serious law
rather very difficult ones both due to nature of test and the
prevailing competition. For example, the 6 top IIMs (In- and order problems since a long time, though the situation
has improved a lot recently. The same applies while trav-
cluding the 4 oldest - Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore &
Lucknow plus newly established Indore and Kozhikode) elling to what used to be a thickly forested area in East-
Central India, which covers the states of Chhattisgarh,
together select only about 1,200 students from 350,000
students who appear for CAT exam. But still students Jharkhand, the eastern edge of Maharashtra and the
have a great desire to get into these institutes. These in- northern tip of Andhra Pradesh. Though the problem is
stitutes offer degrees to foreign students also. only in the remote areas of these states and normal ar-
eas to visit in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra or
Apart from undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral Andhra Pradesh are completely safe.
courses, there are many training and diploma-level insti-
tutes and polytechnics that cater to the growing demand Unfortunately theft is quite common in places visited by
for skill-based and vocational education. Besides conven- tourists, but violent thefts hardly ever occur. More likely
tional educational institutes, foreigners might also be in- a thief will pick your pocket (see pickpockets) or break
terested to study with Pandits to learn Hindi and Sanskrit into your room. So it is better to take precautions to firmly
in genuine settings as well as with Mullahs to study Urdu, lock the door while indoors, and be on guard while out-
Persian, and Arabic. They might also like to live with side.
famed Ustads to study traditional Indian music. Whether Some people handling your cash will try to shortchange
people are interested in philosophy or religion, cuisine or you or rip you off. In Delhi particularly, this is a uni-
dance, India will have the right opportunity for them. versal rule adhered to by all who handle westerners’ cash.
32 16 STAY SAFE

This does not exclude official ticket sellers at tourist sites, you approach a woman in India for even an innocuous
employees at prepaid taxi stands, or merchants in all but purpose like asking for directions, you are putting her on
the most upscale businesses. Count your cash before the defensive usually, especially the ones dressed tradi-
handing it over, and be insistent on receiving the correct tionally. It is better to ask a man if one is available (there
change. usually will be), or be extra respectful if you are asking a
It is advisable or better to agree on the fare before getting woman.
inside an auto or a taxi. This avoids any further unpleasant Black people may encounter prejudices from the police
fare-related arguments. If you can take the advice of a and general public about being drug dealers. This is not
local friend or someone manning your hotel’s front desk always necessary but the reactions stems from the fact that
to know how much it should cost to travel in between two more often than not, foreign born drug peddlers in India
destinations, you will be a smart traveller. have been found to be of Nigerian nationality. As Indians
Overseas visitors, particularly women, attract the atten- find it hard to differentiate between Nigerians and other
tion of beggars, frauds and touts. Beggars will often go Africans or Afro-Americans, this behaviour is towards
as far as touching you and following you, tugging on your the whole race and not just to any specific country. That
sleeve. It does little good to get angry or to say “No” said, this behaviour is still considered publicly unaccept-
loudly. The best response is to look unconcerned and ig- able when Indians are confronted by Indian themselves.
nore the behaviour. The more attention you pay to a beg- It is hence wise to keep passports handy at all times, avoid
gar or a tout — positive or negative — the longer they will going to areas notorious for illegal activities and maintain
follow you hoping for a donation. Women travellers are contact with respective embassies and, if possible, with
advised not to stay out late and roam on their own, and other support groups that can vouch for them.
also to be a little sensitive about how they dress in public.
There have been some recent rapes of foreign women as
well as highly publicised rapes of Indian women, some of
whom have been murdered.
Travellers should not trust strangers offering assistance
or services; see Common scams. Be particularly wary 16.1 Driving
of frauds at tourist attractions such as the temples of
Kanchipuram, where they prey on those unfamiliar with
Driving in India is generally considered to be a danger-
local and religious customs. If a priest or guide offers
ous undertaking. Irresponsible driving habits, insufficient
to treat you to a religious ceremony, find out what it will
highway infrastructure development, wandering livestock
cost you first, and do not allow yourself to be pressured
and other hazards make travelling on the country’s roads
into making “donations” of thousands of rupees — sim-
a sometimes nerve-wracking undertaking.
ply walk away if you feel uncomfortable. However, don't
get too paranoid: fellow travellers on the train, or Indian More than 118,000 people died on Indian roads in 2008,
families who want to take your picture on their own cam- the highest figure in the entire world, and that’s despite
era, for example, are often just genuinely curious. having only 12 cars per 1000 people (vs. 765 in a more
developed country like the United States). A first en-
While travelling in public transport (trains, buses) do not
counter with a typical Indian highway will no doubt fea-
accept any food or drink from any local fellow passenger
ture a traffic mix of lumbering trucks, speeding mani-
even they are very friendly or polite. There have been in-
acs, blithely wandering cows and suicidal pedestrians, all
stances in which very friendly fellow passengers offered
weaving across a narrow, potholed strip of tarmac. To
food or drinks including tea or coffee that contained sub-
minimise your risk of becoming a grim statistic, use trains
stances that put the victim to sleep whilst all their posses-
instead of buses, use government bus services instead of
sions, including even their clothing, were stolen.
private ones (which are more likely to force their drivers
Homosexual intercourse is illegal in India, with a the- into inhuman shifts), use taxis instead of auto-rickshaws,
oretical maximum penalty of 10 years in jail. However, avoid travelling at night, and don't hesitate to change taxis
the law is hardly enforced, and past prosecutions are no or cars if you feel your driver is unsafe.
longer in public memory. There is a vibrant gay nightlife
Of significant concern is that much of the road network is
in metropolitan areas and some (but very few) openly gay
significantly underdeveloped. Most roads are very poorly
celebrities. On the other hand, the law has been used as
built and they are full of rubble, large cracks and potholes.
a tool by policemen to harass gays cruising on the streets.
Most road signs are not very reliable in the country, and in
By the way, you will often see Indian men walking hand-
most cases provide drivers very confusing or inaccurate
in-hand in the streets. But this is a sign of friendship, not
information. If you are in doubt, ask the locals, normally
to be misjudged as a sign of homosexuality.
they are very helpful and willingly provide people with
Whereas Indian men can be really eager to talk to trav- appropriate guidance to a location. Of course the quality
ellers, women in India often refrain from contact with of information and willingness to provide it varies, espe-
men. It is an unfortunate fact that if you are a man and cially in the larger cities.
16.2 Female travellers
16.2 Female travellers
India is more of a conservative country and some Western
habits can be perceived as dishonourable for a woman.
But India is coming out of its conservative image rather
quickly especially in big cities.
• Outside of the larger cities, it is unusual for people of
the opposite sex to touch each other in public. Even
couples (married or otherwise) refrain from public
displays of affection. Therefore, it is advised that
you do not shake hands with a person of the oppo-
site sex unless the other person extends his/her hand
first. The greeting by a Hindu is to bring their palms
together in front of their chest, or simply saying Na-
maste or Namaskar. Both forms are equally polite
and correct, if a little formal. Almost all the people
(even if they don't know English) do understand a
“Hi” or a “Hello”. In most parts of northern India
and cities, it is quite acceptable to offer a “Hello” or
“Good Day” followed by a handshake, regardless of
gender.
• Outside of trendy places or high society, women
generally do not smoke. In some rural or tribal areas
women do smoke, but discreetly.
• Places such as Discos/Dance clubs are less-
conservative areas. It is good to leave your things
at a hotel and head down there for a drink and some
light conversation. Only carry as much change as
you think you would require since losing your wallet
or passport means that you will waste a considerable
time trying to get any kind of help in that regard.
• People are generally modestly clothed even at the
beaches, so be sure to find out what the appropriate
attire is for the beach you are visiting. In rare places
like Goa, where the visitors to beach are predomi-
nantly foreigners, it is permissible to wear bikinis on
the beach but it is still offensive to go about dressed
in bikini on the road. There are a few beaches
where women (mostly foreigners) sunbathe topless
but make sure that it is safe and accepted before you
do so.
• It’s not so safe to walk in isolated places if you are
a solo female traveller. Sex crimes against tourists
occur in some tourist spots. At night, never walk on
the street or take a taxi or auto-rickshaw with clothes
such as tight shorts, a miniskirt, sports bra, tank-top,
or other clothes which expose a lot of skin. If at all
possible, refrain from areas that other tourists avoid.
• In local/suburban trains, there are usually cars re-
served only for women and designated as such on
their front. In Delhi Metro trains, it is the first com-
partment.
33
• In most buses (private and public) a few seats at
the front or at one side of the bus are reserved for
women. Usually these seats will be occupied by men
and, very often, they vacate the place when a female
stands near gesturing her intention to sit there. In
many parts of the country, women will not share a
seat with a man other than her spouse. If you sit
near a man, he may stand up from the seat and give
his seat also to you; this is a sign of respect, NOT
rudeness.
• Street parties for holidays are usually filled with
crowds of inebriated men. During festivals such
as Holi, New Year’s Eve, and even Christmas Eve,
women can be subjected to groping and sexually ag-
gressive behaviour from these crowds. At such time,
just scream or make a scene pointing your finger at
the person. People will come to your help. It is less
advisable for women to attend these festivities alone.
• Friendly conversation with men you meet on trains
is sometimes confused by them with flirtation. In
some scenarios, this can lead to unexpected sexual
advances; this happens to Indian women as well as
Westerners. Befriending Indian women, however,
can be a wonderful experience for female travellers,
though you might have to initiate conversation. An
easy topic to get things going is to talk about clothes,
food.
• It’s not disrespectful for a woman to tell a man ea-
ger to talk to her that she doesn't want to talk - so
if a man’s behaviour makes you uncomfortable, say
so firmly. If he doesn't seem to get the hint, quietly
excusing yourself is a better answer than confronta-
tion.
• Dressing in traditional Indian clothes, such as sal-
waar kameez (comfortable) or saree (more formal
and difficult to wear) will often garner Western
women more respect in the eyes of locals.The idea
is to portray yourself as a normal person, instead of
a distanced tourist. Easy clothing is to wear a kurta
paired up with your regular jeans or a salwar. They
are very comfortable and most of the women do the
same.
• "Eve Teasing" is the most common term used in
Indian English to refer to anything from unwanted
verbal advances to physical sexual assault. The sim-
plest way to avoid this remains the same as in your
home country. Anything overt should be treated in
a firm manner and if needed, ask the local popu-
lace (women in particular) to try and get the mes-
sage across. Avoid confrontation if at all possible.
Sticking to such area is not recommended.
• While hospitality is important in India, it is not com-
mon to see people offering to share food or cookies
34 17 STAY HEALTHY

while they eat. Some such offers are genuine and 17 Stay healthy
some not. In case you are travelling in train, you are
offered food from a big and rich family type group,
Going to India, you have to adapt to a new climate and
you can take a bite. But if you are offered some-
new food. However, with precautions the chance and
thing by men or even a couple eating a part of it,
severity of any illness can be minimized. Don't stress
try avoiding it, as the other part may have sedatives
yourself too much at the beginning of your journey to
(this may be so that they may loot your belongings
allow your body to acclimatize to the country. For exam-
when you become unconscious). You can reply with
ple, take a day of rest upon arrival, at least on your first
politeness and say no with a smile; they won't mind
visit. Many travellers get ill for wanting to do too much
or take it personal.
in too little time. Be careful with spicy food if it is not
your daily diet.
• Be careful while going for a body-massage.
Tap water is normally not safe for drinking. However,
• Body checking (such as at airport) by police/security some establishments have water filters/purifiers installed,
officer of the opposite sex is not allowed in India. in which case the water should be safe to drink from
them. Packed drinking water (popularly called “mineral
• In line with increasing of sexual assaults, Tourism water” throughout India) is a better choice. Bisleri, Kin-
Minister has suggested female tourist not to go alone ley, Aquafina, Health Plus are popular and safe brands.
in the night and avoid using mini skirt or even knee But if the seal has been tampered, or if the bottle seems
length dress. crushed, it could be tap water being illegally sold. So al-
ways make sure that seal is intact before buying. On In-
dian Railway stations, a low-priced mineral water brand
16.3 Police and other emergency services of Indian Railways is generally available, known as “Rail
Neer”.
• Unfortunately, corruption and inefficiency are
Fruits that can be peeled such as apples and bananas, as
present in all Indian police forces, and the quality
well as packaged snacks are always a safe option. Wash
of the police force varies by officer. For emergen-
any fruit with uncontaminated water before eating it.
cies, throughout most of India, you can dial 100 for
police assistance. Try to speak the words slowly so No vaccinations are required for entry to India, except
that the policeman/woman on phone does not have for yellow fever if you are coming from an infected area
a problem in comprehending your foreign English such as Africa. However, Hepatitis (both A and B, de-
accent. For non-emergency crimes, go down to the pending on your individual circumstances), meningitis
police station to report them, and insist on getting a and typhoid shots are recommended, as is a booster shot
receipt of your complaint. for tetanus.
Diarrhea is common, and can have many different causes.
• The emergency contact numbers for most of In- Bring a standard first-aid kit, plus extra over-the-counter
dia are: Police (dial 100), Fire (dial 101), and medicine for diarrhea and stomach upset. A re-hydration
Ambulance (102 or dial the nearest good hospi- kit can also be helpful. In case you run out and cannot get
tal). In Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Banga- the re-hydration solution widely available at pharmacies,
lore, Kochi and several other cities throughout India, remember the salt/sugar/water ratio for oral re-hydration:
you can dial 108 for all emergencies. 1 tsp salt, 8 tsp sugar, for 1 litre of water. Indians have
resistance to native bacteria and parasites that visitors do
not have. If you have serious diarrhea for more than a day
16.4 Terrorism
or two, it is best to visit a private hospital. Parasites such
The India-Pakistan conflict, simmering for decades, has as Giardia are a common cause of diarrhea, and may not
in recent years manifested in terrorist attacks on India’s get better without treatment.
main cities: since 2007, there have been bombings in Malaria is endemic throughout India. CDC states that
New Delhi/Delhi, Mumbai and other big cities. The tar- risk exists in all areas, including the cities of Delhi and
gets have varied widely, but attacks have usually been Mumbai, and at altitudes of less than 2000 metres in Hi-
aimed at locals rather than visitors. The exception was machal Pradesh, Jammu, Kashmir, and Sikkim; however,
in 2008, when a shooting spree targeted and killed many the risk of infection is considered low in Delhi and north-
foreigners along with Indians, in Mumbai’s posh hotels ern India. Get expert advice on malaria preventatives,
and railway station, etc. All the terrorists involved in this and take adequate precautions to prevent mosquito bites.
were from Pakistan, and were killed in action except one Use a mosquito repellent when going outside (particularly
who was captured alive and later hanged. Realistically during the evenings) and also when sleeping in trains and
speaking, there is little you can do to avoid such random hotels without air conditioning. A local mosquito repel-
attacks, but do keep an eye on the national news and on lent used by Indians is Odomos and is available over-the-
any travel advisories from your Embassy. counter at most medical stores.
18.2 Etiquette
If you have asthma, carry enough supplies as dust, pollen
or pollution may cause some trouble to your breathing.
It is very important to stay away from the many stray dogs
and cats in India, as India has the highest rate of rabies
in the world. If you are bitten it is extremely urgent to
get to a hospital in a major urban area capable of dealing
with rabies. You can get treatment at any major hospital.
It is very important to get the rabies vaccine after any
contact with animals that includes contact with saliva or
blood. Rabies vaccines only work if the full course is
given prior to symptoms. The disease is almost invariably
fatal otherwise.
If you venture to forests in India, you may encounter ven-
omous snakes. If bitten, try to note the markings of the
snake so that the snake can be identified and the correct
antidote given. In any event, immediately seek medical
care.
17.1 Healthcare
Although virtually all Indian doctors speak English flu-
ently, public hospitals tend to be unsanitary, over-
crowded, understaffed and underequipped. Conse-
quently, the standard of care leaves much to be desired.
There are also reports of vaccinations and blood trans-
fusions in low quality hospitals increasing your risk of
contracting HIV/AIDS. Therefore, you are highly ad-
vised to avoid government healthcare facilities and make
use of private hospitals instead. Private hospitals, on
the other hand, are usually of an excellent standard and
among the best in the world, making India a popular
destination for medical tourism. The downside is that
they are usually much more expensive than public hospi-
tals, though still reasonably priced by Western standards.
Many private hospitals accept international health insur-
ance; check with the hospital before you go to be sure.
Many rich Indians travel to Singapore for more serious
issues, such as those requiring major surgery, and you
might want to consider that as an option too.
18.2 Etiquette
Finally, there are a few travel clinics in India, that can be
checked out by visiting the ISTM website in the larger
cities. Most CDC recommended vaccinations are avail-
able in many of these travel health clinics in larger cities.
Large corporate hospital chains like Fortis, Max, Apollo
and similar places are your best bet for emergency medi-
cal care in larger cities, and they have better hygiene and
generally well trained doctors, many from even US & UK
institutions.
18 Respect
18.1 Religion and rituals
• In temples and mosques it is obligatory to take off
your shoes. There are dedicated areas where your
35
footwear may be stored for a small fee or without
charge. It may also be customary to take off your
footwear while entering into homes, follow other
people’s lead or else check for footwear at the en-
trance to the home.
• It is disrespectful to touch people with your feet.
If done accidentally, you will find that Indians will
make a quick gesture of apology that involves touch-
ing the offended person with the right hand, and then
moving the hand to the chest and to the eyes. It is a
good idea to emulate that.
• Books and written material are treated with respect,
as they are considered as being concrete/physical
forms of the Hindu Goddess of Learning, Saraswati.
A book should not be touched with the feet and if it
has accidentally touched, the same gesture of apol-
ogy as is made to people (see above) should be per-
formed.
• The same goes with currency, or anything associated
with wealth (especially gold). They are treated as
being physical representations of the Goddess Lak-
shmi (of Wealth) in human form, and should not be
disrespected.
• Avoid winking, whistling, pointing or beckoning
with your fingers. All of these are considered rude.
• The Swastika symbol is a common sight in India, and
is considered a religious symbol for Hindus, Bud-
dhists and Jains. There is no connection of this
symbol to the Nazis. India has no tradition of an-
tisemitism. Jewish people have lived in India for
thousands of years and have always had good rela-
tions with their neighbours.
• Travellers should be aware of the fact that Indian
females generally dress conservatively, although in
metropolitan cities more liberal attire can be seen.
Females dressing immodestly may attract unwanted
attention from men. Avoid walking in such clothes
late at night even in the bigger cities.
• It is better to avoid going out on the roads alone.
Keeping some company is always advisable.
• Keep in mind that Indians will consider themselves
obliged to go out of the way to fulfill a guest’s re-
quest and will insist very strongly that it is no in-
convenience to do so, even if it is not true. This of
course means that there is a reciprocal obligation on
you as a guest to take extra care not to be a burden.
36
18.3 Sensitive topics
In bigger Indian cities, wearing of shorts by women is generally
accepted. Picture shows an Indian woman with her daughter in
Mumbai.
• Note that most Indians are not aware that the term
“Negro” is now considered offensive, and they may
use it with no intent to offend. An Indian is usually
not aware of the other “N” word.
• Note dietary restrictions when inviting Indian
friends for a meal. Pork is forbidden to Muslims,
while beef is forbidden to followers of most of
India’s other religions (e.g. Hinduism, Sikhism).
While in some states, like kerala, beef is consumed
liberaly. Better to ask person beforehand.
• It is customary to put up a token friendly argument
with your host or any other member of the group
when paying bills at restaurant or while making pur-
chases. The etiquette for this is somewhat compli-
cated.
• In a business lunch or dinner, it is usually
clear upfront who is supposed to pay, and there
is no need to fight. But if you are some-
one’s personal guest and they take you out to
a restaurant, you should offer to pay anyway,
and you should insist a lot. Sometimes these
fights get a little funny, with each side trying
to snatch the bill away from the other, all the
18 RESPECT
time laughing politely. If you don't have ex-
perience in these things, chances are, you will
lose the chance the first time, but in that case,
make sure that you pay the next time. (and try
to make sure that there is a next time.) Unless
the bill amount is very large do not offer to
share it, and only as a second resort after they
have refused to let you pay it all.
• The same rule applies when you are making
a purchase. If you are purchasing something
for yourself, your hosts might still offer to pay
for it if the amount is not very high, and some-
times, even if it is. In this situation, unless the
amount is very low, you should never lose the
fight. (If the amount is in fact ridiculously low,
say less than ₹10, then don't insult your hosts
by putting up a fight.) Even if by chance you
lose the fight to pay the shopkeeper, it is cus-
tomary to practically thrust (in a nice way, of
course) the money into your host’s hands.
• These rules do not apply if the host has made
it clear beforehand that it is his or her treat,
especially for some specific occasion.
• Pakistan is a sensitive subject about which many In-
dians might have strong views. Take care when dis-
cussing the issue, and better if you avoid mentioning
it, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. It’s fine to have
a chat about your visit to Pakistan, the people, the
culture, the music or Indo-Pak cricket matches. But
it is far better to avoid any discussion of the political
disputes with Pakistan or the Kashmir Conflict.
Likewise, bitterness and often intense dislike may
be expressed concerning Pakistanis or the nation of
Pakistan.
• Sri Lanka is a very sensitive subject in the state of
Tamil Nadu.
• Operation Bluestar or Indira Gandhi is a very
sensitive topic in Punjab. Many people condemned
the operation and Indira Gandhi was eventually as-
sassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. It is better not
to discuss this, as it may invite trouble.
• It is better not to discuss politics in some regions of
India. A light conversation is welcomed by the lo-
cals, but a debate on political parties and their views
could spark problems.
• Avoid insulting or questioning religious beliefs. Do
not draw any parallels or comparisons in between
any two religions, especially Hinduism and Muslim
beliefs.
19.2 Mobile 37

• Be cautious when discussing the caste system, since foreigners from buying SIM cards there. Local calls
Western viewpoints on this topic are often either an- could cost as little as ₹0.10 per minute (typically ₹0.50),
tiquated or inadequate. although going to a different state within India is con-
sidered roaming and additional charges of ₹1-3/min for
both incoming and outgoing calls may apply. Interna-
19 Connect tional calls are comparatively cheap, with most destina-
tions under ₹10/min, the same as you'd pay at a PCO
booth.
19.1 Phone
Fully loaded prepaid starter kits are available for around
₹500 or less, including several hundred rupees of call
The country code for India is 91. India is then divided into
time. Plain SIM cards are sold for as little as ₹10-15
area codes, known locally as STD codes. See individual
while they are given out for free in many cases. You will
city guides for the area codes.
need identification and a passport size photo, although
In acronym-happy India, a phone booth is known as some shops will also insist on a local address in India; try
a PCO (Public Call Office) and they usually offer the next one if they're not accommodating. Although the
STD/ISD (Subscriber Trunk Dialing/International Sub- best option is always buying a SIM card from the phone
scriber Dialing), or national and international long dis- company’s own store, that way you can verify the SIM
tance respectively. These are usually staffed, and you dial card is working and you have been allocated your credit
yourself but pay to the attendant after the call is over. before you leave. Buying from smaller vendors will often
Metering is done per pulse and a service charge of ₹2 is mean a delay of a few hours to a few days before they
added to the bill. Larger cities also have Western-style call to get the SIM working, and you risk your SIM being
unmanned public phones, which are usually red in colour cancelled if they never send in your identification paper-
and accept one rupee coins. work.
Local phone numbers can be anywhere from 5-8 digits Beware that talk time (unexpired minutes of talk time)
long. But when the area code is included, all landline and validity (the date that the SIM card expires) are con-
phone numbers in India are 10 digits long. Cellphone sidered separate and you have to keep both topped up, or
numbers usually start with '9', '8', or '7'. The following otherwise you may find the ₹500 you just recharged dis-
table explains how to dial: appearing in a puff of smoke when the one-month validity
Toll-free numbers start with 1-800, but are usually expires. Usually, when you extend the validity, you will
operator-dependent: you can't call a BSNL/MTNL toll- also get extra minutes but you can buy minutes for less
free number from an Airtel landline, and vice versa. Of- without extending the validity. Alternatively, if you are
ten, the numbers may not work from your cellular phone. in India for a reasonably long time, you can buy a prepaid
Other National Numbers that start with 18xx or 19xx SIM with lifetime validity and then topup with talktime
may attract special charges. as per your needs. Please note that in most such cases,
you will need to topup at least once every six months to
To dial outside the country from India, prefix the coun- keep the SIM active. And the term lifetime is slightly
try code with 00. E.g. a US number will be dialed as misleading as it refers to the life of the license issued
00-1-555-555-5555. Calling the USA/Canada/UK over to the operator by the Government of India to provide
the normal telephone line will cost you about ₹7.20 per mobile services. If the license is renewed, your services
minute. Calls to other countries, particularly to the Mid- shall continue without any additional charges but if the
dle East, can be more expensive. license is not renewed, your lifetime SIM also becomes
defunct. Licenses are awarded to operators for a period
of 20 years.
19.2 Mobile
Beware that whilst large telecommunications companies,
India uses both GSM and CDMA and mobile phones such as Airtel are technically the same company through-
are widely available, starting from ₹500. (3G networks out India, and your SIM card will work anywhere have
are only starting to be rolled out.) Major operators reception or a partnership, their sales and support teams
with India-wide networks include Bharti Airtel, Voda- are often outsourced and franchised. Meaning a SIM
fone, BSNL, MTNL, Reliance Mobile (both GSM bought in one state (even from an official store) does not
and CDMA), TATA DOCOMO (GSM), TATA Indi- only attract a roaming charge when used in other states, it
com (CDMA), Idea Cellular, Uninor, Aircel, MTS will also mean that your support numbers will not work.
(CDMA), and Videocon Mobile. Not all operators have For example, if you buy a SIM in Goa and something
Pan-India operations but have tie-ups with other opera- goes wrong whilst you are travelling in another state, lo-
tors to provide pan-India coverage via roaming, though cal stores will not be able to help you, nor often will your
roaming charges are higher. You will not be able to use support number that came with your SIM. They will sim-
your mobile in Jammu and Kashmir since the local ply tell you to go back to the state you bought it in for
government does not allow any roaming and restricts support, or give you other numbers to try and call back in
38 20 COPE

your purchase state. are the only cities with decent wifi coverage. At Mumbai
This also impacts recharging when you're outside the and Delhi airport, you get to use WiFi internet free, for an
state you bought your SIM card. Due to local taxes hour or so. Note that many free WiFi services will require
and company pricing, recharge cards (or the amount peo- entering a PIN sent to an Indian cell phone number.
ple pay to get the same about of talk time) differs from Most internet users in India do not rely on WiFi too much.
state to state - even though your per minute call costs will 3G datacards/USB modems are widely used, but require
be the same state to state. Take note of the recharge op- signing a contract with an operator and may thus not a
tions and prices in the state that you originally bought your practical option for short-term visitors without a resi-
SIM, because as you move to other areas in India, the lo- dential address in India. The better companies such as
cal recharge options vary and will not apply to you (they'll Airtel (GSM) and Tata indicom (CDMA) do not rent
only apply to SIM’s bought in that state). For example, if datacards, which means that you have to buy them out-
you bought your SIM in Goa and to get ₹100 talk time right. Reliance charges ₹650 per month (1GB down-
credited to your account, you actually paid ₹120 (₹100 loading free, ₹2/mb) for a datacard/USB modem. The
talk time + ₹20 local taxes), but then travelled to another cheap price also means a 256 kbit/s connection, by the
state where they had a promotion where ₹100 talk time way. Airtel are the cheapest 3G data (for phone or data
only costs ₹100, you are not eligible. You still have to card) providers, at 10GB (valid for a month) for ₹1250,
pay the rates of where you bought your SIM, even if lo- and also much lower quantities. They have one of the
cal signage says differently. The important thing to re- largest networks and free India wide data roaming, but
member is that you always recharge based on where your the drawback is particularly poor customer support, that
SIM card is from, so take a note of the recharge options often manages to make the problem worse.
when you buy your SIM, and use them (not the local rates) Internet censorship in India is considered “selective”.
to recharge. As an added complication, many local ven- There are occasional random, inexplicable and arbitrary
dors do not like to recharge out of state SIMs (which they attempts by the government to block some sites it con-
can tell from your number). This is because the way they siders as carrying hateful propaganda, but enforcement is
recharge phones is by crediting a certain amount of ru- spotty and the decisions are often forgotten after a few
pees to your account, and then your carrier recognises days of being made. You are unlikely to find any useful
the amount and transforms it into a service. For exam- site blocked.
ple ₹120 rupees may mean your account is recharged
with ₹100 talk time, whereas ₹121 may mean you get a
cricket SMS updates pack. Consequently, because local
recharge shops do not know the prices to recharge in the 20 Cope
state your SIM is from, they may not want to risk giving
you something you do not want. The way to get around The Indian Ministry of Tourism has started a 24/7 Tourist
this is to, as mentioned, make a note of your recharge Helpline: 1363 (Toll Free Line) / +91-94900 69000 (Mo-
options when you buy your SIM and politely insist to lo- bile).
cal recharge merchants that you know that amount works.
2G and 3G Internet prices are usually the same from state
to state, making this process slightly easier.

19.3 Internet

Internet kiosks are everywhere nowadays and they charge

as low as ₹10-20 per hour (the cost being a compro-
mise for speed). Beware of using your credit cards on-
line as many cases have come forward regarding credit
cards thefts using keyloggers. More reliable chains in-
clude Reliance World (formerly Reliance Web World) and
Sify iWay.
Calling overseas is also very cheap if you use the many
booths that advertise Net2Phone service. The quality
ranges from tolerable to excellent, and the price is very
good, with calls to the USA ranging from ₹2-5 per
minute.
Wifi hotspots in India are, for most part, limited. The
major airports and stations do offer paid wifi at around
₹60-100 an hour. Delhi, Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai
 39

21 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

21.1 Text
• India Source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/India?oldid=3115372 Contributors: (WV-en) ImportBot, Cjensen~enwikivoyage, Wrh2,
Guaka~enwikivoyage, Sertmann, Jpatokal, Syced, Peterfitzgerald, Atsirlin, Jc8136, Pbsouthwood, Dguillaume, Sumone10154,
DenisYurkin, AndreCarrotflower, Ypsilon, LtPowers, AHeneen, Vidimian, Inas, JamesA, Pashley, Globe-trotter, Yann, Jonboy, Raviki-
ran r, Cacahuate, Xltel, Saqib, Nurg, K7L, Snowolf, Heb, RegentsPark, ClausHansen, (WV-en) Kalakar, Stefan2bot, (WT-en) Huttite,
(WT-en) Morph, (WT-en) Tatatabot, (WT-en) TVerBeek, (WT-en) Maj, (WT-en) Burmesedays, (WT-en) Bill Ellett, (WT-en) Episteme,
(WT-en) Jnich99, (WT-en) Cardboardbird, (WT-en) Nzpcmad, (WT-en) Ilkirk, (WT-en) WindHorse, (WT-en) PierreAbbat, (WT-en) In-
terLangBot, (WT-en) Mok749, (WT-en) Roundtheworld, (WT-en) Nrms, (WT-en) Siegiga, (WT-en) Abi, (WT-en) SnappyHip, (WT-en)
Jake73, (WT-en) Zepppep, (WT-en) H3O, (WT-en) Woodstock, (WT-en) Gobbler, (WT-en) Skeleton Jack of Salem, (WT-en) Repayne,
(WT-en) Fluglotse2000, (WT-en) Tiles, (WT-en) Nils, (WT-en) Bijee, (WT-en) Stephen Atkins, (WT-en) Dhum Dhum, (WT-en) Pro-
fessorbiscuit, (WT-en) Safewater, (WT-en) MMKK, (WT-en) Upamanyuwikitravel, (WT-en) Hiwhispees, (WT-en) Tryptamine dreamer,
(WT-en) JanSlupski, (WT-en) Kaushik, (WT-en) Tsyn, (WT-en) Schizoid, (WT-en) Limit0, (WT-en) Nikkul, (WT-en) Larita, (WT-
en) Nohit, (WT-en) Boonashley, (WT-en) Niaxilin, (WT-en) Nikai, (WT-en) Scarwood, (WT-en) Sebindi, (WT-en) RangerTodd, (WT-
en) CIAWorldFactbook2002, (WT-en) Solardrum, (WT-en) MiddleEastern, (WT-en) Aadisht, (WT-en) Suhasd, (WT-en) Kish, (WT-en)
Tusker, (WT-en) AmitBoob, (WT-en) Mostroman13, (WT-en) Puff the Magic Dragon, (WT-en) Apalaria, (WT-en) Niti99, (WT-en) Sting,
(WT-en) SBC-YPR, (WT-en) Piyush1919, (WT-en) Arvindn, (WT-en) AYArktos, (WT-en) Virendra, (WT-en) Triseult, (WT-en) Srijith,
(WT-en) Superrod29, (WT-en) Mr. man, (WT-en) Ashutosh80, (WT-en) Bruinfan12, (WT-en) Nickpest, (WT-en) Philopoemen, (WT-en)
Amitreiki5, (WT-en) Lucanos, (WT-en) Dabraju, (WT-en) Vanderlust, (WT-en) Debendra, (WT-en) F16, (WT-en) Bharatha0, (WT-en)
Egil, (WT-en) Yourdeadin, (WT-en) Harshith, (WT-en) Gardn, (WT-en) Pateluday, (WT-en) Sridharpandu, (WT-en) Pamri, (WT-en)
Bharath, (WT-en) Roop, (WT-en) Landercut, (WT-en) Sudhakarsr, (WT-en) Mugunth Kumar, (WT-en) Pradyot, (WT-en) Bubblehead-
isme, (WT-en) Ilbengal, (WT-en) Tsdurai, (WT-en) L1CENSET0K1LL, (WT-en) LADave, (WT-en) 3cs, (WT-en) Doberek, (WT-en)
Rohitmathur, (WT-en) TransUtopian, (WT-en) Yslawen, (WT-en) Loodog, (WT-en) Haj10, (WT-en) Wkong, (WT-en) Bluetrumpet,
(WT-en) Dark Paladin X, (WT-en) Babin2003, (WT-en) Cheeni, (WT-en) Akashths, (WT-en) Arpitt, (WT-en) Jinmartt, (WT-en) Dumb-
head, (WT-en) Gadiyar, (WT-en) Bobbyjoe, (WT-en) Sjschen, (WT-en) Ravikothari, (WT-en) Prateek, (WT-en) Aseemsjohri, (WT-en)
King K, (WT-en) Intercultural, (WT-en) Deolekar, (WT-en) Username x, (WT-en) SC, (WT-en) Interlingua, (WT-en) Ppntori, (WT-
en) Maxfield, (WT-en) Accounts, (WT-en) Ynayak, (WT-en) Dont know anything, (WT-en) Tread, (WT-en) Rajithmohan, (WT-en)
Lost kid, (WT-en) Rshetye, (WT-en) Thepunekar, (WT-en) Ramanathank, (WT-en) Jschwart37, (WT-en) Niravthakkar2003, (WT-en)
Anurag17, (WT-en) Statuseyecare, (WT-en) Kumbh, (WT-en) Travellerfox, (WT-en) Sumithcnair, (WT-en) Samith, (WT-en) Div yo,
(WT-en) Changu Mannan, (WT-en) Achalmeena, (WT-en) Gauravejain, (WT-en) Sandeeppai, (WT-en) Abhijit Sengupta, (WT-en) Anil-
jay, (WT-en) Tyrewg, (WT-en) Vinay, (WT-en) Drsanjumishra, (WT-en) Rajasthan, (WT-en) Contactmaan, (WT-en) Harshal, (WT-en)
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