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.
|
