India General Information

Quick Facts

Region: India

Population:
1,198,003,000

Religion:

India’s major religion is Hinduism and is practised by approximately 80% of the population. There are many minor religions practiced in India, including Islam (the largest minority religion), Buddhism, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism and Zorostrianism.

Language:

English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language.

Area (sq. km):
3,287,590 square meters

Time:

India is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT.

When to Travel

The climate in India varies from tropical monsoons in the south to more temperate climates in the north. October to March are the most pleasant months to visit and it can get very hot during the summer months. Rain in Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur is quite likely during the monsoon season June to September.

Useful Travel Facts

Airports:

Major gateways include; Indira Ghandi International Airport in New Delhi, Chennai International - 20km from city, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai - 14km from city, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata - 18km from city

Telephone:

The international dialling code for India is +91

It is best to make international phone calls from either your hotel or guesthouse or at one of the many specialist communication offices. Phone calls from hotels often incur a significant service charge.

Electricity:

Voltage in India is 220 volts (50 cycles). You will need an international adaptor. Electricity supplies are subject to occasional disruption.

Food:

In India we use our hotels and guesthouses primarily as a place to stay. Breakfast is included in the tour cost at your hotel. All towns and cities have a superb choice of restaurants for lunches and dinners and your tour guide will advise you as to the best places to go. Casual clothing is all that is required for a night on the town. We recommend you only drink bottled mineral water, bottled soft drinks and tea/coffee, etc. Do not drink water from the taps, and avoid ice in your drinks. We suggest you use the water provided in the hotel flasks only for cleaning your teeth.

Transport:

You will have some free time to explore as you wish. Most cities are large and not all places of interest are within walking distance. In all cities traffic is congested and vehicles are driven somewhat erratically! The most sensible and safest form of transport is by taxi, which is relatively inexpensive. Auto rickshaws are also readily available and cycle rickshaws are great fun on the quieter roads. Taxis and auto rickshaws have meters but for cycle rickshaws bargaining before you set off is essential.

Travelling by Road in India
All our tours to India involve travelling on the busy roads of India. You will either travel in a small mini-bus or by car depending on group sizes. Roads can be rough and bumpy and the standard of driving is somewhat erratic. You will share the road with other cars, trucks, bullock carts, camels and even elephants. Your journey will not lack excitement. The driver will stop regularly on the way for refreshments but do feel free to request a photo or toilet stop when required.

Shopping:

India is a veritable shopper's paradise, offering a wide range of handicrafts, carpets, cotton and silk clothing, miniature paintings, wooden carvings, marble inlay, cast metal statues of Gods and Goddesses, gems (some real, some not), fake watches and RayBan sunglasses. Our main advice is to please be careful in all your transactions. Indian salesmen can be very, very persuasive and you must expect to bargain for most items. Most tour guides will offer to show you the best emporium for purchasing gifts and souvenirs; this is particularly so in Agra and Jaipur. Our policy is that after the completion of a tour those who wish to return to the hotel are taken directly back there, and then those who wish to view souvenirs can accompany the local guide to an emporium. Please be polite and very firm if you do not wish to go shopping.

Visa: Please note that visa requirements can and do change. It is essential that you confirm requirements with the nearest relevant embassy or check with your travel agent before you travel. At the time of writing, a visa is required by most travellers visiting India including Australians, New Zealanders, Americans, British and Canadians. You must obtain an Indian visa prior to leaving home as it cannot be obtained on arrival. Please note that visa requirements can and do change. It is essential that you confirm requirements with the nearest relevant embassy or check with your travel agent before you travel. At the time of writing, a visa is required by most travellers visiting India including Australians, New Zealanders, Americans, British and Canadians. You must obtain an Indian visa prior to leaving home as it cannot be obtained on arrival. An Indian tourist visa is available for six months from the date of issue and you should apply for a multiple entry one, as the cost is the same as for single/double entry. Your travel agent can assist you in the applying for your visa if required. Recent change to visa rules: as of January 2010, the Indian Government is in the process of implementing a new visa rule which means tourists can’t visit India twice within the space of 2 months. However, it does state that people who have documentation proving that they are using India as a base to explore neighbouring countries can enter India up to three times within 2 months.

Useful Words & Phrases

Hindi

1: Ek
10: Pathu
100: So
1000: Ek hazaar
2: Do
3: Tin
4: Char
5: Panch
6: Chhe
7: Ezhu
8: Ettu
9: Onpathu
Coffee: Kaafi
Do you speak English?: Kya aap angrezi samajhte hain?
Excuse me/sorry: Kshamaa kijiyeh
Hello/Goodbye: Namaste
How are you?: Aap kaiseh hain?
How much?: Kitneh paiseh?
No: Nahin
Please: Meharbani she
Tea: Chai
Thank you: dhanyavaad/shukriyaa
Water: Paani
Yes: Haan

Further Reading

India Lonely Planet-Sarina Singh
A Passage to India-EM Forster
A Suitable Boy-Vikram Seth
Chasing the Monsoon-Alexander Frater