Electricity
The majority of India works on 220 volts AC 50 Hz.
However, it is possible that certain areas have DC supplies
and it may be a good idea to check before using electical
appliances. Socket sizes vary, so it is well to take
along a set of plug adaptors.
Tips
It is usual to tip waiters, porters, guides and
drivers. An approximate guideline would be as follows:
Restaurants - 10 % of the bill Porters - Rs.10/- per piece
of luggage
Drivers/Guides - Rs.200 per day
Tips are not included in the bill and are solely
based on each person’s discretion.
Language
English is widely spoken, though the accents may
vary considerably, making it a bit difficult to understand
at first. The official language is Hindi but there
are totally 15 major languages 544 dialects spoken
in India in addition to English.
Telephone/Communication
Telephone calls to most countries are now direct,
with quality service comparable to international standards.
Direct dialling is possible also between most cities/towns
within India. Where a direct dialling facility is not
available a call may have to be made through an operator.
Fax and Telex facilities are now ubiquitously available. It
may even be possible to send e-mail messages from
certain five star hotels and cyber cafes at a certain
cost.
Postal services in India are good and stamps can be bought
at hotels.
Climate 
Hot and tropical with variations according to the region.
Coolest months from mid-November to mid-March are also
the best to visit India. The monsoons, in the majority
of India, occur between the months of June and September.
The summer which is the really hot weather is usually
between the months of May and June.
Clothing
Winter - Light to medium clothing with jerseys/jackets
may be required in the evenings, early morning excursions
or on overcast days. In North India light woolens may
even be required during the days.
Summer - Tropical clothing with a sun hat and sunglasses
are recommended. For those travelling in the hills
or mountainous areas light woollens may be needed.
Monsoon - Light clothing with either a raincoat or an
umbrella or both (especially in places like Bombay,
Cochin, Madras, Calcutta). Light sweater may be required
for some even during this period.
Food & Drink
Indian food is as varied as the country itself,
with every region having its own mouth-watering specialties.
It therefore, does not always have to be "hot" nor can
any one dish be labelled a "curry". Most dishes with
a gravy are normally called curries but are prepared
with a different ‘masala’ or combination
of spices containing among other things coriander, cumin,
garlic, onions ginger, turmeric. Additional seasoning
which adds to the flavour and richness of meat dishes
is called "garam masala" and is made from different
combinations of a variety of spices like cardamom, nutmeg,
black pepper, cloves cinnamon, bayleaves, saffron, mace
and nutmeg. The very aromas and flavours that drew the
West to the Indian shores.
A
traditional meal all over India is usually served
in large metal plate called a ‘Thali’
with a number of small bowls used to hold the gravy
dishes. The meal is normally accompanied with Indian
bread (which varies from region to region) and rice.
North Indian food has been strongly influenced by Mughal
cuisine and is broadly non-vegetarian characterised
by the use of yoghurt fired onions, nuts and saffron.
Outstanding dishes worth trying, would be biryani,
gushtaba, tandoori dishes and kababs.
East Indian specialities include freshwater fish (especially
hilsa) cooked in a variety of sauces, sweetmeats made
from sweetened cream and cheese are also a specialty
around West Bengal. The areas further east are influenced
by by Tibetan cuisine, with ‘momos’ (delicious
chicken or pork dumplings) being a popular dish.
Western India is a very diverse area in terms of cuisine.
Gujarat with its strong Jain traditions, is almost
entirely vegetarian with a sweetish touch to all its
dishes. Goa is famed for its delicious meat and seafood
dishes of Portuguese origin such as Sorpotel, Vindaloo
and Xacuti.
Southern India is renowned for its spicy curries, rasam
(millagu tannir or literally pepper water, before
it was anglicised to mulligatawny), masala dosai or
crisp potato pancakes and a variety of rice pancakes.
The hot food has to be tempered with pappadums, yoghurt
and buttermilk. Coconut is extensively used in the
preparation of south indian dishes which are predominantly
vegetarian, with the exception of Chettinad (from
the area around Madurai) and cuisine from Kerala.
All good hotels in India provide continental meals as a matter
of course, for those who are looking for a respite
from spicy Indian cuisine. Many hotels and restaurants,
atleast in the major cities, specialise in specific
international cuisine like Italian, Chinese, Indonesian,
Mexican, Thai, Japanese etc.
For an Indian, a drink with a meal usually means water!
Imported wines and liquors are now available reasonably
easily though not in great variety. The quality of
Indian wines are improving steadily and are almost
of international standards. Indian beer and rum are
considered excellent, while gins and vodkas are good,
the Indian whisky is an acquired taste.
Gujarat is the only dry state in India at present. However,
foreigners visiting India can obtain liquor permits
either from embassies/missions/tourist offices abroad
or at a Government of India Tourist office at Bombay,
Delhi, Madras or Calcutta. Tourists can bring in either
one regular size bottle of wine and one quarter litre
of spirits or one quarter of spirit free from Customs
Duty at the time of arrival into India.
Drinking water could be a problem in India, and apart
from the flasks of water in the hotel rooms, tea/coffee,
mineral water and bottled aerated drinks, one should
use purifying tablets. If one is out sighseeing or
on an excursion it may be a good idea to carry a bottle
of mineral water or to consume aerated soft drinks
through a straw.
Shopping
Extraordinary patience, talent and imagination
goes into the making of Indian products, whether dazzling
silks, hand knotted carpets, bronze statues of Hindu
gods, jewellery, shoes/sandals, handbags, men’s
and women’s clothing, musical instruments or
perfumes. The list is inexhaustible and the prices
reasonable. Each region of the sub-continent has its
own specialities. The bazaars are the places to find
the best bargains, but one must be prepared to haggle.
It would be prudent to remember that if the shop/emporia
undertake to export purchased goods, it invariably
takes a much longer time to for them to reach than
indicated at the time of purchase.
It
is forbidden to export recognised antiques over 100
years old. It is advisable to keep the sales reciepts
to convince the customs officers. Exports of wildlife
and products made from them is banned. Insist on getting
a proper certificate for the legitimate sale of a
particular animal product to avoid inconvenience at
departure.
Indian Customs Procedures
International airports operate the conventional
green and red channels, with officials liable to carry
out sudden spot check on passengers passing throught
the green channel.
If
carrying certain items of high value such as Video
cameras, lap top computers, cameras one may be asked
to fill in a Tourist Baggage Re-export Form (TBRE)
while entering the country,which allows one to bring
items into India free of duty, provided it is re-exported
while leaving.
Security
If carrying pen knives, batteries or electronic
items it may be prudent to pack them in the checked
in baggage as they may be confisicated, only to be
returned on arrival at ones destination. This applies
to all domestic flights on the sub-continent.
For extra security reasons, it may be necessary to identify
your baggage on the tarmac before it is loaded on
to the aircraft.
Baggage Allowance
The normal free allowance for Indian Airlines
is 30 kgs on Economy and 40 kgs for Club class while
for Jet Airways and Sahara it is 20 kgs on Economy
and 30 kgs on Club class. Only a single piece of hand
baggage (within certain specifications) is allowed
on domestic flight.
Airport Departure Tax
Airport departure tax is to be included in your
international tickets and does not have to be paid
at the airport.
Import Restrictions
When entering India, the personal allowances are
one litre of spirits, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or
250 gms of tobacco. Indian customs are particularly
thorough. These allowances do not apply to persons under
the age of 18 years.
Crime & Theft
India is not particularly more dangerous than the
West. Most deluxe hotels have lockers to keep ones valuables,
but one has to be cautious with valuables when outside.
Violence against foreigners is virtually unheard of,
provided basic precautions are taken like anywhere else.
National Holidays
Full public holidays -
|
January 26 - Republic
Day
|
August 15 - Independence
day
|
|
October 02 - Mahatma
Gandhi’s birthday
|
December 25 - Christmas
|
There are
other local holidays which are applicable to different
states
Reference Reading
|
Freedom
at Midnight
|
Lapierre
and Collins
|
|
A Princess
Remembers
|
Gayatari
Devi
|
|
A Suitable
Boy
|
Vikram
Seth
|
|
God of
small things
|
Arundhati
Roy
|
|
Maharajas
Of India
|
Ann Morrow
|
|
City
of Djinss
|
Oliver
Dalrymple
|
Note
:- The above particulars are correct at the time of
printing, but may be subject to change. This is purely
for information.
|
