India

Quick Facts

[edit]

Capital

New Delhi

Government

Federal Republic

Nationality

Indian

Population

1 147 677 000 ^[1]

Languages

Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Panjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, English

Religions

Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism

Currency

Indian Rupee (INR) Rs

Calling Code

+91

Time Zone

IST (UTC+5:30)

Contributors

• Utrecht (27%)
  from http://utrecht.travellerspoint.com
• arida (21%)
  from www.indiatravelplan.co.uk

as well as divertido (9%), Hien (8%), Lavafalls (7%), mayaroy (6%), dr.pepper (5%), Peter (4%), sudarshan (4%), arif_kool (3%), kumarneel (2%), Sam I Am (1%), Pipin (1%), mohit_sa (1%), Kuku (<1%), sudip33 (<1%), satheeshn (<1%), joffre (<1%), mustak (<1%)

Help contribute to this article to share the ad revenue.

Introduction

A great road sign.

© All Rights Reserved daveh

India's civilization stretches back at least 5000 years and, remarkably, has been maintained to an extremely high level in the 20th century. Whereas other Asian nations have seen the decline of traditional culture, Indians, particularly those away from the major cities, maintain their traditional way of life. Thus, traveling to India is very much an unforgettable experience, as it is in many ways confronting to Western notions. It is confronting when you set foot in Delhi, where pollution is likely to revolt you with its stench. And it is confronting when you notice Hindu's entrenched class system and ill-treated outcasts. But while India may send your Western ideas of humanity into torrents of outrage, it will also doubtlessly impress you with some of the less confronting aspects of Indian cultural heritage: the glorious Taj Mahal in Agra and dozens of other beautiful temples, the traditionally beautiful state of Kerala (often referred to as God's Own Country), rich cultural and architectural heritage in Rajasthan, Indians' love for cricket and a cuisine that is simply superb.

There are so many aspects to India's personality and it is definitely a place of extremes and strange contrasts. For this reason it can be an overwhelming place, but never dull or predictable. You never know what fascinating sight may confront or astound you around the next corner. It can be quite mind boggling at times so you definitely need to do your research before you go and keep an open mind, plus take a good travel guidebook with you for reference along the way. Your attitude, dress code and behaviour will always have some bearing on how you are treated. As a tourist haggling for a good price is quite good fun and part of being in India. It won't take long before you have a good feel for what things should cost - often about a third of the starting price!! If both parties are happy with the price then the haggling should stop. It is an embarassment to all concerned if relatively wealthy tourists end up haggling bitterly over just a few rupees. It should usually be a friendly exchange involving a bit of banter and reasoning rather than a fight.

If you wear tight or revealing clothing and are female, this will invite alot more hassle and attention from local men. However, if you cover up and dress unprovocatively you may still not be able to avoid the stares and questioning 'eve-teasing' as it is referred to locally. Indian men seem to have quite fixed ideas about western women and I suppose in comparison to traditional Indian women we have much more freedom, are not chaperoned and so are more 'available' to Indian eyes. This kind of hassle can be annoying, but rarely threatening to women travelling alone.

Brief History

Geography

India is a vast country and that is why this region (which also includes Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal) is popularly known as the "Indian Sub-continent". The term gives an idea about the vastness and diversity found in this region. It hosts a major portion of the highest mountain ranges in the world, the Himalayas. On the southern end, India has a coastline which measures over 7600 km.

Regions

India is a union of twenty-eight states and seven federally governed union territories. A broader regional breakdown could be as follows:

• Himalayan North: Includes Ladakh in the state of Jammu and Kashimir and the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand (formerly Uttaranchal).
• The Plains: Extending from Punjab to West Bengal comprising the important cities of Delhi, Agra, Varanasi, Amritsar, Gaya, Lucknow and Gorakhpur
• Central India: Home to the erotic structures of Khajuraho, wildlife reserves of the state of Madhya Pradesh
• Western India: Home to the the cities of Rajasthan - Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Goa, as well as Mumbai, Gujarat and Diu.
• Southern India: Which comprises of the beautiful state of Kerala, Palace cities of Bangalore and Mysore, temple cities of Madurai, Kanyakumari, Chennai and Islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Eastern India: Includes the state of Orissa and the famous city of Kolkata.
• North-Eastern India: Also known as the Seven Sister States, comprising Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

Cities

Listed below are some of the most popular cities for travellers to India.

• Delhi is the capital of India
• Agra is home to the Taj Mahal
• Bangalore
• Chennai (formerly Madras)
• Kochi (formerly Cochin)
• Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan
• Kolkata (formerly Calcutta)
• Mumbai (formerly Bombay)
• Udaipur
• Varanasi
• Jaisalmer
• Jodhpur
• Jamnagar
• Khajuraho
• Orchha
• Goa
• Puri
• Bhubaneshwar
• Thamarassery (in Calicut City)

Sights and Activities

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal

© All Rights Reserved sam.m.

India's most famous attraction, the Taj Mahal, is a mausoleum in Agra that was constructed under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died after giving birth to their son.

Agra Fort

The imposing Agra Fort at Agra is something which should not be missed. The construction of this fort was started by Mughal Emperor Akbar and later on additional building were added by his son and grandson. The fort complex has numerous building of importance like the Moti Masjid, Sheesh Mahal, Jehangir’s Palace, Deewane-E-Am and Deewane-E-Khas.

Kerala

The state of Kerala, divided into 14 districts has emerged as one of the hottest tourist destination in India over the period of years. This place is also famous for its Backwaters.

Khajuraho

Khajuraho is a town located in Madhya Pradesh famous for groups of Hindu and Jain temples. These temples are a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their beautiful and erotic rock carvings. About 20 temples remain today, dating back to the 10th and 11th century A.D.

Wildlife watching

India is one of the best countries outside Africa and probably the best in Asia to watch wildlife. Wildlife include the Asian Big Five (leopard, lion, elephant, rhino and asian buffalo) but there is one animal that even is more impressive and elusive. That animal is the tiger and seeing one is a matter of luck and staying long enough in several national parks that offer this opportunity. Kanha National Park and Bhandavgarh National Park are among the best in the country with the highest density and chance to see this massive cat. Although Ranthambore is equally famous tiger population here has dropped recently due to poachers still active in the area.

Three others parks to be visited which, because of its outstanding natural beauty and significance, are on the Unesco list as well. These are Kaziranga National Park in the northeast of the country, the Sundarbans National Park, which India shares with Bangladesh and the Keoladeo National Park, which is particulary interesting because of its birdlife, including the rare Siberian crane.

Gir National Reserve in Gujarat is the only place in Asia which has Asian lions.

Rajasthan

Rajasthan is one of the most visited parts of India and it has several great cities to visit, including Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur. All these cities have their own characteristics, fortresse, maharadja palace and even colours (pink city, blue city).

Varanasi

According to Hindu mythology, Varanasi is considered to be one of the holiest cities in India. It lies along the banks of the sacred Ganges River, and it's believed that taking a dip in it washes away all the sins and purify the soul.

Other Sights and Activities

• Ladakh is the place to be for hiking in the Himalaya Mountains and is the best place to see Budhist monasteries.
• Goa is a hippy paradise with beaches that is great for relaxing and nothing else.
• Sun Temple is an UNESCO World Heritage Site in Konarak on the Bay of Bengal.
• Sikkim and Darjeeling: Enjoy the ride with the toytrain up in the mountains of Darjeeling and Sikkim.

Events and Festivals

Pushkarfestival - one of the biggest camel fairs in the world, held in Pushkar, Rajasthan.

Weather

India is a huge country and althought there are similarties in the weather, of course there are differences regarding temperatures and rainfall between the south and north and between the lower parts and the higher Himalaya.
In general, from June to October the country is influenced by wet monsoon from the southwest. On some mountain ranges rainfall can be very heavy and some areas have over 10,000 mm a year, the wettest places on earth are located here, like Cherrapunji! This is Assam, the northeastern most part of the country.
The coolest, driest time over most of the country is from December to February, when light northerly winds bring clear skies and little rain. From March to May, India becomes hotter and hotter and the drought continues. The rains only come when the wind turns again to the southwest. On average, the arrival of the rains comes to the south of India during late May or early June and reaches the north about six weeks later.

The southern parts of India, like Kerala, are more tropical with hot and humid conditions year round. Temperatures are around or above 20 degrees at night, while days are generally above 30 degrees Celcius. Temperatures can reach well over 40 degrees though. Coastal areas are wetter compared to the inland areas. Also, they have less extreme temperatures, especially along the westcoast. Chennai (Madras) at the eastcoast can have temperatures well over 40 degrees as well though.

The north is extremely hot from March to May, with temperatures sometimes exceeding 50 degrees Celcius in Rajasthan, and averages are well into the 40's. Generally, from west to east temperatures are less extreme and there is more rainfall. Calcutta (Kolkata) for example is much wetter than Delhi and this applies to the mountains in the west and east as well. Nights in the northwest during wintert (December to February) can drop to only a few degrees above zero.

In the northernmost Himalayan mountain ranges, summers are very pleasant, with less rain and more sun, but winters can be bitterly cold, with frost and snow. Temperatures can drop well below -10 degrees at night and average a pleasant 30 degrees in Srinagar for example. The highest peaks are always cold, but trekking in Ladakh is very comfortable during June to September.

Getting There

By Plane

The major international airports of India are located in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata with Delhi receiving the bulk of flights.

Others than these, with the tourist inflow to India increasing manifold during the past few years, the airports at Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode have become international airports.

The national airline of India is Air India with hubs in Delhi and Mumbai. Destinations include lots of cities throughout Asia, both in the east and southeast as well as closer to home in the Middle East. European destinations include Paris, London and Frankfurt, North American destinations include Toronto and New York. From 2009, flights to Sydney and Melbourne are about to start.

Over the years many private airlines have started international flights, the prominent amongst them are Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines which have flights as far as Johannesburg, London and New York, but also closer to home to Shanghai, Bangkok and Singapore.

By Train

• According to plans, trains are running again since late 2007 between Calcutta in India and the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, for the first time in over 40 years. Although there were connections from Calcutta to the border and across the border further to Kulna, there weren't any connections to Dhaka at all from the west. This direct option takes about 12 hours including border formalities.

• Since February 2006, a train travels between the Indian city of Jodhpur in Rajasthan and the coastal city of Karachi in Pakistan. It's the first international train travelling directly between the two countries since 1965.

The Thar Express leaves Karachi at 11pm on Fridays, taking almost 24 hours before arriving in Jodhpur on Saturday evening. In the opposite direction, trains leave and arrive on approximately the same time on the same days taking 24 hours as well.

• On Mondays and Thursdays the Samjhota Express leaves Amritsar at 7 in the morning, scheduled to arrive in Lahore in Pakistan just after 2pm. In the other direction, trains leave Lahore on Tuesdays and Fridays at 8.30am to the Indian town of Atari, from where there are connections to Amritsar, arriving at 3pm.

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Plane

India is quite a vast country and travelling by trains and buses can be tiring if it is over long distances. Travelling by air within India is an affordable option with the launch of budget carriers namely, Air Deccan, Spicejet, Go Air and Indigo Air.

Regular service carriers like Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Air India, Air India Express and Kingfisher Airlines are also available for domestic flights.

There are also airpasses if you intend to travel a lot with Indian Airlines in a short period of time. These include passes for 7, 15 and 21 days of unlimited airtravel in economy class.

There are numerous airports in the country, but the ones with the most connections include Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore, among a few others.

By Train

Indian Railways operates India's train service, which is comprehensive.
There are train services between most cities and overnight services have restaurants carriages.
There are not less than six classes of travel: first-class air conditioned, first-class sleeper, second-class air conditioned, second-class sleeper, third-class air conditioned and air conditioned chair car.
There are Indrail passes allowing you unlimited travel on all lines during one year.

Air-conditioned coaches are now available in most of the Indian trains. There are four types of AC coaches, namely 1 AC (two berth in a coupe), 2 AC( 4 berths in a coupe), 3AC( 6 berths in a coupe) and Chair Car(which is available in short distance trains) Booking 1AC and 2 AC train travel does pose a risk. It is known that Indian dignitaries or VIPs travel in these classes along with several companions, so there is a chance that your berth may be occupied by someone else, even though you have confirmed reservation. The best thing is to travel in the comfort of 3 AC which costs a little more than the ordinary non air-conditioned sleeper classes, but is much safer and hassle free.

By Car

Renting a car is very cheap. One can prefer a chouffer driven car, which is a good idea due to traffic on highways but self driving can also be pleasent on newly built national highways, such as between Delhi and Agra, Mumbai and Pune, Delhi and Chandigarh etc. Car with driver is cheap, reliable (if picked up from an authorised travel agency), comfortable and very flexible as well. Indian traffic is chaotic to say the least and although roads are not even that bad regarding the surface, the driver's skills and unruly rural trafics are!

By Bus

With such an extensive network of trains and cars with drivers being relatively cheap, most times there really is no use in gettin on a bus. They are however of use when visiting really remote places, especially in the mountainous areas of the north and northeast of India, where there are no railways whatsoever. Minibuses ply some routes as well.

By Boat

Few travellers use boats to travel around, simply because there aren't many. A trip to the backwaters of Kerala is probably the most used one, usually on an organised trip. Still, a noteworthy exception is the ferry between mainland India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands towards Myanmar. There are connections from both Kolkata and Chennai and trips take about one and a half to two days.

Red Tape

Money

See also: Money Matters

ATM coverage is pretty good throughout India, with most accepting International Cards. State Bank of India ATMs are very reliable. They are also usually locked by access of your bankcard and most have their own security guards. Do not allow anyone into the ATM room with you apart from trusted travel partners.

Work

Study

Language

India has over 15 official languages and hundreds of dialects but English is spoken in almost all places tourist go. Indian English is unique and can sound rather funny. If you pay attention to signs, posters and other printings you can probably find some entertaining misspellings. A menu card somewhere in India along the West coast some years ago advertised for "Roasted Chicken with Smashed Potatoes".

Eat

Reams can be read and pages can be penned on Indian gastronomical wonders. But for the truly inspired gourmands and culinary enthusiasts - witnessing the preparations of the rich Indian foods is truly a gratifying experience. India is definitely the Mistress of Spices. Cuisine is regional, ancient, subtle, fiery and ultimately unforgettable. Flavors are as varied as the climate. Spices from the four corners of the country can be fragrant or pungent and sometimes just therapeutic. These spices are then blended in meticulous proportions in accordance to cooking tenets that are possibly centuries old. The use of these spices again can vary from region to region and it is this, which so sharply distinguishes and categories the food into its geographical divisions.

While in Delhi you can look for a Cooking demonstration of an Indian style cooking at a nominal cost.

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also: Travel Health

Your health is definitely a concern when heading to India. Although the risk of getting ill must not be exaggerated, and certainly should not spoil the enjoyment of your holiday, it is advisable to be prepared for your trip and to be aware of the health risks of that country.

It is always advisable to seek contact with your local surgery nurse/GP/ travel clinic for the latest information on Malarial medications and vaccinations at least 6 weeks prior to departure. Always drink purified or bottled water and check the seal for evidence of tampering before drinking it. Do not clean your teeth with the tap water either as this can make you sick too.

Perhaps if you are travelling to an area where mosquitos are likely to be and in a malarial region, pack your own mosquito net so that you can sleep easily without being bitten. Always take a good repellent that contains deet and cover up well at dusk, evening and early mornings to minimize the chance of being bitten.

India is a hot country and with a different attitude to hygiene, you therefore run greater risk of becoming ill than at home. There are more varieties of bacteria in a tropical climate, and your body isn't as used to them as you don't live in that area of the world.

If you are currently taking prescription medicines, be sure to pack the instruction leaflet with you, and carry some spare medicine. This will make life a lot easier if you happen to lose the medicine, especially when trying to explain the medication to an Indian pharmacist. Although the marketing name may vary from country to country, the chemist will certainly understand the written chemical contents.

If you wear glasses or contact lenses, be sure to take a copy of your prescription, as well as extra glasses or spare lenses.

Always carry your vaccinations booklet with you and a basic medical travel kit is always useful. You do not want a blister or small abrasion to get infected so plasters and antisceptic cream or disinfectant are a good idea, rehydration sachets and

It is best to eat at busy restaurants that have a good turnover as this means it is popular for a good reason and the food is more likely to be good and freshly prepared rather than hanging around in the heat. If something tastes odd or you don't like the look of it then trust your instincts and do not eat it.

If there are power cuts then don't order the icecream incase it has been melting and refrozen and this can make you really sick even though it is tempting in the heat!

Safety

See also: Travel Safety

Safety on the roads in India is a concern and Indian driving and traffic takes some getting used to. It is infact an organised, organically choreographed, chaos according to the size of your vehicle and status on the road. Everyone gets out of the way of the big goods trucks as they are travelling at great speed trying to beat the clock as with the buses.

On the trains local people tend to recklessly hang off moving carriages and jump off in between stops. There is a lot less care taken with regards to wearing protective head gear and protective clothing on motorbikes and mopeds. It is not unusual to see a family of 5 all squeezed onto one motorbike and no-one wearing protective gear of any sort. During festivals such as Diwali you'll see adults and children playing with fireworks and sari-clad women trailing flamable fabrics past oil lamps that decorate the streets. It does not feel safe to be out in the streets in busy cities during a festival, but it is exciting and liberating at the same time that celebration is given priority over safety issues!

It is best to avoid big gatherings and crowds where possible as 'stampedes' can happen at large festivals and people regularly get hurt or crushed. Where religious or political passions run high, strange things can happen in India and situations can get out of control quite rapidly. I suppose you can call it mass hysteria and where police are involved they are armed with big 'lathis' (sticks) and beatings can be severe and undeserved. Police corruption is rife and it is often possible to bribe your way our of trouble if you have sufficient funds.

Occasionally you hear reports of gullible tourists who have gone to India in search of a guru or some form of spiritual enlightenment and get more then they bargained for. Women particularly are risking their safety going alone to remote places to meet some alleged holy man in a cave to receive teachings or blessings and watch them levitate etc. There are many charlatans out there preying on peoples vulnerability for financial gain or worse.

Always consult the FCO website (www.fco.gov.uk) prior to travel to see what the official line is on travel to certain regions and for further advice. For example Jammu & Kashmir is not a very safe destination and has not been for some time.

Keep Connected

Internet

There's good coverage over most of India for Internet cafes. There is talk however of a crackdown on these following the Mumbai Terrorist attacks. Sify iWay is a reliable and cheap cafe with over 1600 cafes over India. iWay also allows you to open a pre-paid account that you can use all over India.

Phone

If staying longterm it is probably wise to think about investing in a mobile phone. You'll possibly need to provide a photocopy of your passport and itinerary, so come prepared. Make sure you arrange it upon arrival in a big city, as it can sometimes be difficult to organise with language barriers and such in more regional areas. You can buy a cheap nokia for about 1200rs with a pre-paid plan. Airtel is a good carrier to think about as they have great coverage, and constant offers for cheaper calling. To recharge, most shop vendors with phone carrier signs can do it via their own phone. You give them your mobile number, they put it in their phone and you'll both get messages as to whether or not the recharge has been successful. Also, if possible, buy the phone in the state where you do the most travelling as the charges are higher in the states where you did not originally buy the phone.

Over the entire country there are plenty of public phones, even in the middle of the countryside. Although most of the time these phones are not very well maintained and have horrible connections. Therefore remember when using one of these public phones one must be extremely patient.

For international calls from payphones, you'll have to visit a reputable internet cafe with a phone-booth. Mobile phones are usually a better and cheaper option.

Post

For most postcards to send internationally, it is better to visit the post office before writing on the card as you may need quite a few stamps.

Parcels must be taken to a tailor, he will then sew it up in white linen. Make sure he seals it with red wax, otherwise the post office may refuse to send it or try to get you to pay them to do it. Sewing up a parcel should only cost 50rs to 200rs.