Guide to India

India (Hindi: भारत Bhārat), the largest country in South Asia, has many of the world's highest mountains, most populated cities, and longest rivers. As one of the great civilisations of the ancient world, once revered as 'the golden bird', India's heritage and culture are a rich amalgam of the past and present. This vast rapidly developing country, the most populous in the world, offers the traveller a view of fascinating religions and ethnic groups, a smorgasbord of languages, diverse food, and architectural masterpieces that were built millennia ago and remain intact today. As the nation opens up to a globalised world, India still has a depth of history and intensity of culture that awe and fascinate the many who visit there.

India is administratively divided into 28 states and 8 union territories. The states are broadly demarcated on linguistic lines, and they vary in size; the larger ones are bigger and more diverse than some countries of Europe. The union territories are usually much smaller than the states—sometimes they are just one city—and they have much less autonomy. India has two island chains off the mainland: the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea.

The states and union territories are grouped by convention into the following regions:

• The term "Northern India" is used to loosely refer to the northern part of the country, including the Himalayan North, and parts of the Plains and Rajasthan. It is also used in contrast to southern India.

These are some of India's most notable cities. Other cities can be found under their specific regions.

• Delhi — the capital of India and the heart of Northern India
• Bengaluru (Bangalore) — the beautiful garden city, once the sleepy home of pensioners, now transformed into a hub for high-technology companies and sprouting pubs.
• Chennai (Madras) — the main port in Southern India, cultural centre, automobile capital of India
• Hyderabad — known for pearl and diamond trading, and for the classic Indian rice dish biryani, now with major manufacturing and financial institutions
• Jaipur — the Pink City, a major exhibit of the Hindu Rajput culture of medieval India
• Kolkata (Calcutta) — the cultural capital of India, known as the City of Joy, and home to numerous colonial buildings
• Mumbai (Bombay) — the financial capital of India, the city that never sleeps, home of "Bollywood", the Hindi film industry
• Shimla — capital of Himachal Pradesh, perched high on the Himalayas, more than 2 km above sea level
• Varanasi (Kashi or Banaras) — considered the most sacred Hindu city, on the banks of the Ganges, one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world

India has many outstanding landmarks and areas of outstanding beauty. Here are some of the most notable.

• Bodh Gaya — the main temple complex, which includes the Mahabodhi temple, is the place where the Buddha Sakyamuni attained enlightenment
• Ellora and Ajanta — spectacular rock-cut cave monasteries and temples, holy place for the Buddhists, Jains and Hindus
• Golden Temple — Sikh holy site in Amritsar
• Hampi — the awesome ruins of the empire of Vijayanagara
• Khajuraho — temple complexes famed for their erotic sculptures
• Konark — Sun Temple, a unique example of Kalingan architecture, which is a UNESCO World Heritage 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

"Incredible India", proclaimed a long-running and for once accurate tourism campaign. India is mind-blowing, in ways good and bad. From opulent luxury to abject misery, congested cities to tranquil countryside, dense jungles and coral reefs to desolate deserts and tall mountains, India truly has it all. This extends to people, culture, language and food, which can vary wildly in ways small and large. India shows extreme variation in most things, and one needs patience and luck to find the best. Never assume you know everything about any aspect of India; be prepared to see completely new things every day.

The Indian civilisation, one of the oldest in the world, has been hugely influential throughout history. Many of the cultures of Southeast Asia exhibit strong Indian influences, some of which have also seeped into the cultures of East Asia through the spread of Buddhism. India's scientific discoveries were carried through the Silk Road to Europe and beyond, including astronomy and mathematics. The depth and complexity of the civilisation, with its rich heritage, has fascinated the world for centuries past and continues to captivate those who visit today.

Modern India is undergoing a rapid economic, cultural and population boom, with obsessions over whether the country would be able to overtake China in economic growth and return to its once-famed status as a superpower. Many Indians regard their country to be the voice and leader of the entire "Global South" in international politics. India is a key pillar in the G20, the Commonwealth of Nations, BRICS, as well as in the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue). However, the country also faces challenges like corruption, poverty, overpopulation, education, pollution, border disputes, terrorism, and ethnic, political and religious strife.

Name

Both "India" and "Bharat" are the names of the country mentioned in the Constitution of India, and both are used to represent the country internationally.

The name "India" is from the Indus River, on whose plains the Indus Valley Civilisation flourished. The ancient Greeks named the lands east of Persia "Indica" or "India", which came from Sanskrit Sindhu (सिन्धु), meaning a "river" or "ocean".

The name Bhārat (भारत) is a short form of the longer Sanskrit name Bhāratavarsha (भारतवर्ष). It is popularly believed that the country is named Bhārat after legendary emperor Bharata. According to Jain tradition, Bharata is the eldest son of Rishavadeva, the first Jain tirthankara.

Hindustān (हिंदुस्तान / هندوستان), another common name for India, is also derived from the Indus River, which the Persians named the land east of the Indus River (Hind). It is commonly heard in slogans at sport events, as well as in advertising campaigns and company names.

History

Also in this library: South Asian history

Humans are thought to have first migrated into the Indian subcontinent around 70,000 BCE, and there are some Stone Age archaeological sites, including Mehrgarh (Pakistan), with the oldest known evidence of agriculture in the subcontinent, around 7000 BCE.

The Indus Valley Civilisation (3300-1300 BCE), one of the world's first Bronze Age civilisations and very advanced for its time, it covered most of what is now Pakistan at its peak, plus parts of Indian Punjab and eastern Afghanistan. Although Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, the two biggest Indus Valley sites, are in Pakistan, there are several other sites in India too, including Dholavira and Lothal.

Some time after 2000 BCE, the Aryans, herdsmen from somewhere to the northwest, migrated into the region. At about the same time, related groups invaded Greece (Hellenic Greeks displacing Minoans), Anatolia or Turkey (the Hittites), Persia and other areas. It is believed that all these tribes spoke related languages; and many modern languages, including the ones spoken in much of Europe and soutern Asia, are descended from them. Linguists classify them all in the Indo-European family.

The Vedic period (1500-500 BCE) was the period when the Vedas, the oldest and holiest books of Hinduism, were compiled in Vedic Sanskrit, an Indo-Aryan language. Although few details and archaeological findings are available for this period, it is thought that many Hindu rituals took shape during that period. However, it is also heavily influenced by literature that came afterwards, ranging from the Upanishads and Puranas to the great epics — Ramayana and Mahabharata. The Bhagavad Gita, among the most widely-read of those works, is said to be a concise summary of the four Vedas. It is a dialogue from the Mahabharata, just before a great battle at Kurukshetra, featuring Arjuna and Krishna. Today, Kurukshetra is a destination for both pilgrimage and tourism.

In the 1st millennium BCE, various schools of philosophy developed in India, most of which claimed to derive from the Vedas. But some of them, such as Buddhism and Jainism, questioned the Vedic authority, and are are now recognised as separate religions.

During the classical period (230 BCE–590 CE), many great empires arose and fell. Notable among them were the Mauryas and the Guptas, both with their capital in the city of Pataliputra, now called Patna. The Gupta Empire (320–590 CE) is often called the Golden Age of India. Some of the grandest Hindu, Buddhist and Jain monuments that exist in India were built during this time.

Besides, the Cheras, Cholas, Pallavas and Pandyas and ruled from present-day Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Cholas are widely recognised to be the most powerful among them, with their influence spreading as far east as Sumatra, western Borneo and southern Vietnam at the height of their power.

Over time, there was a gradual decline of Buddhism and Jainism. Buddhism, in particular, disappeared from India's heartland, though the Buddha himself was incorporated into the Hindu pantheon. Jainism continues to be practised by a significant minority who are ambivalent about whether they consider themselves Hindus or not.

Islam, India's second-largest religion, arrived mainly through the incursions started in the 8th century. Gradually, the raiders started staying as rulers, leading to the development of sultanates in Bengal, Delhi, Gujarat and the Deccan. Babur, a descendant of 14th-century conqueror Timur, defeated the Delhi sultan to establish the Mughal Empire in 1526. The empire at its peak covered almost the entire subcontinent. The period produced monumental gems like the Taj Mahal and the forts of Rajasthan, as well as Hindi and Urdu literatures. There were Hindus who converted to Islam, often forcibly or to avoid the Jizya tax, as told by Muslim chroniclers. Today, around 15% of India's population follows Islam.

However, the Rajputs resisted the Islamic invasions in western India, and their bravery is celebrated in ballads all over the forts of Rajasthan. Prominent among them was Maharana Pratap Singh, the ruler of Chittorgarh, who spent years in exile fighting the Mughal emperor Akbar. Eventually, however, the Rajputs were subdued and some Mughal armies had a high proportion of Rajput officers, although some Rajput rebellions still occurred under later emperors.

Sikhism, another major religion, was established in the Punjab region during the Mughal period. However, the relations between the Sikhs and the Mughals were frosty by the time of its tenth guru (spiritual master), Guru Gobind Singh, primarily due to the antagonism of Aurangzeb, who is widely considered to have been the most intolerant, brutal and bigoted of the Mughal emperors. The conflict between the two was one of the causes for the eventual decline of the empire. Another reason was the rise of the Maratha Empire under Shivaji and the Peshwas who established a short-lived confederacy that was almost as large as the Mughal Empire. However, the Marathas lost their command over India after the third battle of Panipat, which in turn paved the way for British colonialism.

Meanwhile, North-Eastern India was fairly isolated from the rest of the country until the colonial period. The largest and longest kingdom to rule over the Northeast were the Ningthouja dynasty (33–1891) of Manipur, followed by the Ahoms who, from the 13th to 19th centuries, successfully defended Assam and neighbouring regions from Mughal expansion.

Christianity is said to have been introduced in India by Thomas the Apostle at Muziris (present-day Kodungallur in Kerala) in the 1st century CE. However, large-scale conversions began when the European traders started visiting India beginning in the late 16th century. Prominent among these were the British, Dutch, French and Portuguese.

The British East India Company made Calcutta their headquarters in 1772, which was called "the second city of the empire after London". They also established Bombay and Madras as subsidiary towns. By the mid-19th century, the British assumed political control of virtually all of India, though the French and the Portuguese kept enclaves along the coast. The uprising by sepoys and rulers in 1857 prompted the British government to take over from the Company and make India a part of the British Raj. The British would send Indian labourers, policemen and soldiers all over the Empire, resulting in the establishment of Indian diaspora communities in Africa, the Caribbean, Fiji, Guyana, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Suriname and the United Kingdom itself.

Non-violent resistance to British colonialism led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) was a key event that led to India's independence on 15 August 1947. On that day, the subcontinent was partitioned into the secular Hindu-majority state of India and the smaller Muslim-majority state of Pakistan. The orgy of Hindu-Muslim bloodletting that followed the Partition led to the deaths of at least half a million and the migration of more than ten million people. Since then, the relations with Pakistan remain frosty, with both countries fighting four wars. India continues to experience occasional terrorist attacks, many of which are widely believed to originate in Pakistan and be ordered or assisted by its military-intelligence complex.

China, another ancient civilisation, was a major partner of India during the classical period. However, the relations became tense when the country occupied Tibet in 1951 and the Dalai Lama moved to India in 1959. The two countries went to war in 1962 over a Himalayan border dispute.

Security concerns over neighbouring countries prompted India to test nuclear weapons twice, including the 1974 tests described as "peaceful explosions".

India achieved self-sufficiency in food grains by the 1970s, ensuring that the large-scale famines that had been common are now history. However, these policies also led to shortages, slow growth and large-scale corruption. After a balance-of-payments crisis and near bankruptcy in 1991, the country adopted free-market reforms, which have continued at a steady pace ever since, fueling strong growth. The information technology (IT), business process outsourcing (BPO) and other industries have been the drivers for the growth, while manufacturing and agriculture, which have not experienced reforms, are lagging. About 42-45% of Indians live on agriculture and around 10% remain in poverty.

India has made significant advances in the space sector with its space agency ISRO having active interplanetary programs and it is now one of the major space faring countries; well known for completing huge missions at a low cost. In the future, it expects to send humans to space by 2027 through Gaganyaan, literally a "Sky Craft". Astrotourism in India has been larger than ever.

Geography

India covers an area of 3,287,263 km2 sqmi 0, making it the world's seventh-largest country and the third-largest country in Asia.

In India, you can find mountains, jungles, deserts and beaches. It is bounded to the north and northeast by the snow-capped Himalayas, the tallest mountain range in the world. They feed the perennial rivers Ganges (Ganga), Yamuna and Indus (Sindhu) on whose plains the civilisation flourished. The Ganges splits into two distributaries in central West Bengal: the Padma, which flows through Bangladesh, and the Hooghly, which flows through India. Both eventually meet at the Bay of Bengal, forming both the largest river delta and the largest mangrove forest in the world.

The other Himalayan river, the Brahmaputra (Yarlung Zangbo), flows through the northeast, mostly through Assam. The Manipur River, originating in Manipur, joins the Chindwin-Irrawaddy River system of Myanmar.

South of Punjab lies the Aravalli range, which cuts Rajasthan into two, with the western half being occupied by the Thar desert. The Vindhyas and Satpuras cut across Central India, particularly through Madhya Pradesh and signify the start of the Deccan plateau, which covers almost the whole of the southern peninsula, excluding most of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The Deccan is bounded by the Western Ghats range (called Sahyadri in Maharashtra) to the west and the Eastern Ghats to the east. The plateau is more arid than the plains, as the rivers that feed the area, such as the Narmada, Godavari, Krishna and the Kaveri (Cauvery), have far lower levels of water during the summer. Towards the northeast of the Deccan is what used to be a thickly forested area that covers the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, the eastern edge of Maharashtra, and the northern tip of Andhra Pradesh. This area is still forested, poverty stricken and populated by tribal people.

India has a long coastline. The west coast borders the Arabian Sea, the east coast the Bay of Bengal, and the south coast the Laccadive Sea; all three parts of the Indian Ocean named after the country both due to India's central geographical position and historical maritime prominence in the region.

North-Eastern India is connected to the rest of the country by the Siliguri Corridor in North Bengal, a narrow strip of land. Except the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam and the Imphal Valley in Manipur, much of the Northeast is hilly. Manipur is also home to the world's only floating lake, that is the Loktak Lake. It is remarkably known for its unique circular floating biomasses (Manipuri: Phumdi).

Climate

In general, India experiences four seasons a year: summer (Mar–May), monsoon (Jun–Sep), autumn (Oct–Nov) and winter (Dec–Feb), though in the tropical South calling the 25°C (77°F) weather "winter" 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 of. There is also a brief spring in February and March, especially in the North.

In India, it rains mainly during the monsoon, also called the rainy season. Actually, there are two monsoon periods, the Southwest and the Northeast, named after the directions the winds come from. The Southwest monsoon between June and September is the more important one, as it causes rains over most parts of the country, and is the crucial variable that decides how the crops will do. It hits the west coast the most, as crossing the Western Ghats and reaching the rest of India is literally an uphill task, making the coastline much greener than the interior.

The Northeast monsoon hits the east coast during autumn (Oct–Nov), mostly in the form of occasional cyclones that cause much devastation every year. The only region that gets rains from both monsoons is North-Eastern India, which consequently experiences the highest rainfall in the world.

Snowfalls occur in the Himalayas during winter (Dec–Feb). Whereas the rest of India experiences snowless fog during that period. Cities like Delhi and Kolkata experience smog, a combination of smoke (air pollution) and fog.

Units of measure

India is almost fully metricated. However, a few vestiges from the British imperial system remain. For example:

• Clothing sizes are advertised in both inches and centimetres.
• The weights of cakes are still measured in pounds, whereas other weights are measured in kilograms and grams.
• Land areas are still measured in acres.
• Housing properties are still advertised in square feet.
• Screen sizes are still advertised in inches.

Also note the use of lakh and crore for 100,000 and 10,000,000 respectively, mostly about money. Their use also affects the grouping of digits.

Time zone

Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of UTC/GMT, which means that solar noon is at about 1PM wall-clock time in the extreme west, 11AM in the extreme east. Daylight Saving Time is not observed in India.

Politics

India is a parliamentary republic and democracy modelled on the British Westminster system. The President, indirectly elected, is the head of state, but this position has limited powers. The Prime Minister runs the government with a cabinet of ministers, and in practice wields the most authority in government.

The Lok Sabha (House of the People), the lower house of parliament, is directly elected by universal adult franchise, while the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), the upper house, is indirectly elected. The Lok Sabha is the more powerful of the two, primarily because a majority in the Lok Sabha is required to form a government and pass budgets, and the Prime Minister, by convention, is always a member of the Lok Sabha.

India is also a union of states, along with the union territories administered directly by the centre. Each state has its own legislature, with a government run by a Chief Minister and a cabinet. Each state or union territory is divided into multiple districts, which are in turn divided into multiple smaller divisions, depending on the state or union territory in question.

There are two types of local government in India: the urban local bodies (ULBs) for cities and towns, and the panchayati raj (literally the "rule of five officials") for the remaining countryside. The urban local bodies include municipalities, municipal corporations, cantonments, nagar/town panchayats, notified area councils etc. Whereas the panchayati raj is divided into three levels or tiers: gram panchayats for individual villages, panchayat samitis for groups of villages, and zila panchayats (or zila parishads) for districts.

India has a vast number of political parties. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the current ruling party, and the centre-left Indian National Congress (INC or "Congress") is the main opposition party. Each has its own coalition; namely the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

India has a strong and independent judiciary and a near-free press, although the press freedom has been questioned for years.

Street demonstrations, protests and agitations occur, and New Delhi is the hotbed of all of them, being the country's capital. There are also occasional low levels of political violence, in which a visitor has an extremely small chance of getting caught.

Culture

India's rich and multi-layered cultures are dominated by religious and spiritual themes. While it is a mistake to assume that there is a single unified Indian culture, there are certainly unifying themes that link the various cultures. 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 in modern Bollywood music. India also has a vast tradition of classical and folk dances. Art and theatre flourish amongst the bustling cities of the country, against the backdrop of the ever-expanding western influences.

Indians greatly value their family system. Typically, an Indian family encompasses what would be called the extended 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. 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 parts of the West. 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. Nonetheless, it is fair to say that the extended 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 failures even while they are not living together.

India is a fairly stratified society with the caste system, and 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 towards 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 similar prejudices based on skin colour and ethnicity among themselves and not just towards foreigners. See more in the and sections.

There is also a community known as the Siddis, who are believed to be descended from East African slaves brought to India by the Arab Slave Trade, and mainly found in remote rural villages. Although they speak Indian instead of African languages these days, they still retain many African customs including African dance and music. Despite being Indian citizens, due to a lack of awareness from the general Indian population of their existence, they continue to face much discrimination, and are often presumed to be illegal immigrants from Africa. British colonisation also gave rise to a mixed-raced population known as the Anglo-Indians, and while most of them migrated to Western countries following independence, pockets of these communities remain in India's major cities.

Holidays and festivals

There are three national holidays: Republic Day (26 January), Independence Day (15 August), and Gandhi's Birthday, generally called Gandhi Jayanti (2 October) which follow the Gregorian calendar and occur on the same day every year.

Hindu festivals, because they follow the lunisolar calendar, occur on different days every year, but around the same time of the year every time. The major religious festivals of Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism are also celebrated. Central government offices are closed for holidays around 17 days a year for these festivals and observances. The significance of these festivals differs across different regions of India. State government offices will have a different holiday schedule based on which festivals are important in that state. Generally, the day on which the state was formed will also be a holiday in that state.

Some of the major Indian festivals are:

• 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 exile of 14 years following the killing of the demon Ravana and victory of justice over injustice when Narakasura was killed by Satyabhama with the help of god Krishna. Probably the most lavish festival in the country, reminiscent of Christmas in Europe or Thanksgiving in the US. Houses are decorated, there is glitter everywhere, and if you wander the streets on Diwali night, there might be firecrackers going off everywhere including sometimes under your feet.
• Ugadi or Yugadi is one of the main festivals, which is mainly celebrated as the 1st day of the Hindu Calendar New Year. Which is one of the main festivals and is quite widely followed in South India.
• Durga Puja / Navaratri / Dussehara, Sep-Oct — A nine-day festival culminating in the holy day of Dussehra, when locals worship the deity Durga. Workers are given sweets, cash bonuses, gifts and new clothes. It is also a new year for businesspeople when they are supposed to start new account books. In some places like West Bengal and Odisha, Durga Puja is the most important festival. In the north Dussehra celebrations take place and the slaying of Ravana by Lord Rama is ceremonially reenacted as Ram Lila. In Gujarat and Southern India, the festival is celebrated by dancing to devotional songs and religious observances like fasts extended for nine nights.
• Holi, in March — The festival of colour is a major Hindu festival in India, celebrating the death of the demon Holika. 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, the festival of the elephant god Ganesha, is celebrated all over India. It is most enjoyed in Maharashtra, and Ganesh Chaturthi is the best time to visit cities like Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. It is a public holiday in many states.
• Christmas and New Year's Day are public holidays across the country and Bank Holidays as well. Christmas is a major festival in the regions of Kerala, Goa and some states in the Northeast.
• Eid-al-Fitr, Eid-al-Adha, Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, Yawm-e-Aashoora and Ramadan are widely celebrated and observed as public holidays across the country.

Apart from these, each state or union territory has its major national festival like Onam in Kerala, Makar Sankranti and Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh, Utarayan in Gujarat, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Baisakhi for Punjab, Bihu for Assam, Ratha Yatra (chariot festival for Lord Jagannath) in Odisha, Nuakhai for Western Odisha. India is a diverse nation, and festivals are a significant part of life for the locals, they provide holidays for about a week.

Religious holidays occur on different days each year because the Hindu and Islamic festivals are based on their respective calendars and not on the Gregorian calendar. Most of them are celebrated only locally, so check the state or city you are visiting for information on whether there will be closures. Different regions might give somewhat 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) from which employees are allowed to pick two, in addition to the list of fixed holidays. This may mean thin attendance and delayed service even when the office is officially open.

During festivals it is very likely especially if travelling you may experience significant traffic or delays caused by plenty of transport of people or any processions or parades that may occur. Plan ahead if you are travelling and be prepared to cut back, shift or cancel your plans.

Read

• An Era of Darkness by Shashi Tharoor. A thought-provoking account of how the British Raj impoverished the country and caused humanitarian crises.
• Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie's allegory about Independence. It was awarded the "Booker of Bookers" Prize and the best all-time prize winners to celebrate the Booker Prize 25th and 40th anniversary. It was also adapted into a film by Indo-Canadian film director Deepa Mehta (2012).
• The India they saw : foreign accounts, by Meenakshi Jain (2011). A compilation of intriguing travel tales and excerpts from travelogues by travellers, writers, pilgrims and missionaries.
• A Goddess in the Stones: Travels in India by Norman Lewis (Cape 1991; US: Holt 1992), In "Goddess in the Stones", influential journalist and author Norman Lewis undertakes a journey of 2500 miles in search of the old India.
• India: A History, John Keay; a one-volume history that is eminently readable. (0802137970)
• India: A Million Mutinies Now, V.S. Naipaul; "With this book he may well have written his own enduring monument, in prose at once stirring and intensely personal, distinguished both by style and critical acumen" (0670837024)
• In Spite of the Gods, Edward Luce; an exceptionally insightful and readable book on the unlikely rise of modern India. (0316729817)
• No Full Stops In India, Mark Tully; "... a superb series of stories that explore everything 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." (0140104801)
• Mother Pious Lady, Santosh Desai; An excellent account of middle-class beliefs and customs from the pre-liberalisation era till date to understand the culture of present India. (9788172238643)
• Spiritual India handbook: A guide to temples, holy sites festivals and traditions by Stephen Knapp (2013). Useful for the pilgrim who wants to get the most out of a spiritual adventure and experience in India.
• Meeting Shiva: Falling and Rising in Love in the Indian Himalayas by Tiziana Stupia. Changemakers Books. 2013. ISBN 978-1780999166 A spiritual memoir chronicling a Western woman’s adventurous travels and personal quest for healing and self-discovery in the Indian Himalayas, with vivid reflections on ashram life and inner transformation.
• Thank You India: A German Woman's Journey to the Wisdom of Yoga. Maria Wirth. 2018. New Delhi, Garuda Prakashan. ISBN ‎978-1942426097 This book recounts the long-term travels of a German woman in India, sharing her transformative experiences in ashrams and encounters with gurus.

See also the Wikivoyage article On the trail of Kipling's Kim.

Tourist information

• Incredible India tourism website

Languages

At the central (federal) level, the official languages of India are Hindi and English. These languages also serve as lingua francas. While most Indians are multilingual, English proficiency is limited in rural areas and among lower socio-economic classes; learning the basics of Hindi or a local language may be useful.

Hindi is spoken by 40–50% of the population and serves as the lingua franca of Northern India. However, its use at the national level is sometimes a point of contention due to India's linguistic diversity. Very little Hindi is generally spoken in Southern and North-Eastern India, but it is generally understood by most people, as it is a subject that is required to be learnt at school. There are many dialects of Hindi. It is written in a script known as Devanagari.

Similar languages all using Devanagari or derived scripts are the remaining North Indian languages. These are official to some degree and widely spoken including: Punjabi (Punjab), Dogri (Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir), Nepali (Sikkim and West Bengal), Sindhi (used by the Sindhi community who migrated from Pakistan's Sindh province), Maithili (Bihar), Bengali (West Bengal and Tripura), Assamese (Assam), Marathi (Maharashtra and Goa), Konkani (Goa), Odia (Odisha) and Gujarati (Gujarat). Sanskrit is the language in which much of ancient Indian literature as well as Hindu and Buddhist religious texts are written; it is one of the oldest written languages. Today Sanskrit survives primarily as a liturgical language; few if any people speak Sanskrit as a native language, but many people have learnt it as a subject in school or understand most words in Sanskrit.

Urdu is mainly spoken by the Muslim population. It is similar to Hindi, but with stronger Persian influences, and is written in the Arabic script. Additionally, Kashmiri, is close to Urdu and is spoken in the Kashmir region of Jammu and Kashmir.

While most north Indian languages, including Hindi, are descended from Sanskrit, the main languages of the South – Telugu (Telangana and Andhra Pradesh), Tamil (Tamil Nadu), Kannada (Karnataka), and Malayalam (Kerala and Lakshadweep)– originate from a different ancestral language and are called the "Dravidian languages". Nevertheless, they too have been heavily influenced by Sanskrit.

Manipuri or Meitei (Manipur), Sikkimese (Sikkim), Garo (Meghalaya), Kokborok (Tripura) and Ladakhi (Ladakh) are languages of the Sino-Tibetan family, related to Chinese, Burmese and Tibetan.

Some languages use a Romanised script like English, such as Mizo (Mizoram), Khasi (Meghalaya) and Nagamese (Nagaland).

There are also hundreds of less prominent languages like Bhojpuri and Santali.

English

Also in this library: South Asian English phrasebook

English is spoken in urban areas, and is the main language in higher education and business. The youth are more likely to know English, in part due to international and English-medium schools. The language serves as the de facto lingua franca of the country.

Indian English is generally based on British English, but has also acquired a uniquely Indian flavour. Perhaps the most common jibe about the dialect is its use of "improper" grammar, which can sound strange to English speakers from other countries. Indian English is often spoken with a strong accent, which varies depending on the speaker's native language, and incorporates several words from the local languages, words that aren't used in other English dialects. This can make Indian English tricky for non-native English speakers from elsewhere to understand.

Some features of Indian English:

• The most commonly used tag question is "isn't it", which can be used to indicate a genuine question (e.g. He is from Tamil Nadu, isn't it?), sarcasm, bewilderment, and so on.
• Nouns are commonly pluralised (e.g. A room full of furnitures, stuffs for eating as opposed to A room full of furniture or stuff for eating)
• Verbs conjugate differently (e.g. I knowed about it or I buyed it as opposed to I knew about it or I bought it)
• Colloquialisms, slang words and idioms, some of which may be perceived as rude or impolite by non-Indians, are common (e.g. Hello, what you want? as opposed to Hello, what do you want?)
• Prepositions and articles are often dropped or combined strangely (e.g. I want computer as opposed to I want a computer)
• The use of some vocabulary and expressions not used with the same meaning elsewhere (e.g. vote bank, which means a group of people that supports a particular political party)

English-language TV shows and movies are common, and English TV channels outnumber those in Indian languages. Some shows may be dubbed in another language depending on where you are. Cable TV channels often have an option to select from multiple audio languages.

Communication

You are better off picking 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 urban youth, although most educated people would speak standard British English 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 there is no such distinction in English, Indians may also seem commanding to a westerner. You may hear phrases like come here which may sound commanding to Anglophones from Western cultures, but this is not intended to be rude.

Non-verbal communication is important. Much has been made of the confusing Indian head nod for yes and no – Indians have different nods for yes, ok and no.

• If they are nodding their head up and down, they mean yes or I agree, as in a standard nod.
• If they are shaking their head in a tilting motion from right to left and back, they mean I understand or I get what you said.
• If they shake their head sideways (left to right to left), they mean no.
• There are differences in the way these signs are used in northern and Southern India. The back to forth is yes and a vigorous left-right shift is no in Northern India, though the latter may be construed for yes in southern states like Tamil Nadu. Look for verbal cues that accompany these nods (like 'aaan' for yes) in Southern India to get the correct meaning.

Citizens of Yellow Fever affected countries or travellers arriving from any of these countries must carry a Yellow Fever Vaccination Card at the time of arrival in India, otherwise they may be quarantined for 6 days.

All foreign nationals (including OCI cardholders) travelling to India must complete the mandatory digital e-Arrival Card before arrival. The India e-Arrival Card is a digital version of the traditional paper disembarkation form, introduced on 1 October 2025. It replaces the paper landing card previously filled out on flights or at immigration counters. The e-Arrival Card must be completed online up to 72 hours before arrival in India. After submission, travellers receive a QR code confirmation, which must be presented at immigration upon arrival. The form can be completed via this link: e-Arrival

Special considerations apply for those connected to Pakistan, such as by former or current citizenship, birth or recent travel, see Pakistan below.

Visa

Citizens of Nepal and Bhutan may enter and live in India indefinitely without a visa. Citizens of Maldives may stay up to 90 days without a visa. Citizens of Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates are eligible for visas on arrival and may stay for up to 60 days. Citizens (current or former) of Afghanistan, North Korea and Iran require a minimum of 4 weeks waiting time for their visa.

Holders of an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) document are permitted to stay in India indefinitely and have the same rights as any Indian citizen, enjoying the prices of Indian citizen at tourist attractions. The real certificate must be presented alongside passport at immigration (electronic or physical). However, they must apply for permits to visit certain areas in India, cannot buy agricultural land and cannot vote in any election. The OCI certificate is not under any circumstances a proof of Indian citizenship, and the country that you are a passport holder of is still able to offer consular assistance. A digital version has now been launched with E-OCI which allows cardholders to store and show their OCI credentials on a mobile device alongside a passport, removing the strict need to carry a physical booklet. Physical OCI booklets stay fully valid and accepted. The rule requiring a new OCI booklet re-issue after renewing a passport post-age 20 is removed, though online passport detail updates remain mandatory.

A special 10-year visa is available to nationals of certain countries, including U.S. citizens (US$100).

Regular visa applications for U.S. citizens (for travellers not eligible for ETA) begin at VFS Global before being submitted to a visa application centre either by FedEx or in person.

It is always good to ask for a multiple-entry visa even if you are not 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.

Regular visas can be applied for through the Government of India website.

ETA/e-Visa

An ETA (aka e-Visa) is not a visa and does not guarantee entry, but is the easiest way to obtain a visa for India. It can only be applied for and granted online, i.e. completion of all your details, upload of a recent photo (JPG, a good quality selfie is fine) and a passport copy (PDF, max. 300kB), as well as payment of the (non-refundable) processing fee (see below) can only be done online via the dedicated Government of India ETA website. Most ETA can be applied for 4–120 days before arrival; only the 30 days e-Tourist Visa is limited to 4–30 days before arrival. Payment can be made by credit/debit card (+2.5% bank fee) via SBIePay (State Bank of India) or Axis Bank – the latter seems more reliable – or by PayPal (+3.5% bank fee). In case of any payment failure, wait for a few hours to not send the amount twice. After successful payment, the ETA application process starts. It can take up to 72 hr until a decision, even though in many cases it just takes 24 hr.

The ETA is only available to the citizens of the 166 countries listed under Processing fees below. It cannot be used for land or rail border crossings into India – leaving by land or rail is possible though (see below). Entry and exit with a new passport is allowed if you carry along your old passport on which the original ETA was issued.

There are also commercial websites that offer the same ETAs and e-Visas, but this service is usually not worth the money. Save your money and only go through the official website.

The following types of ETA are available:

• e-Tourist Visa:
• 30 days – double entry, valid from the first entry
• 1 or 5 years – multiple entry, valid from the date of ETA grant, max. 90 days at once, max. 180 days per calendar year
• e-Business Visa – 1 year, multiple entry, valid from the date of ETA grant, max. 180 days at once
• e-Conference Visa – single entry, valid 30 days from the first entry
• e-Medical Visa – triple entry, valid 60 days from the first entry
• e-Medical Attendant Visa – triple entry, valid 60 days from the first entry, max. 2 attendants per patient

Entry points into India on an ETA are the following only:

• Airports – Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra (Siliguri), Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Calicut, Chennai, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kannur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Port Blair, Pune, Tiruchirappalli, Thiruvananthapuram, Varanasi, Visakhapatnam
• Seaports – Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Mumbai, New Mangalore

Exit points include all of the foregoing, plus:

• Airports – Patna, Srinagar, Surat, Tirupati, Vijayawada
• Seaports – Alang, Bedi Bunder, Bhavnagar, Calicut, Cuddalore, Kakinada, Kandla, Kolkata, Mandvi, Nagapattinam, Nhava Sheva, Paradeep, Porbandar, Port Blair, Thoothukudi, Visakhapatnam, Vizhinjam, Agati, Minicoy, Vallarpadam, Mundra, Krishnapatnam, Dhubri, Pandu, Nagaon, Sribhumi, Kattupalli
• Land ICPs – Attari Road, Akhaura, Banbasa, Changrabandha, Dalu, Dawki, Dhalaighat, Gauriphanta, Ghojadanga, Petrapole, Hili, Jaigaon, Jogbani, Kailashahar, Sribhumi, Khowal, Lalgolaghat, Mahadipur, Mankachar, Moreh, Muhurighat, Radhikapur, Ragna, Ranigunj, Raxaul, Rupaidiha, Sabroom, Sonouli, Srimantapur, Sutarkandi, Fulbari, Kawarpuchia, Zorinpuri, Zokhawthar
• Rail ICPs – Attari, Gede (rail and road), Kolkata, Munabao, Petrapole

The declared entry and exit points on the ETA application are non-binding.

Processing fees (and eligibility) for e-Tourist Visa as well as all other e-Visa are as follows (as of 2023):

The ETA replaced the former limited visa-on-arrival scheme—there are no longer any visa-on-arrival facilities in India.

Specific visas

A business visa may be required if you intend to do anything work related in India (OCIs are exempt from a business visa). The ETA does permit "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 an invitation letter from the company that you are visiting, 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 missionary visa is mandatory for anyone who is visiting India "primarily to take part in religious activities". This rule is meant to combat religious conversion, particularly of Hindus to Christianity or Islam. There have been cases where preachers have been deported for addressing religious congregations while on a tourist visa. You need not be worried if you are just on a religious tour of churches in India.

If you are on a Student, Employment, Research or Missionary visa, you need to register within 14 days of arrival with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (website not accessible outside of India) where you will be staying. If the place you are staying at doesn't have one, you need to register at the local police station. All visitors who intend to stay more than 180 days also need to be registered.

Pakistan

Pakistani dual citizens are not permitted to enter India on their other passport.

If you have renounced your Pakistani citizenship, you are eligible to apply for an Indian tourist visa, but you must submit the original copy of your certificate of renunciation when applying for your visa, and you will be limited to only a single-entry 3-month visa. Upon arrival in India there is a very strong possibility of you being subject to additional questioning, searches and/or denied entry outright.

If you do not have a Pakistani passport but hold a National Identity Card (NIC) or a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistani (NICOP), you must submit a notarised statement declaring the facts about you holding the NIC/NICOP and not holding the passport. You are required to provide all your existing passports and you may be asked to give your previous passports at the discretion of the visa official.

Naturalised foreign citizens must provide a certificate declaring their naturalisation and those born outside Pakistan must provide their birth certificate.

To save time you can fill a proforma, which consists of mainly yes and no questions. There is a minimum processing time of 7-9 weeks for your visa if you are of Pakistani-origin.

If you have visited Pakistan in the last 21 days or have a visa or stamp from Pakistan, you may be denied entry, and your visa may be invalidated.

Customs

Clearing customs can be a bit of a hassle, though it has improved vastly. There are various rules regarding duty-free allowances – there are differing rules for Indian citizens, foreign tourists, citizens of Nepal and Bhutan, non-citizens of Indian origin and people moving to India. Use the website of the Central Board of Excise and Customs for information about what you can bring in.

Foreign tourists other than the Nepalese and Bhutanese and those entering through Nepal or Bhutan are entitled to bring in their "used personal effects and travel souvenirs" and ₹4,000 worth of articles for "gifts". If you are an Indian citizen or are of Indian origin, you are entitled to ₹25,000 worth of articles, provided you aren't entering through Nepal or Bhutan. The other rules are on the website.

If you are bringing any new packaged items, it is a good idea to carry the invoices for them to show their value. You are also allowed to bring in 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco and 1L (2L 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. Your bags upon arrival at all international airports in India will be screened when leaving through the green channel and red channel.

It is illegal to import e-cigarettes, vapourisers and their refills. Penalties include imprisonment.

It's illegal to carry or export antiquities without a permit. Contact your nearest Indian embassy or consulate for advice.

Importing and exporting Indian rupees is strictly forbidden for foreigners, and limited to ₹25,000 for Indian citizens. Details can be found in the official statement of the Reserve Bank of India, although it is rarely checked at airports.

Leaving India

If you do not have an entry stamp, for example if you have a newly issued passport or an emergency travel document, you must apply for a special exit permit before you travel on the Foreigners Regional Registration Office from within India (website not accessible outside India). It can take between 5 and 15 working days for straightforward applications. Factor this into your timeframe to leave India when you are booking flights.

A Look Out Circular (LOC) may be issued against you if you're charged with an offence, or a complaint is made against you. This will prevent you from leaving India until court proceedings are finalised. Court proceedings are lengthy and delays are common.

When leaving India you will be required to pass through immigration checks.

Across all modes of exit, the key requirement is that your entry stamp and visa details match the records held by immigration.

By plane

Also in this library: Flying to India

The major points of entry are Delhi (DEL), Mumbai (BOM) and Bengaluru (BLR). There are also many long-haul international flights to Kolkata (CCU), Hyderabad (HYD), Chennai (MAA) and Ahmedabad (AMD).

Secondary points of entry typically from the Middle East or Southeast Asia include Goa (GOI and GOX), Lucknow (LKO), Amritsar (ATQ), Kochi (COK), Kozhikode (CCJ) and Thiruvananthapuram (TRV). Most of the major Middle Eastern carriers offer one-stop connections to the coast from their Gulf hubs.

There are two large carriers in India with maximum international connectivity: Air India and IndiGo. Smaller airlines like Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet also fly internationally, though options are usually limited to destinations within Asia. These airlines offer daily flights from major hubs around the world. You must carry either a valid air ticket (electronic or printed) or valid boarding pass. Additionally you must carry an identification card (passport, OCI, or Aadhaar Card) to even enter the terminal. Most Indian airlines have a very unfriendly policy towards upgrading weight allowance and changing dates of flights, and so if you feel that you may need to change anything regarding your flight, it is best to check the company's policy before making a booking.

There are direct flights from many cities in the U.S. and Canada, but there are no direct flights from Latin America. There are plenty of flights from Europe and the Caucasus. To save on ticket prices, consider connecting via Middle Eastern countries from which there is a plethora of flights. There are good connections from most of Asia, but no direct flights from Pakistan. From Oceania, the only direct flights are from Australia. From Africa, flights are available from the major cities.

The indefinite ban of Indian-operated or Indian-flagged planes into Pakistani airspace may cause ticket prices to increase. Also, depending on the security situation in the Middle East or in Europe (which may cause airspace closures at short notice), your flight may be affected and cause delays or cancellations.

Be sure to hold on to your boarding pass, as it will be checked on arrival in India. Some Indian airports, like Delhi, offer Wi-Fi access with a passport scan, and offer short–term tourist SIM cards, but the majority offer no Wi-Fi or SIM card options.

The FTI‑TTP (Fast Track Immigration – Trusted Traveller Programme) is used to speed up immigration checks for travellers who have been approved by the government. In this case, their passport and biometric details are checked using automated systems, allowing them to clear immigration much faster than usual. It's designed to make international travel smoother for frequent travellers, families, and anyone who wants a more efficient arrival experience. It is available at 13 major international airports across India.

By boat

International sea travel to India remains limited in 2026. The only scheduled international passenger service is the Nagapattinam–Kankesanthurai ferry between Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka, which usually runs several times a week and takes about four hours.

Other than that, India receives seasonal cruise ships on Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea itineraries. Major ports of call include Mumbai, Goa (Mormugao), Chennai, Cochin, New Mangalore, Visakhapatnam, and occasionally Port Blair. The island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep is also a permitted entry point, though facilities are limited.

Travellers arriving by sea must comply with Indian Coast Guard and immigration procedures, which may include identity checks and customs inspections. Processing can take longer than at airports, especially at smaller ports.

By road

Overland travel is extremely limited in India due to tensions with Pakistan and China, and it's no longer possible to travel from Istanbul to New Delhi over land. The only available options are via Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the Lipulekh pass of China.

You cannot enter from Pakistan or leave India through the Wagah/Attari, Chakothi/Uri, Chakkan da Bagh/Poonch, Kasur/Firozpur, Bahawalnagar/Bathinda and Longewala border crossings, as they are shut down indefinitely since the 2025 Pahalgam attacks in Kashmir.

Nepal and Bhutan

There are daily buses from Kathmandu in Nepal, usually with connections to Delhi, Lucknow, Patna, Siliguri and Varanasi. However, it's cheaper and more reliable to take one bus to the border crossing and another from there on. The border crossings are (India/Nepal side) Sunauli/Bhairawa for Varanasi, Raxaul/Birganj for Patna, Kolkata, Kakarbhitta for Siliguri and Darjeeling, and Mahendrenagar-Banbassa for Delhi. All border crossings with Nepal are under the jurisdiction of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and you will be required to comply with these officials who will guide you through the border crossing process.

The Bhutanese government runs a service from Phuentsholing. The journey takes around 18 hours. There are frequent services from Kolkata and Siliguri.

Bangladesh

From Bangladesh there are a number of land entry points to India. However, many countries advise to check the situation when visiting the India-Bangladesh border due to border skirmishes.

All border crossings with Bangladesh are under the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF), and you will be required to comply with these officials who will guide you through the border crossing process.

The most common way is the regular air-conditioned and comfortable bus services from Dhaka to Kolkata via Petrapole–Benapole border post near Bangaon. 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 Changrabanda/Burimari or Burungamari border post. There is also a regular bus service between Dhaka and Agartala, capital of Tripura. Other entry points from Bangladesh are Hili, Chilahati/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.

Myanmar

Entering from Myanmar is possible at Moreh/Tamu, which is the most advanced and the only developed route in India to pass to and from between the two nations. This is the route of the India-Myanmar Friendship Road, and the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway.

All border crossings with Myanmar are under the jurisdiction of the Assam Rifles, and you will be required to comply with military officials who will guide you through the border crossing process.

China

The Lipulekh pass in Uttarakhand bordering Tibet is used primarily as a route by Hindu, Buddhist and Jain pilgrims visiting Mount Kailash as well as the Lake Manasarovar. The pass is near the town of Purang in Tibet. Permits are required to visit through this pass.

The other two entry points: Nathu La in Sikkim and Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh, are open only for local traders. Special permits are required to visit the pass from either side for Nathu La, and foreigners are not permitted to visit the Indian side of the border. Therefore, most people travel via land passes in Nepal.

All border crossings with China are under the jurisdiction of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and you will be required to comply with these officials who will guide you through the border crossing process.

By train

There are trains between Khajuri in Nepal and Jainagar in Bihar, operated by Nepal Railways. Neither is of much interest for travellers and there are no onward connections into Nepal, so most travellers opt for the bus or plane instead.

Train services from Bangladesh: the Maitree Express (Dhaka–Kolkata), the Bandhan Express (Khulna–Kolkata) and Mitali Express (Dhaka–New Jalpaiguri).

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.

Addresses

If you need to get anywhere, call in advance and ask for detailed directions. Bear in mind that street signs in India tend to be rare or non-existent 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, sometimes house name, street, road followed by landmark and the location pin code instead 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. Unlike 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. Using Google Maps with GPS works well most of the time in major cities but at times may not be accurate due to incorrect spelling of road or incorrect positioning on map.

Inner Line Permit

The Inner Line Permit (ILP) is an official travel document issued by the state government concerned to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period. It is obligatory for Indian citizens from outside those states to obtain a permit for entering into the protected state. An ILP is usually significantly easier to obtain than the analogous Protected Area Permit (PAP) which is the document required by non-domicile to enter the same areas. Citizens and former citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan need special approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs to visit.

The document is an effort by the government to regulate movement to certain areas near the international border. See the respective state articles for more details.

• Arunachal Pradesh — issued by the Secretary of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh. An ILP is required for entering the state through any of the check gates across the interstate border with Assam or Nagaland. Permits are obtained at Arunachal Bhavan in all major cities. Permits are given to specific districts and therefore plan the itinerary before applying for district entry permits. Checkpoints at every district border only allow locals and permit holders.
• Manipur — issued by the Government of Manipur to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into the state for a limited period to avoid uncontrollable influx. Most foreign tourists do not require the permit, but must register with the police within 24 hours of arrival; your hotel will usually handle this for you but check to be sure.
• Mizoram — issued by the Government of Mizoram. The permits are required for entering the state through any of the check gates across the interstate border with Assam, Manipur or Tripura. It is issued on arrival at Lengpui Airport in Aizawl. Most foreign tourists do not require the permit, but must register with the police within 24 hours of arrival; your hotel will usually handle this for you but check to be sure.
• Nagaland — issued by the Government of Nagaland to allow inward travel into the state for a limited period. It is required for anyone regardless of citizenship.
• Sikkim — a permit is required for Indian citizens to visit the 'Nathu La' pass which was an important passage of the silk route in medieval era and now a part of the border between India and China. Foreigners are not eligible for the permits. Further permits for high altitude regions like 'Lachung-Lachen' along with a high altitude lake called 'Gurudongmar Lake' can be obtained from Gangtok directly. Foreigners may be allowed. Another point known as 'Zero Point' also requires permits.

By plane

India's large size and uncertain roads make flying a viable option, especially as prices have tumbled in the last few years. India's domestic market is the third largest in the world after the U.S and China. Even India's offshore islands and remote mountain states are served by flights. Due to the aviation 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 at older airports in Delhi and Mumbai. The ones in Bengaluru and Hyderabad are modern and well-equipped.

In Delhi NCR, heavy winter fog can wreak havoc on schedules, especially during Christmas 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.

In the unlikely event of an air accident, a helpline has been established, 1011. This was established following the deadly Air India 171 crash.

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 competitors, often offering excellent value.

The mainline airlines include:

• IndiGo (IATA: 6E): India's largest airline with a monopoly in the domestic market, a low-cost airline connecting 88 cities throughout the country. They fly a young fleet of Airbus A320s and ATR regional aircraft.
• Air India (IATA: AI): The flag carrier. Historically it has a poor reputation, but is now being rebooted by Tata Group. It has a wide network in the country and provides excellent regional connectivity. It is a member of the Star Alliance.
• Air India Express (IATA: IX): Low-cost subsidiary of Air India, which flies mainly on trunk routes.
• SpiceJet (IATA: SG): A low-cost airline, serving around 34 domestic destinations.
• Akasa Air (IATA: QP): A low-cost airline serving 20 domestic destinations with a fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. It is the most on-time airline in the Indian aviation industry.

The regional operators include:

• Alliance Air (IATA: 9I): India’s state-owned airline, which flies small aircraft to obscure places.
• Fly91 (IATA: IC): A regional airline based in Goa, serving 8 destinations with a fleet of ATR-72 aircraft, connecting towns and cities.
• IndiaOne Air (IATA: I7): A regional airline based in Bhubaneswar that aims to connect smaller cities with metropolitan cities. It is the first scheduled airline in India to operate a single-engined aircraft.
• Star Air (IATA: S5): A regional commuter airline based in Bengaluru, serving mostly southern and western destinations with a fleet of smaller Embraer jets, however it is rapidly expanding to the north.

Fares

Prices are relatively low and stable, since destinations are often served by several airlines. It doesn't hurt though to check prices a few times on different days during the week.

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 budget airlines. Tickets for small cities will cost more than those for big ones, because of the spotty coverage noted above. Indian ticket pricing has not attained the bewildering complexity that the Americans and European have achieved, but they are moving there. You don't have to worry about higher prices on weekends, lower prices for round-trips, or lower prices for travel around weekends.

Check-in

Checking in at Indian airports tends to be slow, involving lots of queues and multiple security checks. A few pointers to smooth your way:

• Arrive at least two to three hours before departure if travelling from the major airports. For domestic flights from minor airports, 60 or 90 minutes before is fine. Check-in closes 45 minutes before departure time and the 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.
• While in the past, airports only allowed passengers to enter the airport a few hours before their flight, this rule has been relaxed and you can often stay overnight in the airport in case you have an early morning flight.
• Some airports have DigiYatra available (available only for domestic flights from select destinations), which verifies passenger identities at various checkpoints, such as check-in, security, and boarding gates, without the need for physical documents. Specific queues when entering the airport, check-ins and security have been set up in 24 airports for passengers who have registered through the DigiYatra app. To register for DigiYatra you need an Aadhaar card.
• Otherwise, bring a print-out of your ticket or a soft copy of your ticket and a government-issued ID, else you are not allowed to enter the airport. They are checked and matched compulsorily at the entry gate by security guards. If you possess neither a printout or a soft copy, you can get a copy at the airline offices just outside the entry gate. Some airlines have started to charge for this privilege.
• Most older airports and many airports outside metro cities 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. All carry on baggage will be screened by an X-ray scanner and at the discretion of the security personnel, physically too.
• Once inside the check-in hall, you cannot leave the airport again unless your flight is delayed or cancelled. Make sure to have completed all your "business" before entering the airport. Also, in case you arrive many hours before the flight to be on the safe side, be sure to know how to keep yourself busy once inside the airport.
• Pick up a tag for every item of your carry-on baggage and attach it to it. The staff at the security checkpoint will stamp your boarding pass as well as the tags of your carry-on baggage. Do not put your boarding pass on the X-ray belt, bring it with you when you go through the metal detector. Make sure you received all these stamps before leaving the security check area. Without a stamped boarding pass you will not be allowed to board the plane. You will not be allowed to take any items onboard without a stamped tag attached.

Don't hesitate to ask someone if you are unsure about anything. Most staff in airports are very helpful to passengers. They usually understand English and will take pains to ensure you catch your flight. There are separate 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 check with your airline’s website on the side of caution, especially if you are travelling by a low-cost airline. Usually, the allowed free baggage limit is 15 kg on most airlines.

By train

Also in this library: Rail travel in India

India boasts one of the biggest rail networks in the world, and the rail system is very efficient, if rarely on schedule. Travelling on the Indian Railways allows you to discover the landscape and beauty of India, and is generally more economical than flying domestically. With classes ranging from luxurious to regular, it's the best way to get to know the country and its people. Most train passengers will be curious about you and happy to pass the time with a chat. While taking an overnight sleeper train will save the money you would otherwise spend on a hotel, your sleep may not be as comfortable, as some routes are known for being overcrowded.

Rail travel in India is generally safe, however accidents happen and have previously resulted in death and serious injury. In the unlikely event of you being involved in a train accident, the helpline number is 1011.

There are RPF (Railway Protection Force) police on trains and GRP (Government Railway Police) on stations if you need help.

Commuter trains

Local trains are commuter trains in major cities, operated by the Indian Railways to surrounding towns and suburbs. They are often overcrowded, as often the platforms on the stations. If travelling on a local train, be wary of your surroundings as there may be pickpockets in stations and trains.

Metro and light rail services are available in most major cities, relatively safe and well policed, with CCTV cameras on trains and stations, and well-trained staff. They are of quality comparable to Western countries. However, there is a possibility of overcrowding especially at peak rush hour. To enter you may need to complete a quick security check.

For female travellers there are women-only carriages in commuter trains (check where they are; they have signs on train windows).

Regular trains

Regular trains come in many varieties. The more expensive and luxurious trains are as a rule air-conditioned, stop only at major stations, only have reserved seats or beds and in general offer passengers more space. In contrast, the cheaper services are slower, often have no air-conditioning and include non-reserved compartments.

Apart from luxury trains, the Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Vande Bharat trains are the most luxurious and fastest ones, running at speeds up to 130–160 km/h (81–99 mph). They are almost always on schedule, and get priority over other trains on their respective routes. They are completely air-conditioned and have breakfast, lunch, evening tea and dinner included in your ticket price. The food is served at your seat during travel.

The actual luxury trains, such as the Palace on Wheels and the Maharajas' Express, offer journeys between some major tourist destinations. Journeys on board these trains are all inclusive of accommodation, dining, sightseeing, transportation and porter charges. The prices match the luxury.

There are also superfast trains, which merely means that their average speeds are at least 55 km/h, and therefore the "superfast surcharge" is added to the ticket price.

There are several classes of seats on most trains, see Rail travel in India and check which ones are available for your train.

Ticketing

Trains tend to fill up early. Tickets can be reserved up to 4 months in advance. School summer vacation time — 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 similar rush.

Tickets can be booked online and from counters at most railway stations. Details of facility available for tourists from abroad are available at IRCTC website and Indian Railways Website. Other authorised ticketing agencies provide a much better user experience, though however you want to book, you will need an IRCTC account.

One day before the departure date of a train at 10AM, the Tatkal quota seats become available. Tatkal accounts for about 10% of the total number of seats. This allows tourists who like to plan a trip as they go to book seats closer to the day of departure, for an extra fee. It is sometimes difficult to book Tatkal tickets online because of the excess amount of traffic on the Indian railway website. The E-wallet facility enables users to keep money on the website for faster booking of tickets. This facility reduces the time of ticket booking because users skip the payment gateway processing time. You can pay using your debit cards, credit cards, or internet banking.

Meals

Most long-distance night trains have a pantry car and if you are in the sleeper or air-con classes, you can buy meals on board the train. The pantry staff will visit your seat to take your order. However, most pantry car meals aren't really good in quality or taste. Bring enough food for the journey including delays. You can purchase drinks, packaged snacks or biscuits from the pantry staff who circulate from one coach to another.

At most stations, hawkers selling tea, peanuts, and snack food and complete meals will go up and down the train. You can also get down on the station platform to look for food, but make sure you know the stoppage timing of the train at that station. In the most luxurious trains, meals are included in your ticket price and served at your seat during travel. There are no dining cars in the Indian Railways except in select luxury trains and in Deccan Queen, a daily train between Mumbai and Pune.

By bus

Also in this library: Bus travel in India

While you cannot take a bus journey across India, buses are the second most-popular way of travelling across states and the only cheap way of reaching many places not on the broad-gauge rail network, such as Dharamsala, Imphal, Leh or Gangtok.

For short distances, just wait at the road that obviously goes into your direction. Unless you are in the middle of nowhere, there are many buses plying along Indian roads. If in doubt, just ask someone local.

Every state has its own public bus service, which primarily connects intrastate routes, but will also have services to neighbouring states. Many public transport companies have their own website to find the schedule and prices, but also to book tickets. If searching for connections, the website will sometimes not accept smaller villages along the way and you may have to select or search for the next larger town or city.

Private buses may or may not be available in the area you are travelling to, and even if they are, the quality could vary a lot. Be warned that many of the private buses, especially long-distance lines, play music or videos at ear-splitting volume. Even with earplugs it can be nerve-wracking. Restrooms are available in large bus stations but are crowded. The bus industry is extremely fragmented and there are few operators who offer services in more than 2 or 3 neighbouring states. Travel agents usually only offer seats on private buses. As of 2024, Flixbus offers rides in the north and north-west of India and intends to serve the whole country.

Prices between public and private buses do not differ much. However, public buses will give you a proper ticket indicating the origin and destination of your journey. Whereas the private ones will only give you a paper ticket with a price written on it by the conductor. For buses serving smaller villages there might not even be any ticket at all for private buses — if the other Indian passengers also don't get a ticket, then that's just the way. In general, you can expect to pay as little as ₹1/km in the plains (Punjab) and ₹2–2.30/km in more mountainous areas (Himachal Pradesh) with public and private buses. After a short while you will figure out what is the going local rate. Anything way beyond that rate, especially in private buses, is an indication that the conductor is trying to rip you off. Stand your ground and don't give in, potentially demand your money back and leave the bus.

There are usually multiple classes of buses. The ordinary or service buses are extremely crowded, with even standing room rarely available (unless you're among the first on board) as reservations are not possible and they tend to stop at too many places. On the upside, they're very cheap. The luxury or express are air-conditioning with assured seating (book in advance), and have limited stops, making them well worth the slight extra expense. But even these better-class buses rarely have toilets and make occasional snack and toilet breaks.

Regardless of the 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 comfortable and less safe than trains. Night buses are particularly hazardous, and for long-distance travel it is wise to opt for sleeper train services instead.

For major private (Volvo) bus connections, schedules, prices and tickets, try one of the following websites:

• redBus
• zingbus
• Paytm
• MakeMyTrip

By taxi or ride-hailing

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 underwent a drastic change for the better around 2010, with many online companies offering taxi services.

Regular metered taxis are common and can usually be hailed on the street. While they're supposed to use the meter, tales of "broken" meters and hapless fleeced tourists are common, so try to have an idea of the fare before you set off.

Central locations of big cities, like airports or stations, have pre-paid taxi services managed by local traffic police officials. However, beware of touts who claim to be running pre-paid taxis. Always collect the receipt from the counter first. The receipt has two parts: one part is for your reference, and the other part you will hand to the taxi driver only after you reach your desired destination. The taxi driver will receive their payment from the pre-paid taxi counter by this other part.

The three largest players in ride-hailing services are Rapido, Ola Cabs and Uber, which operate in all major Indian cities and have ranks at major airports. There are also sometimes local companies offering ride-hailing services within their cities (especially prevalent in Goa, where four-wheeler franchises are banned, to support the taxi union). Both pickup and dropoff points can be entered in English, minimising hassle. The ride-hailing companies generally offer two-wheelers as well as cars, and Rapido offers auto rickshaw rides. Service for these vehicles varies as in states like Maharashtra and Karnataka, due to laws this is banned.

Fares are affordable by Western standards, with most city rides under ₹200, although surge pricing can be expensive. However, the very cheapest categories (UberX and Ola Micro/Mini, respectively) often have tiny, run-down cars, so paying the small premium for the next class up (Uber Comfort and Ola Prime) may be worth it.

The taxi driver may not know how to get to your destination, and will not tell you this beforehand. This may result in the taxi stopping at various points during the journey as the driver gets out to ask for directions. Insist on being taken to your original destination, and not a substitute offered by the driver (e.g. a different hotel).

By rickshaw

There are mainly four kinds of rickshaws in India:

• Auto-rickshaws or autos — the most common means of hired transport in India. They are very handy for short-distance travel in cities, especially since they can weave their way through small alleys to bypass larger cars stuck in travel jams, but are not very suitable for long distances. Most are green and yellow, due to the new CNG gas laws, and some may be yellow and black in colour, with one wheel in the front and two in the back, with a leather or soft plastic top.
• E-rickshaws — an increasingly common means of hired transport in India, being eco-friendly and very cheap. They serve the same purpose as autos, but travel at a lower speed than autos, and are not allowed on some roads. The e-rickshaw can fit as many as 6 people in 1 vehicle, with some safety features.
• Cycle rickshaws — bigger than tricycles where two people sit on an elevated seat at the back and a person pedals from the front. They can often be quite expensive, however is supported by environmentalists as being more eco-friendly than auto-rickshaws.
• Pulled rickshaws — now only available in Kolkata, albeit quite rare. The West Bengal government once proposed a ban on these rickshaws describing them as "inhuman".

When getting a rickshaw, you can either negotiate the fare or go by the meter. In almost all cases it is better to use the meter—a negotiated fare means that you are being charged a higher than normal rate. A metered fare starts around ₹13 (different for different areas), and includes the first 1 to 2 kilometres of travel. Never get in an auto-rickshaw or r-rickshaw without either the meter being turned on, or the fare negotiated in advance. In nearly all cases the driver will ask an exorbitant sum (for Indian standards) from you later. A normal fare would be ₹11-12 for the first km and ₹7-8 per km after that. In most cities, auto-rickshaw drivers are provided with a rate card that elaborately describes the fares on per kilometre basis. A careful tourist must verify the meter reading against the rate card before making a payment. Auto-rickshaws and E-rickshaws carry either digital or analog meters wherein the analog meters may have been tampered with. It may be a better option to go for a negotiated fare when the auto-rickshaw or E-rickshaw has an analogue meter.

Ideally, you should talk with a local to find out what the fare for any estimated route will be. Higher rates may apply at night, and for special destinations such as airports. Finally, factor in that rickshaw drivers may have to pay bribes to join the queue for customers at premium locations such as expensive hotels. The bribe will be factored in the fare.

Make sure that the driver knows where they are going. Many rickshaw drivers will claim to know the destination without really having any clue as to where it is. If you know something about the location, quiz them on it to screen out the liars. If you do not know much about the location, make them tell you in no uncertain terms that they know where it is. This is because after they get lost and drive all over the place, they will often demand extra payment for their own mistake. You can then tell them that they lied to you, and wasted your time, so they should be happy to get the agreed-upon fee.

Rickshaws are banned on some roads; namely national highways, expressways, and some inner city roads; which can cause delays.

By car

Also in this library: Driving in India

In India, driving is on the left of the road — at least most of the time. You can drive in India if you have a local licence or an International Driving Permit, but unless you are accustomed to driving in extremely chaotic streets in cities, you probably will not want to.

However, a car may get you pretty much anywhere in India, and driving is a good option for more remote destinations outside the rail network. However, the traffic culture remains dangerous, with not too much respect of rules. Besides, fuel can be expensive.

Road distances are in kilometres (8 km is about 5 miles), and speed limits are in kilometres per hour (100 km/h is about 62 mph).

Most expressways (controlled-acess highways) have tolls, which are levied based on vehicle category, type of expressway and distance travelled.

Road signs tend to follow European practices closely, usually identical to United Kingdom or the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. However, yellow rectangular signs that do carry messages like "Be gentle on my curves" and "Danger creeps when safety sleeps" are present nationwide. A circle with a red diagonal slash shows prohibited activities and circles without slashes show rules, blue circles indicate compulsory instructions and triangles with red borders indicate cautions and dangers. Blue rectangular signs are used in metropolitan cities or urban areas, or on expressways. Green rectangular signs are used everywhere else.

Grand Trunk Road describes one of India's major roads, running east–west through the Ganges Basin and west across northern Pakistan to Kabul.

Hiring driver with car

Also in this library: Driving in India

It's quite easy and common to rent a car with a driver in India. If you travel in summer, it is recommended to take a car with air-conditioning.

There are numerous advantages to having a car and driver.

• A good local driver is the safest means of car travel.
• You can keep your bags and shopping goods with you securely wherever you go.
• The driver will often have some knowledge of local tourist destinations.
• The car is at your disposal. You don't need to spend time finding further transport, or haggling over price.

It is rare to find a driver that speaks more than a few words of English. Make sure you can trust your driver before you leave your goods with him. If he shows any suspicious behaviour, make sure you keep your bags with you. It is generally a good idea to have all your valuables with you.

Be wary of reckless driving when renting a car with a driver. Do not be afraid to tell the driver that you have time to see around and that you are not in a hurry. Make sure also that your driver gets enough rest time and time to eat. In general, as you visit restaurants, the driver may eat at the same time (either separately at the same restaurant or at some other nearby place).

By motorcycle

Some people argue that the best way to experience India is on a motorbike. Riding a motorbike and travelling across India you get a closer look and feel of the country along with all the smells and sounds. However, this story seems to be mostly popular among the new emerging Indian middle class, who ply popular Indian travel destinations with their bikes, like Ladakh. For Westerners it is important to note the state of Indian roads and the chaotic traffic.

There are many companies that organise package tours or tailor-made tours for enthusiastic bikers and the adventurous, or a safer motorbike experience of India. They will take care of luggage and maintenance of the bike.

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 is despite its high petrol consumption, 25-30 km/l mpgus, supposed low reliability (it is "classic" 1940s engineering after all and requires regular service adjustment; you can find an Enfield mechanic with decades of experience in every town, who will perform miracles at about ₹100 an hour labour cost), and claimed difficulty to handle (it is quite heavy and the seat can be high for some). You don't want to be riding roads at 4,000-5,000 m in Ladakh and suddenly the bike breaking down — here it will be quite difficult to find a mechanic.

Alternatively, one can opt for a smaller yet quicker, more fuel efficient and more versatile bikes like "Hero", "Bajaj" or "Honda". They can range from 100 cc to the newly launched 220 cc bikes. The smaller variants (100–125 cc) can give you a mileage exceeding 50 km/l mpgus on the road, while giving less power if one is opting to drive with pillion on the highways. The bigger variants (150–220 cc) are more powerful and one can get a feel of the power especially on highways — the mileage is lesser for these bikes anywhere between 35-45 km/l mpgus.

Preferably tourists should go for second-hand bikes rather than purchasing new ones. The smaller 100 cc variants can be purchased for anywhere between ₹15,000–25,000 depending on the year of make and condition of vehicle. The bigger ones can be bought from ₹30,000 onwards. But some people have even travelled the country on a scooter.

Two-wheelers, including motorcycles and scooters, are banned on some roads— namely national highways (not really enforced), and national expressways (enforced). Motorcycles will have to use the service roads on the side of these roads.

By thumb

Hitchhiking in India, especially in remote regions, is very easy due to the enormous number of cargo trucks and local traffic on every highway and road. Most drivers do not speak English or any other international language; however, most have a very keen sense of where the cities and villages are along the road. It is rare for any of them to expect payment.

Hitchhiking in cities, highways and crowded places is safe, but refrain from it on deserted places, less populated areas, forest roads, etc. However, this rule really also depends on the region. Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh can generally be considered to be safe for hitchhiking. However, it's probably not a good idea in Bihar, one of the poorest states of India. Also, it is better to stick to daytime travel.

When hitchhiking, it is important to understand the system of vehicle number plates in India. There are yellow (commercial), green (electric) and white (private) ones. White ones are generally always safe for hitchhiking for free, because these are local people in their own car.

For yellow number plates, it depends: regular cars, SUVs, vans and minibuses will most always be taxis, and it doesn't make sense to hail them. However, pickup trucks, cargo trucks, and anything that looks like made for transporting goods, is safe to hail. They shouldn't demand any money, but if so, just tell them that they are no taxis but cargo vehicles.

By boat

India is known for its multitude of rivers and there are numerous boats and ferries to cross certain rivers. However, boat transport is less important for many budget travellers since they will cross most rivers with bridges anyway. That said, boats are still necessary to access certain islands, like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Mumbai's Elephanta Island and West Bengal's Sagar Island. Also Kerala's rivers, backwaters and lagoons make travel by ferry an effective service, and in some places, ferries are more popular and easier than road transport.

Apart from these services, there are also luxury river cruises, such as along the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers.

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 of India has over ten major tourist destinations and there are cities which can barely be tasted in a full week. Many Indian states by themselves are bigger and more populous than most of the countries in the world, and there are 28 states and 8 union territories, including two island chains outside the mainland.

That said, below are some highlights.

Historical monuments and forts

Also in this library: Forts and palaces of India · UNESCO World Heritage List (India)

Probably the most famous attraction in India is the Taj Mahal, widely recognised as the jewel of Islamic art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage. The Qutb Minar and the impressive Red Fort are the two most prominent historical monuments in Delhi.

Jaipur, west of the Taj, is incredibly rich in forts and palaces, including the tremendous Amber Fort, beautiful Jal Mahal (Water Palace) and unique Hawa Mahal (Wind Palace). In addition, there are innumerable forts in the states of Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

Nalanda in Bihar has the remains of a university of Buddhism that was established in 450 CE.

For a rather different and more modern kind of historical monument, the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, founded by the Mahatma himself, is a repository of all things Gandhi.

Houses of worship

Also in this library: Sacred sites of South Asia

No visit to India would be complete without a trip to some of the country's fantastic temples, with all regions being replete with temples. The city of Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, has so many temples that it's called the "City of Temples" and is a major draw for Hindu pilgrims. Bishnupur in West Bengal is home to famous terracotta temples. The Tantric temple complexes of Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh are much beloved for their thousand-year-old sacred erotic wall carvings, considered by some art historians to be the pinnacle of erotic art.

In southern India, the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai is a centre of worship of Parvati, the consort of Shiva. The Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati is dedicated to Vishnu and is also a major draw for pilgrims in southern India. Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli and Kumbakonam are known for their grand Chola-era temples.

Hinduism is not the only religion represented among the great temples of India. The world headquarters of Sikhism are in the Golden Temple in Punjab. Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh have splendid Buddhist temples and monasteries. The Ranakpur Temple in the small Rajasthani town of Ranakpur is an impressive and historic Jain temple. Delhi's Lotus Temple is an important site of worship for members of the Baha'i Faith, with splendid architecture drawing millions of visitors per year.

India's second-largest religion after Hinduism is Islam, with Islamic dynasties ruling many parts of the country for centuries. So it's not surprising that India is also home to many magnificent mosques, some of which, like the one in the Taj, are part of historical monuments. One impressive mosque that's very much in use to this day is the lovely 17th-century Jama Masjid in Old Delhi. In southern India, Hyderabad has several historical mosques, including the Charminar and the Mecca Masjid.

Besides temples and mosques, there are churches and synagogues built during the colonial era. The Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, the St. Paul's Cathedral in Kolkata and the St. Thomas Cathedral in Mumbai are some of the most famous churches in India.

Landscapes

Also in this library: Natural wonders of India · Hill stations in India

India is a very geographically varied country. Besides the Himalayas and the Western Ghats, there are hills in central, eastern, north-eastern and southern parts of India. The hill stations — towns in the cooler areas in foothills or high valleys surrounded by mountains, which were favoured by rajas and the British in the hot summer months — are considered sights and experiences in themselves, the largest of which is Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. Other famous hill stations include Darjeeling, Dharamsala, Gangtok, Ooty and Shimla, and there are many others – most states have some.

India is also a country of many rivers, some of which are considered sacred. The Ganges or Ganga brings life to the Indian plains, and it's not just an impressive body of water but a centre of ritual ablutions, prayers and cremations. There are several holy cities along the river with many temples, but they are often less places of pilgrimage to specific temples than holy cities whose temples have grown because of the ghats (steps leading down to the holy river) and most interesting to visit for the overall experience of observing or partaking in the way of life and death along the river. Foremost among these holy cities is Varanasi, where some 5,000-year-old rituals are still practised; other cities worth visiting to experience the Ganges include Rishikesh and Haridwar, much further upstream.

India also has a long coastline. The beaches of Goa, also an interesting former Portuguese colony and the Andaman Islands are among the most appreciated by domestic and foreign visitors.

Finally, India has a vast desert, the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, with cities like Jaisalmer being good bases for camel safaris.

Wildlife

Also in this library: Wildlife in South and Southeast Asia · Indian national parks and wildlife sanctuaries

India is famous for its wildlife, with Bengal tigers, Asiatic lions, Asian elephants and one-horned rhinos being popular wild animals.

The most likely places for you to spot a Bengal tiger in the wild are national parks like Bandhavgarh, Ranthambore and Tadoba, though you would still have to have some luck and persistence. The Sundarbans National Park is home to the famous royal Bengal tigers and estuarine crocodiles, and is a part of the largest mangrove forest and delta in the world, shared with Bangladesh. The Pench National Park, another tiger reserve, is one of the places that may have inspired Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book.

The Gir Forest National Park in Gujarat is the only national park where you can spot an Asiatic lion in the wild. The only other places to spot such animals are the zoogical parks.

The Kaziranga National Park in North-Eastern India is home to the world's largest population of one-horned rhinos. You can also spot rhinos at Gorumara, Jaldapara and Manas. The Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur is the world's only floating national park, floating on the mirror like Loktak Lake, where the world's only dancing deer species, brow-antlered deer (sangai) is found.

Fairs and festivals

Goa Fair (carnival). February heralds the carnival at Goa. For three days and nights the streets come alive with colour. 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 behind, Surajkund adorns itself with colourful traditional crafts of India. Craftsmen from all over the country assemble at Surajkund during the first fortnight of February to participate in the annual celebration that is the Surajkund 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. It is a festival of fun and frolic and has been associated with the immortal love of Krishna and Radha. The exuberance and the festivity of the season are remarkable.

Diwali. The festival of lights, Diwali, illuminates the darkness of new 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 symbolises the age-old culture of India that teaches to vanquish ignorance that subdues humanity and to drive away darkness that engulfs the light of knowledge.

Pushkar Mela. Every November the sleepy little township 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.

Sports

• 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. Seeing children playing cricket in parks and alleys with rubber balls and makeshift wickets is very common. The Indian Premier League (IPL) has brought fast-paced, commercialised "Twenty20" cricket to the fore. The atmosphere 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. So book early. Grab a water bottle as well and prepare for the brilliant atmosphere in any stadium. 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 (soccer) — You can come across young boys playing with a football on any open space that is available, as with cricket. Club football is very popular, especially among youth. Many large restaurants and bars offer a view of important European club matches and the World Cup matches. The oldest and most intense rivalry is the Kolkata Derby between the clubs Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, held at the massive Salt Lake Stadium in eastern Kolkata.
• Hockey (field hockey) – commonly called the national game of India, hockey retains a prominent position in the hearts of many Indians. It still has a significant fan base, especially in northern and eastern India. The introduction of the Premier Hockey League has helped restore its popularity.
• Polo — Polo's origins can be traced to origins in Manipur state around 3100 BC, when it was played as Sagol Kangjei. It was adopted by the Europeans during the 19th century and spread around the globe. The polo ground in Imphal is the world's oldest.
• Kabaddi — A sport unique to the Indian subcontinent, it is a contact team sport that involves attempting to tag out your opponents' player before returning to your own half.
• Kho kho — A sport unique to the Indian subcontinent, is a fast-paced Indian tag sport where one team chases the other around a rectangular court using quick turns, strategic passes, and bursts of speed.
• Motor sport — India has its own motor sport league called Indian Racing League. India used to host an F1 Grand Prix, at Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, but there have been plans made by the Adani Group to return F1 to the circuit. MotoGP has returned to India, with the Indian Grand Prix.

There are many things to learn that interest foreigners all over India, but there are a few destinations that have become particularly well known for certain things:

• Yoga in Haridwar, Rishikesh and Mysore, as well as Ayurveda in Kerala.
• Hindi in Delhi or Varanasi.
• Classical musical instruments in not only Varanasi but also southern India where they form the most integral part of Core Classicals.
• Classical vocal music and classical dance forms in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Manipur or Karnataka.
• Sanskrit at 'Samskrita Bharati' in Udupi, Bengaluru, Varanasi or Delhi.
• Buddhism at Dharamsala, Bir or Bodh Gaya.
• Cooking classes are also popular. However, the Indian cuisine varies a lot throughout the country, so if you have the time and appetite it's worth checking out courses in a variety of areas such as Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.

There are many universities imparting education but at the helm are the world-class ones like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), the All India Insititutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMSes) and the National Law Universities (NLUs). Most of the ambitious students who want to get a good high level education strive to get into these institutes through the fiendishly difficult admission processes, both due to nature of test and the prevailing competition. Admissions to the top 7 IITs — Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkee — are so competitive that it is harder for an Indian student to get into one of them than it is for an American student to get into an Ivy League college, or a British student to get into Oxbridge. The 6 top IIMs — Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Indore, Kozhikode and Lucknow — together select only about 1,200 students from the 350,000 candidates who appear for CAT exam. These institutes also offer degrees to foreign students.

Apart from the undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral courses, there are many training and diploma-level institutes and polytechnics that cater to the growing demand for skill-based and vocational education. Besides conventional education, foreigners might also be interested to study with a pundit (Hindu scholar) to learn Hindi or Sanskrit, or with a mullah (Islamic) to study Arabic, Persian or Urdu. They might also like to live with a famed ustad or pundit to study classical Indian music. Whether people are interested in philosophy, religion, cuisine or dance, India will have the right opportunity for them.

Foreigners need a work permit to be employed in India. A work permit is granted if an application is made to the local Indian embassy along with proof of potential employment and supporting documents. There are many expatriates working in India, mostly for multinational companies. India has always had an expatriate community of reasonable size, and there are many avenues for finding employment, including popular job-hunting websites.

Citizens of Nepal and Bhutan can live and work freely in India, and do not require work permits.

There are many volunteer opportunities around the country including teaching. India has a reasonable presence of foreign Christian missionaries, who for the most part form the non-local religious workers, since the other major religions of the world either grew out of India or have had a long-term presence.

A living can be made in the traveller scenes by providing some kind of service such as baking Western cakes, tattooing or massage.

Previously, an AIDS test result was required as part of the work visa application process. It is highly recommended that applicants obtain test results in their home country beforehand if possible.

Money

The currency in India is the Indian rupee (sign: ₹; code: INR). The rupee is subdivided into 100 paise (singular: paisa). "5 rupees 50 paise" would normally be written as "₹5.50". You may also see "Rs" for rupees, as well as prices written like 500/- (with a slash and hyphen at the end).

The rupee is called rupayā (रुपया) in Hindi, Marathi and Punjabi, rūpiyo (રૂપિયો) in Gujarati, rūpa (രൂപ) in Malayalam, and rūpāy (ரூபாய்) in Tamil. It is also called ṭākā (টাকা) in Bengali, ṭokā (টকা) in Assamese, ṭaka (टक) in Maithili, and ṭonkā (ଟଙ୍କା) in Odia.

Indian banknotes or bills come in denominations of ₹1 (rare), ₹5 (green, printing discontinued), ₹10 (orange and violet/chocolate brown), ₹20 (reddish-orange/greenish yellow), ₹50 (violet/fluorescent blue), ₹100 (greenish blue/lavender), ₹200 (bright yellow) and ₹500 (stone grey). There are two versions of ₹10, ₹20, ₹50 and ₹100 banknotes due to the introduction of a new series of the currency by the government in 2016 following the demonetisation. A magenta ₹2000 banknote exists and remains legal tender, but was withdrawn from circulation in 2023.

Indian coins in circulation come in denominations of 50p (rare), ₹1, ₹2, ₹5, ₹10 (yellow ring with steel centre) and ₹20 (steel ring with yellowish gold centre). Coins are useful for buying tea (₹5), for bus fares (₹2 to ₹20), and for giving exact change for an auto-rickshaw.

Indians commonly use lakh and crore for 100,000 and 10,000,000 respectively. Though these terms come from Indian languages, they have been adopted so deeply into Indian English that most people are not aware that they are non-existent in other English dialects. You may also find non-standard, although standard in India, placement of commas while writing numerals. One crore rupees would be written as ₹1,00,00,000, so the first time you place a comma after three numerals, then after every two numerals. This format may puzzle you till you start thinking in terms of lakhs and crores, after which it will seem natural.

Change

It is always good to have a number of small bills on hand, as merchants and food stalls are notoriously short on change and cash in general, even if your food was ₹250. Giving a ₹500 note, and they often will be stuck. It is best to ask before whether they have change. This is due to most small shops accepting cashless payment, or just to have as little money in the shops as possible, for safety.

The best way to get small change is with bus conductors or other official places, they will readily accept large notes. Also, it seems fruit and vegetable vendors have change.

In general, it is best to keep smaller bills (₹10-50) and larger bills separate. Then, it will not be obvious how much money you have.

Some shops don't accept bills and coins of very low denominations like ₹1 and ₹5 bills, and 50p, ₹1 and ₹2 coins, despite being legal tender. So, it is best to change these for larger denominations commonly used instead of arguing with shopkeepers.

Also, do not accept any bills that are ripped, taped or look in any way unacceptable. Generally, vendors, etc. will readily give you a better note. But some might struggle to find any cash at all, as mentioned before. Stand your ground, otherwise next time you try to spend such a note it will be your problem and Indians are very selective.

Mobile payments (UPI)

Mobile payment apps including BHIM, PhonePe, Paytm and Google Pay use the UPI (Universal Payment Interface) standard. Free and instant, these have exploded in popularity and are increasingly displacing cash across the country, so much that even the local vegetable sellers in small villages are using them. Using your UPI enabled mobile app, you scan a QR Code from your vendor, type in a set amount of money and the money can send.

The catch is that as a foreigner without an Indian bank account or phone number, getting UPI set up is quite a hassle. There are several prepaid wallet apps that can work around this, with Mony probably the least bad of the bunch, but they still require a copy of your passport and visa, have a manual verification process that can take a few days, charge a 3.5% commission for transferring in money, and can only make payments to merchant accounts.

Note that Google Pay and Google Wallet are separate apps in India, and Google Wallet is a digital wallet platform that utilises the NFC (near-field communication) standard, similar to Apple Pay or Samsung Wallet.

Prepaid cards

RuPay (NCMC) prepaid cards are an emerging standard for public transport used on all Indian metro systems nationwide and increasingly on buses as well. They're available at metro stations for ₹50, save 5-20% compared to cash fares and can be topped up.

RuPay debit and credit cards are also available, but require an Indian bank account.

Credit cards

In many cities and towns, credit cards are accepted at larger hotels, retail 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.

ATMs

Most ATMs will pay out a maximum of ₹10,000 per transaction. Notes are often ₹500 only, so you will have to choose a multiple of this for withdrawals. State Bank of India (SBI) is the biggest bank in India and has the most ATMs. ICICI Bank has the second-largest network of ATMs and accepts most of the international cards at a nominal charge. International banks like Citibank, HSBC, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, ABN Amro and Standard Chartered have a significant presence in major Indian cities.

Either way, it is always worthwhile to have bank cards or credit cards from at least two different providers to ensure that you have a backup available in case one card is suspended by your bank or simply does not work work at a particular ATM.

Decline any offer of dynamic currency conversion (DCC), unless you cannot, or you can verify that the conversion is indeed in your favour – it rarely is. It is often off the market rate by 7% or more, whereas your bank's rate is typically only off 1–3%. While your bank may also charge a fixed fee for its conversion, the exchange rate dominates in typical withdrawals.

The ATMs of the State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB), Canara Bank, Union Bank of India (UBI), HDFC Bank, Bank of Baroda, Central Bank, IDBI, DCB and HSBC banks may not charge a withdrawal fee (listed in order from most to fewest branches). The fee charged can vary depending on your card type, where your bank is and sometimes even the specific ATM you're using. Check fees when using an ATM you haven't used before, or the same ATM with a different card. If one of these ATMs is not nearby then check this table to help find a favourable alternative:

Money exchange

You can change foreign currencies into rupees at any one of the numerous foreign exchange conversion units including banks.

The Indian rupee is officially not convertible; foreigners are not allowed to bring Indian rupees into or out of India, while Indian citizens are restricted to carrying up to ₹25,000 when exiting or entering India. Rates for exchanging rupees overseas are often poor, although places with large Indian populations (e.g. Dubai, Singapore) can give decent rates.

Costs

Costs in India can vary widely from region to region, and even in the same city, depending on the quality of service or product, brand, etc. But usually, India is very inexpensive for Western travellers.

Budget travellers

Budget travel around India is surprisingly easy, with the savvy backpacker being able to get by on as little as US$10 per day—but allow US$15–25 for any extra comfort (beer, rickshaws, etc.). It is generally cheaper than South East Asia with a night in a hotel costing as little as ₹200–800—though there will be probably no AC at the lower end. Hostel beds start at ₹150, and generally are ₹300-500. Beach huts in the cheaper places of Goa can cost around ₹800 per night. A meal can be bought from a street trader for as little as ₹30, Samosas and alike go for ₹10–20 per piece, though in a restaurant expect to pay around ₹100-200 for a meal. 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 half of that. Regular bus transport will cost approximately ₹2/km—if you pay considerably more, something is off. Short-distance bus routes of 3–4 hr are seldomly more than ₹200.

Otherwise, just exploring places on foot saves a lot of money. Also, many sights are for free and just hanging out at a temple and reading a book is as cheap as it can get.

A simple day in Rishikesh or Amritsar could look like this:

• Accommodation: ₹0–200 (Temple vs. Hostel)
• Food: ₹350 (2 full meals, fruits)
• Chai, water, soft drink: ₹100
• Transport: ₹100–200
• Total: ₹400–800 for one person

Mid-range to splurge travellers

Add traveling by taxi, staying in 3+-star hotels, and dining in classy locations, and your daily bill will quickly go up to US$50–100 (per person). A decent room is ₹2,000–5,000 in a good hotel offering PayTV, AC, and sometimes refrigerator. Food will cost at least ₹400 for a decent meal, but the sky is the limit. A taxi or rickshaw may cost ₹20–30/km. There are radio taxis that are available at ₹20–25/km in key Indian cities which have GPS navigation, AC and accept debit/credit cards for payments. So, the total for one day would be about as below:

• Hotel: US$30–60 per room for a good place per day
• Food: US$15 for a good meal per day
• Travel: US$20 taxi and bus together
• Total: US$90 for a couple, or US$60 for one person alone

Discriminatory pricing

Foreign visitors will quickly encounter the special foreigners' rates that they are charged in some places in India. This applies to many tourist attractions, such as museums and historical sites. The difference in pricing is because the Indian government subsidises entry fees for local people, to make these attractions more affordable for taxpayers. While this may seem discriminatory, it is practised in most developing countries in Asia and Africa and helps make these attractions more accessible to local people.

Some tourist attractions that are run by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have different rates for Indians and foreigners. These rates are prominently posted at the entrance and ticketing booths. The rates for foreigners may be as many as five to ten times those for Indians. Likewise, if you are reserving a hotel room or an airline ticket over the internet, you may find that paying in euros or US dollars costs significantly more. You can get an Indian friend to book in rupees and in most cases, no one will question you at the time of check in.

People who have an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card (see Get In) are exempt from this pricing enjoying the same fare as Indian citizens when visiting tourist attractions.

Tipping

In India there has traditionally been little or no tipping, and today tipping is unusual outside of fancier restaurants where up to 10% is appropriate. The fancier restaurants may also levy a service charge of up to 15% apart from government taxes. Some restaurants have also started placing jars at the cashier for people to drop in some change if they feel so, but this is a rather rare phenomenon. Most clubs in India have a complete ban on its members from tipping. Usually no service industry except the food services industry expects a tip. In India, it is unlawful for taxi or rickshaw drivers to charge anything above the meter.

Baksheesh was originally a Persian word for charity, but it has spread to many languages including most of those in India. Depending on context, its English translation might be any of donation, gift, tip, bribe, alms or commission. Having Indians you deal with want baksheesh is a fairly common phenomenon. While this is sometimes a problem, doing it can ease certain problems and clear some hurdles. Baksheesh is also the term used by beggars when they want money from you and may refer to tips given those who provide you a service.

Shopping

In India, you are expected to negotiate the price with street hawkers but not in department stores and the like. If not, you risk overpaying many times, which can be okay if you think that it is cheaper than at home. In most of the big cities and even smaller towns retail chain stores are popping up where the shopping experience is essentially identical to similar stores in the West. There are also some government-run stores like the Cottage Emporium in Delhi, where you can sample wares from all across the country in air-conditioned comfort. Although you will pay a little more at these stores, you can be sure that what you are getting is not a cheap knockoff. The harder you bargain, the more you save money. A few tries later, you will realise that it is fun.

Often, the more time you spend in a shop, the better deals you will get. It is worth spending time getting to know the owner, asking questions, and getting him to show you other products (if you are interested). Once the owner feels that they will make a sufficient profit from you, they will often give you additional goods at a rate close to cost, 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. If you see local people buying in a store, you should be able to find out the real Indian prices. Ask someone around you quietly, "How much would you pay for this?"

Also, very often you will meet a "friend" in the street inviting you to visit their family's shop. That almost always means that you pay twice as much as when you had been in the shop without your newly found friend.

Packaged goods show the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) on the package. This includes taxes. Retailers are not supposed to charge more than this. Though this rule is adhered to at most places, at tourist destinations or remote places, you may be charged more. This is especially true for cold drinks like Coke or Pepsi, where a bottle (300 ml) costs around ₹33–35 when the actual price is ₹30. Also, keep in mind that a surprising number of things do not come in packaged form. Do check for the authenticity of the MRP, as shopkeepers may put up their own sticker to charge more from you.

Online shopping

The advent of Amazon Prime delivery has made shopping a lot easier in India, and you can buy many different products on it including traditional sarees and dresses, for often a far cheaper price than if you were to buy one in the West.

Furthermore the arrival of quick commerce services like Blinkit and BigBasket has been revolutionary in delivering day to day groceries, all the way to random goods right to your doorstep in approximately 10 minutes; it is very cheap.

What to look for

Also in this library: Art and antiques shopping

• Wood carvings — India produces a striking variety of carved wood products that can be bought at very low prices. Examples include decorative wooden plates, bowls, artwork, furniture and miscellaneous items that will surprise you. Check the regulations of your home country before attempting to import wooden items.
• Clothing — It depends on the region you are visiting. Most of the states have their speciality to offer. For example, go for silk sarees if you are visiting Varanasi; Block prints if you are in Jaipur.
• Paintings — Paintings come on a wide variety of media, such as cotton, silk, or with frame included. Gemstone paintings incorporate semi-precious stone dust, so they have a glittering appearance to them.
• Marble and stone carvings — Common carved items include elephants, and Hindu gods and goddesses. Compare several of the same kind. If they look too similar bargain hard as they are probably machine made.
• Jewellery — Beautiful necklaces, bracelets and other jewellery are very inexpensive in India. Note possible duty on returning home.
• Pillow covers and bedsets — Striking and rich designs are common for pillows and bed covers.
• Carpets — India has a long history of carpet production and makes many today for both domestic and export markets.

Western and designer brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Zara, A & F, all are available in upmarket stores in malls especially in the larger cities.

Also in this library: South Asian cuisine

Indian cuisine takes its place among the great cuisines of the world. There is a good chance that you have tasted "Indian food" in your country, especially if you are a traveller from the West. But what India has exported abroad is just one part of its extraordinary range of culinary diversity.

Indian food can be spicy: Potent fresh green chillies or red chilli powder will bring tears to the eyes of the uninitiated, and can be found in unexpected places like sweet cornflakes (a snack, not breakfast) or even candies. The degree of spiciness varies widely throughout the country: Andhra food is famously fiery, while Gujarati cuisine is quite mild in taste with the exception of Surti food (from Surat).

To enjoy the local food, start slowly. Don't try everything at once. After a few weeks, you can get accustomed to spicy food. If you would like to order your dish not spicy, simply say so. Most visitors are tempted to try at least some of the spicy concoctions, and most discover that the sting is worth the trouble. Remember, too, that while "spicy" is a convenient short-hand for "chilli-laden", the spiciness of food in India doesn't always mean lots of chilli: Indian cuisines often use a multitude of different spices and other aromatic ingredients in highly creative and flavourful ways, like ginger and garlic.

Cuisine

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 probably not find in restaurants. The adventurous traveller is advised to wangle invitations to homes, try various bylanes of the city and look for food in unlikely places like temples and gurdwaras in search of culinary nirvana.

Thali is a general meal dish often including dal, vegetables, raita, rice, roti. Dal, vegetables and sometimes raita can often be had several times, 4 rotis are generally included (₹10 for additional). They go for ₹100-150.

Northern India

Northern India is a wheat-growing area, so you have flatbreads like roti or chapati (unleavened bread), paratha (pan-fried layered roti), naan (cooked in a clay tandoor oven), puri (deep-fried and puffed up bread) and many more. A typical meal consists of one or more gravy dishes along with rotis, to be eaten by breaking off a piece of roti, dipping it in the gravy and eating them together. Most of the Hindi heartland of India survives on roti, rice, and lentils (dal), which are prepared in several different ways and made spicy to taste. Served on the side, you will usually find spiced yogurt (raita) and either fresh chutney or a tiny piece of exceedingly pungent pickle (achar) — very much an acquired taste for most visitors. Try mixing it with curry, not eating it plain.

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 traditional Punjabi folk cooking, try dal makhani (stewed black lentils and kidney beans in a buttery gravy), or sarson da saag, a yummy gravy dish made with stewed mustard 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 ingratiating 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 almonds, 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, as well as Hyderabad in the South. 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), pulao (rice cooked in a meat or vegetable broth), kebab (grilled meat), kofta (balls of mincemeat), korma, rumali roti (flatbread whirled into paper-thin consistency) and shahi tukray (saffron and cardamom-scented bread pudding).

Southern India

Also in this library: Southern India

In Southern India, the food is mostly rice-based. A typical meal includes sambhar (a thick vegetable and lentil chowder) with rice, rasam (a thin, peppery soup), or avial (mixed vegetables) with rice, traditionally served on a banana 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 variety of souring agents such as tamarind and kokum. There are regional variations too — the coastal regions make greater use of coconut and fish. In Kerala (Keralam), it is common to use grated coconut in everything and coconut oil 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 yoghurt, and chutney, a condiment 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 Bengaluru. Seafood is very popular in Kerala and the southern coast of Karnataka. Chettinad and Hyderabadi cuisines use meat heavily, and are a lot spicier. Coffee tends to be the preferred drink to tea in Southern India.

Western India

In Western India, you will find some great cuisine groups. The Gujarati cuisine is somewhat similar to Rajastani cooking with the heavy use of dairy products, but differs in that it is predominantly vegetarian, and often sweetened with jaggery or sugar. Gujaratis make some of the best snack items such as the Dhokla and the Muthia.

The Maharashtrian cuisine has the origin of many street foods: Mumbai and Pune are famous for their vada pav, misal pav and pav bhaji as well as the food of the small but visible Irani and Parsi communities concentrated in and around the city. Maharashtrian food is often a mix of North and South Indian cuisines. Additionally, the Konkan region, including Goa, is renowned for its seafood, often simply grilled, fried or poached in coconut milk. A notable feature of Goan cooking is that pork and vinegar are used, a rare sight in the rest of India. Vindaloo originated in Goa and is traditionally cooked with pork. Despite its popularity in Indian restaurants abroad, it is not common in the country itself.

Eastern India

The food in Eastern India makes heavy use of rice and fish due to the vast river channels and ocean coastline in the region. The cuisine of West Bengal is known for its complexity of flavour and bittersweet balance. Mustard oil is often used in cooking and adds a pungent, slightly sweet flavour and intense heat. Bengalis prefer freshwater fish, in particular the iconic hilsa or ilish: 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 dishes include māchher jhāl, a brothy fish stew which means "fish in sauce", and sorshe ilish (cooked in a gravy made from mustard seed paste). Eastern India is also famous for its desserts and sweets. Rasgulla is a famous variant of the better-known gulab jamun, a spherical 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. Sandesh is another excellent milk-based sweet, best described as the dry equivalent of ras malai.

Fusion cuisine

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 recognise 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 landscape and worth a try. Many of these dishes have origins in India's larger Chinatown in Kolkata, and there is a lesser known Chinatown in Mumbai as well. Tibetan and Nepali food, especially momo dumplings, are not uncommon in Northern India.

The British left fish and chips and some fusion dishes like mulligatawny soup, kedgeree and pish pash as well as Bombay pudding.

Pizza and pasta have entered India in a big way, and the chains such as Pizza Hut and Domino's have Indianised the pizza and introduced adaptations like paneer-tikka pizza. There is an Indian chain called Smokin Joe's, based in Mumbai, which has mixed Thai curry with pizzas. However, often ready-made sauces with lots of additives and spices are used. Also, the cheese is sometimes of questionable type (some feta-style type) in normal restaurants. So, you are better off asking exactly what ingredients they use, if you don't want to be surprised negatively.

Fruits

While a wide variety of fruits are native to India, including the chikoo and the jackfruit, nothing is closer to an Indian's heart than a juicy ripe mango. Hundreds of varieties are found across most of its regions. In fact, India 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 pickles). The best mango (the "King of Mangoes", as Indians call it) is the "Alphonso" or Haapoos (in Marathi), in season in April and May along the western coast of Maharashtra. Buy it from Crawford Market or a good fruit shop in Mumbai. Dushheri mangoes are also popular.

Other fruits widely available (depending on the season) are bananas, oranges, papayas, guavas, lychees, apples, pineapples, pomegranates, apricots, melons, coconuts, grapes, plums, peaches and berries. European fruits like apples and pears can be dull and unjuicy, because they are not perfectly adjusted to the local environment and sometimes suffer from mildew, however many of these fruits are grown in Kashmir, where the climate is most suited, and you can find vast orchards there. Papayas are often harvested when they still green, because the fruit vendor will of course not want to be in the situation where he has to sell them all at once. Instead they get ripe each separately after a while. However, this is of course not good for the taste, and it can be hard to find a good and sweet papaya.

In general, also note the remarks on fruits and vegetables under . But your best bet are probably bananas and mangoes.

Vegetarian

Visiting vegetarians will discover a culinary treasure that is found nowhere else in the world. Owing to a large number of strictly vegetarian Hindu Brahmins and Jains, Indian cuisine has evolved an astonishingly rich menu that uses no meat or eggs. Jains in particular practise a strict form of vegetarianism based on the principles of non-violence and peaceful co-operative co-existence. They 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 devoted to vegetarian dishes, and by law all packaged food products in India are tagged with a green dot (vegetarian) 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), yoghurt (dahi) and clarified butter (ghee) are used extensively (in particular, ghee can be hard to spot as it can be mixed into curries before they are served), and honey is also commonly used as a sweetener. Milk in India is generally not pasteurised, 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 Muslim, Christian and Parsi communities, Goa, Kerala and the North-Eastern states), and pork is also uncommon due to the Muslim population. Chicken and mutton (goat meat) are thus by far the most common meats used, although "buff" (water buffalo) is occasionally served in backpacker establishments. Seafood is of course ubiquitous in the coastal regions of India, and a few regional cuisines do use duck, venison and other game meats in traditional dishes.

Kosher and halal

Halal meat is easy to find among the Muslim minorities in India. Outside areas with a noticeable Muslim community, halal meat and halal-certified restaurants are scarce.

Kosher food is largely unknown, and certified kosher establishments are extremely limited. While contacting Chabad India a few days in advance is an option, it is not the most convenient option, unlike in most other Asian countries.

Your best bet at finding halal and kosher food is purely vegetarian restaurants, which avoid cross-contamination and can be found nearly everywhere across the country even in coastal areas. However, restaurants in India that also serve meat are almost never halal or kosher.

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.

For all types of breads, 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, curry 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 it's 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 you seems to be doing it, then take the hint.

Restaurants

Indian restaurants run the gamut from roadside shacks (dhabas) to classy five-star places where the experience is comparable to places anywhere in the world. Away from the big cities and tourist haunts, mid-level restaurants are scarce, and food choices will be limited to the local cuisine, Punjabi/Mughlai, "Chinese"/"Indo-Chinese" and occasionally South Indian.

The credit for popularising Punjabi cuisine all over the country goes to the dhabas that line India's highways. Their patrons are usually the truckers, who happen to be overwhelmingly Punjabi. The authentic dhaba serves up simple yet tasty seasonal dishes like roti and dal with onions. Hygiene can be an issue in many dhabas, so if one's not up to your standards try another. In rural areas, dhabas are usually the only option.

In Southern India, a "hotel" is a local restaurant serving South Indian food, usually prepared meals or a thali or plate meal — a full plate of food that usually includes a kind of bread and/or rice and an assortment of meat or vegetarian dishes.

Although you may be often be handed an extensive menu, most dishes are served only during specific hours, if at all.

Food delivery services

All the Western fast food chains like McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Domino’s and KFC offer their own food delivery service albeit to a limited radius.

The main two food delivery services across India are Swiggy and Zomato which generally even deliver to the smaller villages. Most restaurants have an online food delivery service through both of the above or either one of the two.

Laws

The Indian states of Bihar, Gujarat (although liquor permits are available), Mizoram, Nagaland, 4 districts in Manipur and 2 districts in Maharashtra do not permit the consumption of alcohol. The union territory of Lakshadweep is also alcohol-free except Bangaram.

The parts of India that do allow the sale and consumption may have laws and regulations not typically seen in the West such as the 'dry days' when alcohol is not allowed or is available, especially on certain public holidays and elections. It is important to check the laws of your state, district, subdistrict or settlement. This is generally a big deal in rural areas or in religious temple towns, although resorts and 5-star hotels are usually exempted.

Most Indian states have a legal drinking age of 21, though it is 18 in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Ladakh, Puducherry, Rajasthan and Sikkim, 23 in Kerala, and 25 in Chandigarh, Delhi, Maharashtra and Punjab.

It is illegal to sell alcohol within 500 m of a highway. This is controversial as it has hit restaurants, bars and hotels hard. If your hotel does not have alcoholic drinks, this may well be the reason.

Drinks

Favourite Indian tipples include beer and rum. Nowadays beer sold is mostly Kingfisher Gold, Haywards 5000 and Godfather, Budweiser and Tuborg, at around ₹90-220 for a large bottle of 750 mL in the liquor store. Old Monk is a popular rum brand. Prices vary by state, especially for hard liquor, but you can expect to pay anywhere between ₹500 and ₹800 for a 750 mL bottle of Old Monk. Mumbai tends to be the most expensive, due to local taxes, which can be three-times as much as Meghalaya.

Bootleg alcohol is unregulated and could kill you or make you sick, and you could also be in legal trouble if you are caught while drunk in a dry state.

Indian wines have improved remarkably and there's a booming wine industry in the hills of Maharashtra, particularly in Sangli and Nashik, with large grape vineyards in these areas. The good stuff is not particularly 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 available in some states. It's cheap and strong, but very dangerous as it may contain toxic methanol; best avoided entirely.

In the former Portuguese colony of Goa you can obtain an extremely pungent liquor called fenny or feni, typically made from cashew fruits or coconuts. With an alcoholic content of 40-45%, it is potent with subtle fruity notes. Feni can be served neat in a shot glass, with ice or as part of a lemony cocktail.

Toddy is a moderately alcoholic drink made from the fermented sap of the coconut palm tree. Also known as palm wine, it has an ABV of about 8.1%. It is cloudy white in colour and has a touch of sweetness in its taste. Toddy is commonly drunk among the rural folk in South India and parts of Western India.

Tongba (also called Tongpa) is a slightly alcoholic beer made by partially fermenting finger millet. It is the traditional drink of the Limbu people who are native to parts of Sikkim and Darjeeling. It has an earthy and soupy taste and gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling when you drink it.

Cannabis

Cannabis are available in its many forms, including ganja (weed) and charas (hash), but the one legal and socially accepted form of cannabis is bhang, prepared from the seeds and leaves of the cannabis plant. It is sold at government-licensed shops in some states, notably Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and is traditionally distributed during Holi or Shivaratri.

Bhang is not only smoked, but also made into cookies, chocolate and the infamous bhang lassi, a herb-laced version of the normally innocuous yogurt drink. Bhang lassi is usually available at varying strengths, so use caution if opting for the stronger versions. It's also occasionally sold as "special lassi", but is usually easily spotted by the special price tag (several times higher than the non-special kinds).

Remember that the effects of bhang are slow and heighten when consumed with something sweet. Also, first-time users may want to wait a while before consuming too much in an effort to judge their tolerance.

Nightlife and gambling

India's nightlife is vibrant in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru. Other than age limits, some clubs can be "men-only".

Gambling laws vary by state, and there are legalised casinos in Daman, Goa and Sikkim. Some forms of organised betting are restricted, although lottery and horse racing are exempt from it. Lottery, in particular, is very popular in India.

Online money games are prohibited in India since 2026.

Non-alcoholic drinks

One of the sweetest and safest beverages you can get is young coconut water (nariyal paani). You can almost always find it in any beach or other tourist destinations in the south. In summer (Mar-Jul), you can get fresh sugarcane juice in many places and even a lot of fresh fruit juice varieties.

India is famous for its Alphonso variety of mangoes, generally regarded as the King of Mangoes among connoisseurs. Frooti, in its famous tetra-pack, is the most popular processed drink, followed by Maaza (bottled by Coca-Cola) or Slice (bottled by PepsiCo), both of which contain about 15% Alphonso mango pulp. Both cost about ₹30-50 for a 600 ml bottle.

Rooh Afza is a branded herbal squash concentrate that contains the essences of various fruits, herbs and flowers like rose petals and kewra (screw pine). Formulated in 1906, it is very popular in India among children and adults alike and is generally consumed during the summer. It is drunk either mixed with water and ice, where it becomes a sherbet, or with milk and ice which looks like strawberry milk but has a more fragrant flavour profile. It can also be used as a syrup which is poured on ice cream and other desserts.

Kanji is a fermented, probiotic drink made from black carrots, whose hue is in actual fact a deep purple. Popular in northern India, it is usually made during the festival of Holi and in the summer months. Kanji has a sharp, acquired taste but is worth a try if you want to experience something new.

Shikanjvi is a salted and mildly spiced lemonade/limeade from Punjab which in addition to lemon, sugar and salt, can be flavoured with black pepper, cumin, ginger and mint leaves. It is a staple in the peak of oppressive summers, when it helps stave off dehydration and electrolyte loss.

Solkadhi is a refreshingly tart and creamy drink from the Konkan region made with coconut milk and kokum, a sour fruit from the mangosteen family which gives the drink its purply-pink colour. It is usually garnished with temperated spices and herbs, such as coriander and mint leaves.

Tea

One can get tea (chai in Hindi, Kashmiri, Malayalam and Urdu; chā in Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Konkani, Odia and Punjabi; chahā in Kannada and Marathi; and tēnīr in Tamil and Telugu) of one variety or the other everywhere in India. The most common method of preparing chai is by brewing tea leaves, milk, and sugar altogether in a pot and keeping it hot until it's all sold. It is sweet and uniquely refreshing once you get the taste for it.

• Masala chai has a strong brew of black tea simmered with milk, sugar, and spices such as ginger, cardamom, cloves, or cinnamon. For some people, that takes some getting used to.
• However, people in tea-growing states (for example Assam and West Bengal) generally consume tea without spices, the English way. Assam produces bold, malty teas and Darjeeling in West Bengal is known for its delicate, floral flavours. These teas are considered premium abroad.
• Nilgiri tea from Southern India is fragrant and smooth. However, coffee is more common in this region.
• Everyday tea served in homes and cafés is usually a strong CTC (crush‑tear‑curl) blend.
• In cities, travellers will also find cafés offering green tea, herbal infusions, and more modern tea‑based drinks, but traditional chai remains the most authentic and widely enjoyed option.

Street‑side tea stalls, often called tapris or chaiwalas, serve small glasses or clay cups of hot, sweet chai throughout the day, making them popular social hubs.

Coffee

Coffee is a long‑standing part of daily life in southern India, and South Indian filter coffee is the most iconic preparation, different from Western filter coffee. It is made with a metal drip filter, producing a strong decoction that’s mixed with hot milk and sugar, then poured back and forth between cups to create a frothy top.

The Western Ghats grow much of India's coffee, including the Arabica and Monsooned Malabar varieties.

Besides, coffee culture has grown rapidly in cities across India, where cafés serve espresso‑based drinks alongside local favourites like cold coffee (a sweet, milkshake‑like drink). Instant coffee is widely available and often used in homes and small eateries. Travellers seeking high‑quality beans will find specialty roasters in major cities, while rural areas may offer simpler, sweeter preparations.

There are popular Indian café chains like Barista, Café Coffee Day and Indian Coffee House, as well as the foreign ones like Starbucks, which is a joint venture of Tata in India.

Make sure to bring your passport and visa/OCI wherever you go, as most hotels will not rent out rooms without a valid passport and visa/OCI. Two important factors to keep in mind when choosing a place to stay are safety and cleanliness. Malaria and Dengue fever is present in most areas of India. One way to combat malaria and dengue fever is to choose lodgings with air conditioning and sealed windows. An insect-repellent spray containing DEET will also help, or consider Permethrin-treated fabrics.

Many hotels listed on western booking websites (Booking.com etc.) are also set at the "tourist price"; try local booking sites like Goibibo,redBus or MakeMyTrip, as these have much better coverage of local hotels and in rural areas. Alternatively, you can also use Google Maps in combination with WhatsApp to inquire the price beforehand. Booking.com will only really work in very touristy places like Dharamsala, Manali, Goa, Pushkar, etc. If you are sure that there are more than enough places around where you are heading, just walking around and asking for the price can be sufficient. But note, overcharging of foreigners is widespread and you will have to bargain hard. Some cities like Chandigarh have weird regulations for foreigners and walking around inquiring the price with hotels might be frustrating, since many will not accept foreigners. Also, making a reservation through Booking.com in Chandigarh can leave you with an unpleasant surprise, namely the receptionist telling you that they don't accept foreigners, which can be fatal late at night. So, it is always best to check the ratings and reviews of the place you intend to stay in.

Accommodation choices vary widely depending on budget and location. Cheap travellers' hotels are available for around ₹300-500. Rooms at guest-houses with a double bed (and often a bathroom) can be found in many tourist places for around ₹1,000 — this seems to be the going rate for most budget accommodations in more frequented places nowadays. Bed and breakfast service providers are coming up offering standard services that can be expected from B&Bs outside India. The basics include: air-conditioner or fan, free food and free Wi-Fi.

Hostels are available for as little as ₹200. They generally have a very high standard; clean beds, nice common rooms, etc., since most are new and oriented towards Western style. Most hostels have their own restaurant, and it is their way to make extra money from their guests — they might even be surprised and show it to you if you don't dine with them. Be aware that most people travelling in India nowadays are Indians and they will mostly always outnumber foreigners in hostels and dorms. This can be a problem, because the Indian society is one where publicly the individual comes first, with often no consideration for the needs of their fellow human being. This can lead to situations in dorms where Indian guests call their family or friends in the middle of the night, wake up loudly at 6AM, consume high-odour food in their beds, watch videos on their mobiles without headphones, but also just consider the dorm a social place where they speak loudly with their friends until late. Of course, there is always the option to kindly ask them for some consideration and to be more respectful of the other people in the room. But you can ask yourself, how long before that really gets onto your nerves. So, hostels are not an obvious budget-friendly choice for Westerners in India anymore.

If you intend to stay longer in one place, there are often places specialised on tourist that offer long term rent for around ₹10,000 per month, including kitchen and bathroom.

Most Indian railway stations have rooms or dormitories, just ask the railway officials or reserve it online on the railway website — reserving is highly recommended. If you just show up, the only option left might be the AC waiting room for ₹10/hr. Rooms and dorms are cheap (around ₹800 and ₹300 respectively), 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 the bags off quickly and, for the adventurous, high likelihood to jump on a cheap public bus back to the train station. 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 expanding fast into second-tier cities as well, and prices vary from ₹1,000 to 4,000 per night. Local, unbranded hotels can be found in any city, but quality varies widely.

If the wallet allows it, you can try staying like royalty in a maharaja's palace in places like Udaipur or modern five-star hotels which are now found pretty much all over the country. The top-end of Indian luxury rests with hotel chains like Oberoi, Taj and The Leela. The usual international chains also run major 5-star hotels in most Indian metropolises, but availability is tight and prices can be crazy — it's not uncommon to be quoted over US$300/night for what would in other countries be a distinctly ordinary business hotel going for a third of the price. Also beware that some jurisdictions including Delhi and Bengaluru charge stiff luxury taxes on the rack rate of the room, which can lead to nasty surprises at check-out time.

One way of meeting interesting Indian travellers is by staying at a "dak bungalow" or "dak bangla". Also called travellers' bungalows or inspection bungalows, they were built by the British to accommodate travelling officials and are now used by the Central and state governments for the same purpose. They exist in many towns and some rural locations. Most will take tourists at a moderate fee if they have room. They are clean, comfortable and usually in good locations, but plain with ceiling fans rather than air conditioning, shower but no bath. Typically the staff includes a pensioned-off soldier as night watchman and perhaps another as gardener; often the gardens are lovely. Sometimes there may be a cook; his or her services will be free but you should buy ingredients. A similar accommodation are the PWD Tourist Rest Houses, they can also be found in many towns and cities, are mostly for people from the "public workers department" but also accept tourists if not completely booked.

As a rule India is quite safe for foreigners, apart from instances of petty crime and theft, as long as certain basic precautions and common sense are observed. Women should be cautious travelling alone at night.

In India, the national emergency helpline number is 112, which connects you to police, fire, ambulance, women and child helplines. This number is available 24/7 across India to provide immediate assistance during emergencies. There are other numbers which you can see in the below sections.

While hospitality is important in India, it is not common to see people offering to share food or cookies while they eat. Some such offers are genuine and some are not. If you are travelling by train and you are offered food by a family group, it is usually safe to take a bite. But if you are offered something by a group of men or even a couple, you should decline, even if they also eat of it, as the part offered might be laced with sedatives. You can politely say no with a smile; those who offer food genuinely won't take it personally.

Some people handling your cash will try to shortchange you. In Delhi particularly, this is a universal rule adhered to by all who handle westerners' cash, including official ticket sellers at tourist sites, employees at prepaid taxi stands, and merchants in all but the most upscale businesses. Count your cash before handing it over, and ensure that you receive the correct change. Agree on the fare before getting in a taxi to avoid fare-related arguments. Ask a local person or your hotel's front desk to know how much it should cost to travel between two destinations.

You should check with your embassy or ask for local advice before heading to Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh or North-Eastern India. These areas have had serious law-and-order problems for a long time.

India syndrome

Also in this library: Culture shock

Some people coming to India for the first time suddenly feel their lives shifting and start believing in reincarnation and other wonderful ideas available throughout India. This is called The India Syndrome. While certain teachings in Indian culture can of course be new and overwhelming, the immediate acceptance of them and following of their principles can be cause for concern. No holy person has ever been enlightened within a few weeks without previous work, study or experiences.

Be careful with self-proclaimed sādhus who wander from temple to temple looking for food and money. Don't wander off into the woods with such "holy" men just because you suddenly believe in a new reality, especially if you are on your own. They can be dangerous, especially if drugs are involved. And sometimes even the police cannot "touch" them, even in cases of murder. There have been some high-profile disappearances of Westerners in India in connection with sādhus. They are more likely to be legitimate if they are wandering or meditating in Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand.

If you want to explore your newly-discovered worldview, a better option is through the learning centres teaching Ayurveda, meditation, yoga etc., or in a group setting where you trust the other people.

On the opposite side, you might get overwhelmed by India so much that you might start showing signs of panic or paranoia. Indian culture is so ruthless that people can find themselves in situations where they feel the whole world is against them, or they feel they cannot trust anyone any more. Even worse, they suddenly become superstitious and believe in all sorts of negative things happening to them due to some arbitrary reason, and scammers, touts and thieves will try to exploit this situation.

These psychological reactions are mostly a threat to younger travellers, those who haven't seen much of the world, and those who don't have their feet planted firmly on the ground. Also the involvement of marijuana or other drugs, which are popular in certain tourist regions of India, can lead to these issues.

For both sides of these problems it is always good to:

• let your friends and family regularly know where you are;
• call home from time to time to stay in touch with reality;
• don't travel on your own, but find a travel buddy or group to go with;
• avoid the Indian hassle from time to time, there are many comfortable oases in India where Indian problems seem far far away;
• don't be a first-time weed smoker in India, especially not with people you just met, this is not the right setting to have a first and pleasant trip in;
• in the event of a crisis, seek the help of an uninvolved fellow (Western) traveller, who often has more connection to you than any Indian will ever have.

Scams and touts

Many first-time travellers to India fall victim to scams and touts. Be on guard for anybody trying to help you by giving you unsolicited directions or travel advice. Do not rely on the advice of taxi and auto drivers. If this is your first time in India, do not admit it, as this will make you more vulnerable to touts. Carry your cash, passport and cards in a secure money belt, with only enough cash for a few hours at a time in your wallet or other accessible place.

In addition, you should assume that anyone in touristed areas offering 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 uncommon for people to go out of their way to help you when you approach, without expecting anything in return. During your travels in India, you will be deluged with touts trying to get you to buy something or patronise particular establishments.

Don't trust strangers offering assistance or services. Be particularly wary of frauds at tourist attractions such as the temples of Kanchipuram, where they prey on those unfamiliar with local customs. If a priest or guide offers to treat you to a religious ceremony, find out what it will cost you first, and do not allow yourself to be pressured into making "donations" of thousands of rupees — simply walk away if you feel uncomfortable. However, don't get too paranoid: foreigners on the train, or Indian families who want to take your picture on their own camera, for example, are often just genuinely curious.

Overseas visitors are often magnets for beggars. Beggars will often go as far as touching you and following you, tugging on your sleeve. It does little good to get angry or to say "No" loudly. The best response is to look unconcerned and ignore the behaviour. The more attention you pay to a beggar or a tout, positive or negative, the longer they will follow you hoping for a donation. Begging is criminalised in cities such as Mumbai and Delhi. It is however common in many cities, and in pilgrim cities, there are sadhus who live an ascetic lifestyle of the seeker that requires them to adopt bhiksha-charya (begging vows) only for sustaining the body.

There are a myriad of scams in India, ranging from telling you your hotel has gone out of business (of course, they'll know of one that's open with vacancies), to giving wrong directions to a ticket booking office (the directions will be to their friend's tour office), to trying to get you to take 'diamonds' back to your home country (the 'diamonds' are worthless crystal), to 'poor students' giving you sightseeing for hours and then with pity make you buy school books for them (tremendously overpriced from a bookshop with whom they are affiliated). There will also be more obvious touts who 'know a very good place for dinner' or want to sell you a chess set on the street.

Faced with such an assault, it's very easy to get into a siege mentality where all of India is against you and out to squeeze you dry, affecting any true appreciation of the country. Dealing with touts is simple: assume anyone offering surprising information (such as "your hotel is shut down") is a tout. Never be afraid to get a second or third answer to a question. To get rid of touts:

• Completely ignore them and go about your business until they go away. This may take quite a while, but patience is key to managing India.
• Tell them "no", very firmly, and repeatedly.

It is also beneficial to have a firm Indian friend whom you can trust. If they show you around, they will act to help you ward off such touts.

Cybercrime, internet scamming, card skimming and confidence scams are common. They come in many forms and can cause great financial loss. If you are the victim of such a crime, make a complaint to your local police cybercell. There's also a government portal to report cybercrimes, namely the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.

Theft

Theft is quite common in places visited by tourists, but violent thefts hardly ever occur. More likely a thief will pickpocket or break into your room. Take precautions to firmly lock the door while indoors, and be on guard while outside.

While travelling in public transport, do not accept any food or drink from any local fellow passenger even if they are very friendly or polite. There have been instances in which very friendly fellow passengers offered something like tea or coffee that contained substances that put the victim to sleep whilst all their possessions, including even their clothing, were stolen.

If you visit discos or dance clubs, leave your possessions in your hotel safe, and only carry as much cash as you think you would require; it is easy to lose your wallet or passport in these places.

Traffic

As a former British colony, India drives on the left side of the road. As a pedestrian, make sure you check for traffic from your right!

It is better to avoid going out on the roads alone, especially in remote places or lanes and by-lanes without many people at night. Keeping some company is always advisable.

Driving in India can be dangerous. Irresponsible driving habits, insufficient highway infrastructure development, wandering livestock and other hazards make travelling on the country's roads a sometimes nerve-wracking undertaking.

More than 150,000 people died on Indian roads in 2019, the highest figure in the world, and that's despite having only 44 cars per 1,000 people. The first encounter with a typical Indian highway will no doubt feature a traffic mix of lumbering trucks, speeding maniacs, blithely wandering cattle and suicidal pedestrians, all weaving across a narrow, potholed strip of tarmac. To minimise your risk of becoming a grim statistic, use trains instead of buses, use government bus services instead of private ones (which are more likely to force their drivers into inhuman shifts), use taxis instead of auto-rickshaws, avoid travelling at night, and don't hesitate to change taxis or cars if you feel your driver is unsafe.

Much of the road network is significantly underdeveloped, with most roads full of rubble, large cracks and potholes. Most road signs are not very reliable in the country, and in most cases provide drivers with confusing or inaccurate information. If you are in doubt, ask the locals, normally they are very helpful and willingly provide people with appropriate guidance to a location. Of course, the quality of information and willingness to provide it varies, especially in the larger cities.

Drugs

Penalties for cultivation, possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs are severe. Convicted offenders can expect heavy fines and jail sentences. Detention during the investigation is common and can be lengthy. Smoking normal cigarettes is not banned, however, it is prohibited to import, possess or use e-cigarettes, vapourisers (vapes) and their refills. Opioids, synthetic stimulants, psychedelic and party drugs, and diverted pharmaceuticals are strictly banned and face intensive crackdowns, particularly in northern transit corridors, tourist hotspots and major cities.

Cannabis in the form of ganja (weed) and charas (hash) is illegal to consume, except the bhang bought from government-licensed shops. The law states that simple possession may mean fines or years in prison, depending on the quantity possessed.

Animals

Large groups of monkeys are present in several parts of India, including some urban regions. Monkeys can get aggressive and rapidly overwhelm travellers in their search for food. They can also steal your belongings. Be vigilant when in the presence of monkeys.

The cow is considered to be a holy animal in Hinduism, and in many Indian states, it is illegal to slaughter cattle or import beef. Non-Hindus suspected of slaughtering cattle or eating beef are also known to have been lynched by fundamentalist Hindu mobs. Prominent exceptions to this taboo are the states of Kerala, Goa, the major metropolitan cities and the north-eastern parts of the country, where water buffalo meat is widely consumed.

Stray dogs and cats roaming around can cause significant injuries, if they bite you, there is also a significant possibility of rabies.

Venomous snakes and spiders are plentiful in India, even in urban areas, be careful.

Outdoor adventures

There are many companies in India offering various outdoor activities like paragliding, white water rafting, ballooning, and trekking. For example, the road between Manali and Kullu has dozens of white water and paragliding operators.

It is sometimes questionable how these companies and operators, especially their staff, obtained their licences to offer these activities. Especially the number of companies offering these kinds of activities is an indication that it seems to be not that hard to start such a business. But for things like tandem paragliding, which can be lethal, it is probably a bad idea to have to rely on someone who got his licence under questionable circumstances. And even if he did a course with an official body, the standards in India are still comparably lower than Western ones.

So, it is very important that you verify the company you go with fully, search for ratings and reviews, verify their licences, and only if you fully trust them to go with them.

Police

You can dial the police helpline at 100 for police emergency. Try to speak the words slowly so that the police officer on the phone does not have problems understanding your foreign English accent.

For non-emergency crimes, go down to the police station to report them. You should insist that the police make a first information report (FIR) and receive a copy of it if you are reporting any serious crimes, as it's a legal requirement for them to do so. The police will only start the investigation after the FIR is made.

Law enforcement is dealt with by various agencies in India:

• General policing is the responsibility of the various state and union territory police forces.
• Large cities like Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru also have their own police departments, often operating independently from state police forces.
• The Central government also maintain federal law-enforcement agencies responsible for specific duties, such as transport security for large airports and metros (Central Industrial Security Force, CISF), highways and expressways (Highway Police) and railways (Railway Protection Force, RPF); and border patrol (The Indo-Tibetan Border Police, ITBP and the Border Security Force, BSF).
• The Central government maintains a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) which is a paramilitary force, used during insurgency, civil disorder such as riots and also is used in election security.

Unfortunately, corruption and inefficiency are present in all Indian police forces, and the quality of the police force varies by officer.

Women travellers

The sad truth is that women travellers in India, particularly those travelling solo, are often subjected to sexual harassment or worse. Women should avoid travelling to India alone if at all possible, but if you really have to, be on your guard, avoid making friendly gestures towards men who could misinterpret them. You can dial the women helpline at 181, 1090 or 1091. Sexual harassment cases, especially cases featuring foreigners will often be taken very seriously by police officers.

In India, "Eve-teasing" is a common term used to refer to anything from unwanted verbal advances to physical sexual assault. Anything overt should be treated in a firm manner and if needed, ask the local populace (women in particular) to try to get the message across. Avoid confrontation if at all possible. Sticking to such an area is not recommended. It's not disrespectful for a woman to tell a man eager 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, just quietly excuse yourself.

• Be particularly cautious in large urban areas like Delhi NCR at night – try to keep to safe areas only or don't bother to explore in the night. Cities in southern and western India are generally better, but still exercise caution. Exploring the Himalayas and the Northeast is usually as safe, if not even safer.
• Try to avoid being overly friendly and appreciative to Indian men; it could get them to think you are romantically interested in them. If a man and a woman are seen together or talk to each other quite often, locals may assume that there's something going on between them. Make it clear that you are friends or acquaintances; that will usually ward people off.
• It's not so safe to walk in isolated places if you are a solo female. Women should also avoid going out alone at night, and be cautious when taking a taxi or auto-rickshaw. There have been some rapes of foreign women and highly publicised rapes of Indian women, some of whom have been murdered, and a large number of rapes go unreported. The willingness to report rape has increased after several incidents received widespread media attention and triggered widespread public protest. The Indian government has also reformed its penal code in relation to crimes of rape and sexual assault.
• 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 aggressive behaviour from a certain section hiding in these crowds. In such an event, scream or make a scene pointing your finger at the person. People will come to your aid. If possible, avoid attending these festivities alone, and always go in a group.
• Avoid staying at cheaper hotels unless you are travelling with a trusted male companion; hotel staff have been known to sexually harass female guests.

White and East Asian females may receive some extra attention, usually in the form of stares, from the locals, and many might even want to take photographs with you. In most cases, these people are from rural areas, and have had little to no contact with foreigners, but some may harass you. If so, don't be afraid to create a scene and don't feel the need to be polite.

Forced marriage affecting foreigners occurs, sometimes without the affected person's prior knowledge or consent. Some foreigners have been forced into marital arrangements and have been detained by family against their will. They have been subjected to threats, intimidation and violence by family members. If you're in India and you believe that you're being forced to marry, contact local police immediately.

Body searches (such as at the airport) by officers of the opposite sex are not allowed in India. Airport security is sex segregated.

On passenger, suburban, metro and rapid rail trains, there are usually carriages reserved for women and designated as such on their front. In the Delhi Metro and Namo Bharat, it is the first compartment. On 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 to you; this is a sign of respect, not rudeness.

Travellers of African heritage

Travellers of African heritage may encounter prejudices from the police and the general public about being drug dealers. This reaction stems from the fact that more often than not, foreign drug peddlers in India are of Nigerian nationality. Indians find it hard to differentiate between Nigerians and other people of African descent, including their own Siddi community (Indians of sub-Saharan African descent), so any Black or similar people may be targeted. If that includes you, you may want to keep passports handy at all times, avoid going to areas notorious for illegal activities, and maintain contact with respective embassies and, if possible, with other support groups that can vouch for you.

Most Indians are not aware that the term "negro" is considered offensive in other parts of the world, and they may use it with no intent to offend.

Weather

The weather in India can change significantly, and it is important to consider weather related hazards during your time of visit.

The monsoon is potentially the most hazardous, especially the Southwest, affecting the west coast, the Western Ghats and northern India. The Northeast also affects the east coast, the Eastern Ghats and north-eastern India. During the monsoon, you can experience severe levels of rainfall, which can cause flash flooding on the coast and around rivers which are often heavily polluted. Waterlogging may also cause flooding in cities. Landslides are very common in hilly or mountainous regions and may affect road and rail travel. Extreme rainfall can also cause flights to be diverted, delayed or cancelled. Red alerts are common for rainfall during these seasons. Cloudbursts are also common.

Plan ahead before travelling to the Himalayas, as weather conditions can change rapidly from good to severe and may cause disruption. Extreme snowfall and blizzards may occur during winter (Dec–Feb), causing disruption to communication and transportation. Landslides are also common.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) provides up-to-date weather forecasts for different regions and may be helpful to get to know the weather of the place where you are going.

Earthquakes

India spans several active seismic zones, and earthquakes can occur in many parts of the country. The most active region is the Himalayan belt, running from Jammu and Kashmir through Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. This long mountain arc is formed by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates, making it one of the world’s most earthquake‑prone areas.

Strong earthquakes have struck here throughout history, and tremors are common, especially in hill towns and valleys. Large parts of northern and eastern India also experience shaking, with major cities such as Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Patna, often feeling tremors from the Himalayas, and the soft alluvial soil can intensify the shaking. Northeast India is another major hotspot, influenced by the interaction of several tectonic plates.

Assam and the surrounding states have recorded some of the strongest earthquakes in modern times. Western India has its own seismic risks. The Kutch region in Gujarat is known for intraplate earthquakes, including the destructive Bhuj quake of 2001. Parts of Maharashtra and Rajasthan also experience occasional tremors. In the east, areas near the Arakan–Yoma range, especially in Mizoram and Tripura, are affected by tectonic movement along the Burmese arc.

During an earthquake, drop to the ground, take cover under sturdy furniture, and stay away from windows, balconies, and heavy objects. Outdoors, move to an open area clear of buildings, walls, trees, and power lines. In high‑rise buildings—common in cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi—avoid elevators and stay away from glass. After the shaking stops, expect aftershocks, avoid damaged structures, and follow instructions from local authorities and emergency services.

India’s long coastline also faces the possibility of tsunamis, especially after major offshore earthquakes in the Indian Ocean or volcanic eruptions in Southeast Asia, such as happened in 2004. The eastern coast – Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha – is the most exposed. If you are near the shore and feel strong or prolonged shaking, move to higher ground immediately as a precaution. If there is installed tsunami warning systems follow those.

Volcanic activity in India is rare, but travellers visiting Barren Island in the Andamans should stay alert to official advisories, as access is restricted during periods of unrest. Boats are required to keep a safe distance from the island, and eruptions can release ash or gases that make the surrounding waters hazardous. Follow local guidance, avoid approaching restricted zones, and rely on licensed operators who monitor conditions closely.

Terrorism and war

India’s geopolitical tensions with Pakistan and China occasionally affect travel, particularly in regions close to disputed borders.

The conflict with Pakistan, simmering for decades, has manifested in terrorist attacks on India's main cities: since 1991, there have been bombings in Delhi, Mumbai and other big cities (rare though due to better intelligence). The targets have varied widely, but more recent attacks have been focused on tourists, such as the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008 and the one at Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in 2025. There is little you can do to avoid such random attacks, but keep an eye on the national news and any travel advisories from your embassy. If in doubt call the Indian government's Anti Terror Helpline at 1090.

• Most high-profile attacks have been concentrated into cross-border terrorism from Pakistan in J&K by prescribed terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and any other offshoots, particularly targeting non-Muslims. This has led to many countries advising against all travel to J&K. Other groups such as the Islamic State, al-Qaeda (AQIS) and other groups may also be planning attacks.
• It is particularly important to be aware of the situation in sensitive frontier areas. India and Pakistan maintain a heavily militarised boundary, especially along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, where sporadic exchanges of fire, air strikes, and drones as well as security incidents can occur without warning. Travellers should avoid areas within close proximity to the border, as movement may be restricted and conditions can change rapidly during periods of heightened tension. Airspace closures and transport disruptions have occurred during past escalations, sometimes affecting flights across northern India.
• Many countries advise against all travel within 10 km of the India–Pakistan border, which is unmarked in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
• If there is a terrorist incident in India, as a rule of thumb, stay away from border states unless absolutely necessary. Relations remain extremely volatile and sour between the two countries, so exercise a heightened degree of caution in border states.

India’s relationship with China is generally stable but marked by periodic standoffs along the high‑altitude Line of Actual Control, particularly in Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, and parts of Sikkim. These regions are remote, tightly controlled by the military, and often subject to sudden access restrictions. Although foreign tourists are rarely directly affected, border incidents can lead to increased security measures, temporary closures, or travel permit limitations. Visitors planning trips to border regions should stay informed, follow local regulations, and be prepared for unexpected changes to itineraries. The latest minor escalation was in May 2020-January 2021, which was a melee and border standoff. Relations are improving, but remain cautious.

There were insurgencies in North-Eastern India in the late 20th century, and various terrorist/militant groups had conducted attacks on Indian military convoys and local groups. Although such insurgencies have died down by the mid-2010s, there has been some sporadic violence in the 2020s, particularly in the state of Manipur. Although it's very unlikely for foreigners to be targeted here, it's better to err on the side of caution and avoid forested and remote areas.

The Maoist–Naxalite insurgency in central and eastern India of the 1970s has declined significantly in recent decades, with the Indian government declaring the entire country "Naxal-free" in 2026. Despite this, a few countries have not updated their travel warnings and advise for caution in these areas.

In the event of war and conflict, see war zone safety for more safety information, particularly under airstrikes and explosions. When the air raid sirens sound, a blackout may be enforced, so do not go outside, take shelter, switch off all the lights and draw the curtains.

Going to India, you have to adapt to a different climate and food. However, with precautions the chance and severity of any illness can be minimised. Don't stress yourself too much at the beginning of your journey to allow your body to acclimatise to the country. For example, take a day of rest upon arrival, at least on your first visit. Many travellers get ill for wanting to do too much in too little time. Be careful with spicy food if you're not used to it.

Toilets can be found for free in most temples, just in case it is urgent.

Litter can be a problem in some cities in India. Although there has been efforts to clean up the country, particularly under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), there is still a long way to go because most people use the many waterways as garbage dumps. It would be unwise to swim in most of the rivers and downright senseless in a lake.

If you venture to forests in India, you may encounter venomous 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.

Air quality

Air pollution is a huge problem in India, particularly in the northern plains during the autumn and winter (October to February), when farmers burning fields, coal and dung fires for heating and lack of rain and wind combine to blanket the Indian plains in toxic murk from Amritsar to Kolkata. Delhi, in particular, has ranked the most polluted capital in the world every year since 2015, with an average AQI of nearly 100. In addition to being a health hazard, flights are often delayed or cancelled when visibility drops to near-zero.

Avoid travel in Delhi NCR and western Uttar Pradesh at this time of year if you can. If you have no choice, wearing an N95 mask and minimising time spent outdoors can help.

Other than stubble burning in northern plains, many regions in India, have sanitation and pollution issues. You might find people dumping and burning garbage in the open. Check the air quality of a city before venturing.

If you have asthma, carry enough medication as dust, pollen or pollution may cause trouble.

Food

While Indian food is often freshly prepared with fresh fruits and fresh vegetables, it doesn't mean it is automatically healthy. Restaurants often use ready-made sauces and ingredients containing questionable additives and preservatives — not to mention that standard tomato sauce will barely ever contain much tomato, but carrot pulp instead. So, while in the past, Indian food was probably one of the best in the world, commercialisation in the food industry and lax regulation in the agricultural industry have done their parts in making it a doubtful adventure and one should be cautious.

Everything that can be peeled such as apples and bananas, as well as packaged snacks, are always a safe option. Wash any fruit with uncontaminated water and soap before eating it, even if you peel it — while peeling, touching the skin could still deliver bacteria onto the inner fruit. Also avoid cold food from shelves (samosa, sweets, etc.) that is directly touched prepared and handed out. Most Indians don't use soap, and simply water seems to be their magic cure. In general, the regulation of the use of pesticides is very lax in India, because farmers have a high standing in Indian society — they are often the means for political campaigns. So, the underlying quality of fruits and vegetables is doubtful, even if locals claim them to be "green" — they often don't understand the meaning of "green".

With some fruits, you will even notice a weird side taste, like tangerines. It is often doubtful where and how they were grown — it might have been next to a large landfill, and you wouldn't know. Also, you may notice the dirtiness of Indian bodies of water — this is the very same water that is used to water fruit and vegetable plants in the Indian plains. Fruits and vegetables from more hilly or mountainous regions are probably safe from that latter problem.

Water

Tap water is normally not safe for drinking. However, some establishments (for example many temples) have water filters/purifiers installed, in which case the water should be safe to drink from them. ALso, the water in the mountains is generally clean, just ask your accommodation staff.

Bottled water, popularly called "mineral water" throughout India, is a good choice. Make sure that the cap's seal has not been broken; otherwise, it is a tell-tale sign of tampering or that unscrupulous vendors reuse old bottles and fill them with tap water. Bottled water brands like Aquafina (by PepsiCo) and Kinley (by Coca-Cola) are widely available. Local brands like Bisleri, Himalayan, Bailley, Evian, Patanjali, Tata and Nestle are reputed brands as well. In railway stations, a low-priced mineral water brand of Indian Railways is generally available, known as "Rail Neer". Taste 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.

For most foreigners, tap water in India is not even safe for brushing your teeth, and you should stick to bottled water even for that.

Diarrhoea and dehydration

Also in this library: Travellers' diarrhea · Dehydration

Diarrhoea, often called loose motion in India, is common and can have many different causes.

Six quick tips for avoiding the Delhi belly:

• Go vegetarian — At least for the first week or two. Meat spoils quickly.
• Avoid raw leafy vegetables — They are hard to clean properly.
• Avoid ice and unbottled water — Both the water in it and the way it's transported are suspect. Try to use only commercially available sealed bottled water.
• Wash hands before eating — Always use soap or hand sanitiser, otherwise the dirt of India's streets will find its way onto your chapatis and into your mouth. In addition, keep nails cut short and clean. That of course will not prevent a food vendor touching your food, so think twice which kind of meal you decide for. In any case, you can always watch how food is prepared. Indians mostly never use soap, plain water seems to be their "magic cure".
• Prefer metal dishes and cups — Stainless steel is more germ-resistant than plastic. So, any restaurant with stainless cutlery, dishes, cups and water container is safer than one with plastic cups and water container, or one-time use dishes.
• Be cautious around street food — Street food can often be made unhygienically, and it is a cause of "Delhi belly"

In addition, Dehydration brings along dizziness and concentration issues, sometimes muscle and joint pain. Dehydration doesn't just mean a lack of water, but also a lack of necessary minerals the body needs to function. It can be caused by an unbalanced diet, the wrong drinking water or even exhaustive hiking and travelling. Filtered and purified water (e.g. from temples) often has the disadvantage of the necessary minerals also being filtered out. Therefore, it's best to bring a standard first-aid kit, plus extra over-the-counter medicine for diarrhoea and stomach upset. A rehydration kit can also be helpful, rehydration solution is widely available at pharmacies for about ₹25 per pack for 1L of water. In case it is not available, remember the salt/sugar/water ratio for oral rehydration: 1 tsp salt, 8 tsp sugar, for 1L of water — however this will still lack some other minerals, so the rehydration packs from the pharmacy are best. Also, in case you are consuming local drinking water from the tap (in mountain areas) or in restaurants, if your body shows signs of dehydration, it is better to get bottled water from the shop — they have minerals added.

Indians often have resistance to native bacteria and parasites that visitors do not have. If you have had serious diarrhoea for more than a day or two, it is best to visit a private hospital. Parasites such as Giardia are a common cause of diarrhoea, and may not get better without treatment. Instead of drinking water while having diarrhoea, some people trust in Coke as a quick treatment. And in some cases it seems to prevent further fluid loss in small amounts.

Vaccinations and tropical diseases

No vaccinations are required for entry to India, except for yellow fever if you are coming from an infected area such as Africa. However, hepatitis (both A and B, depending on your individual circumstances), meningitis and typhoid shots are recommended, as is a booster shot for tetanus.

Infections like malaria, dengue (pronounced DEHN-goo in most Indian languages) and chikungunya are endemic throughout India. The CDC states that the risk exists in all areas except at very high altitudes (usually above 1500 m), in deserts and during colder seasons in some areas. Get expert advice on mosquito-borne illness preventatives, and take adequate precautions to prevent mosquito bites. Use a mosquito repellent when going outside (particularly during the evenings) and also when sleeping in trains and hotels without air conditioning. A local mosquito repellent used by Indians is Odomos which is available over-the-counter at most medical stores. Note, malaria symptoms can be very similar to a cold or flu; however, if you don't have any fever but still feel dizzy and have muscle and joint pain, it could also just be a case of dehydration — see above.

Stray dogs

It is very important to stay away from the many stray dogs in India, as the country has the highest rate of rabies in the world, also called hydrophobia. 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 within 24 hr of any contact with animals, including 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.

Healthcare

You can dial the general helpline at 112, or the medical helpline at 102 or 108 for medical emergency. Dialling to neighbouring major hospitals may also work.

The level of medical care in India varies widely. Public hospitals are free for Indian residents, but they tend to be unsanitary, overcrowded, understaffed and underequipped.

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. Large corporate hospital chains like Apollo, Manipal, Fortis, Max, Narayana and similar places are your best bet for emergency medical care in larger cities, and they have better hygiene and generally well-trained doctors, some from UK and US institutions. The downside is that they are much more expensive than public hospitals, though still reasonably priced by Western standards. Many private hospitals accept international health insurance; check with the hospital before you go. Virtually all Indian doctors speak English fluently and are highly qualified.

For smaller ailments, private medical practices are common throughout the country and are readily more accessible than hospitals. Hotels can also arrange a doctor to come visit, at a price of course. For travel vaccinations, visit the International Society for Travel Medicine to find travel health clinics.

Alternative medical systems like Ayurveda, homoeopathy, naturopathy and Unani are popular in India in addition to modern medicine, which is often called "allopathy" in common parlance.

Indians, by and large, are neutral communicators. Although Indians try to be respectful and courteous in social situations, words are often taken at face value. It's important to be explicitly clear and upfront about what you intend to say as euphemisms, idiomatic language, and the like may be misunderstood.

The greeting by a Hindu is to bring their palms together in front of their chest, or saying namaste or namaskār / namaskāram. Some groups have special greetings, like vaṇakkam for Tamils and khurumjari for Meiteis. All these forms are equally polite and correct if a little formal. Almost all people (even if they don't know English) do understand a "hi" or a "hello". In cities and much of northern India, it is quite acceptable to offer a "hello" or "good day" followed by a handshake, regardless of gender.

Direct personal questions (based on your personal life, salary, education and lifestyle) are commonly asked. To Indians, it's not considered impolite, but rather it's a way to get to know someone fully. In some cases, you may find others giving you advice on whatever it is you're doing, either warranted or unwarranted. Don't feel annoyed or irritated by this as Indians don't intend to patronise or pull you down in any way. If you feel the question was too personal, simply give an indirect answer and move along.

Indians respect their elders and it would be seen as rude to directly challenge a statement said by someone older than you. You should always try to address people you don't know as 'ma'am' or 'sir', especially if they're older than you, and always act in a mature, sensible fashion around them.

Families tend to be close-knit, and family values are highly revered by many Indians. Tread very carefully if you have Indian roots, even if you were born and raised overseas, or if you are in an intimate relationship with an Indian person: You're often expected to align your views with your or their family, and not doing so would result in you being shunned. Most Indians still live with their extended families, with three to four generations living under the same roof. Passing unwarranted comments about someone's family life won't win you friends or praise.

Saving face is a major value in Indian culture. To be polite you should avoid pointing out other people's mistakes or voicing disagreement with someone in public. Doing so can cause a severe blow to another person's reputation, and so to avoid doing so and causing embarrassment, ignore small mistakes. If you must point out someone else's mistake do so in a private setting, and as politely as applicable to the situation.

Indians tend to have a strong sense of national pride, in part due to the success enjoyed by the Indian diaspora abroad, such as Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. If you have Indian roots, even if you were born and raised overseas, be careful with divulging your opinions on the country and its culture: some may expect you to follow Indian norms and nuances, and won't take kindly to negative feedback.

Indians will consider themselves obliged to go out of the way to fulfil a guest's request and will insist very strongly that it is no inconvenience 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.

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 purchases, except if the host has made it clear beforehand that it is his or her treat, especially for some specific occasion. The etiquette for this is somewhat complicated.

• If you are someone'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 time laughing politely. If you don't have experience 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 host might still offer to pay for it if the amount is not very high, and sometimes, even if it is. In this situation, unless the amount is very low, you should never lose the fight, and if the amount is ridiculously low, say less than ₹10, don't insult your hosts by putting up a fight. Even if by chance you lose the fight to pay the shopkeeper, it is customary to practically thrust (in a nice way, of course) the money into your host's hands.

Religious etiquette

As India has great diversity, people follow different religions, the largest being of course Hinduism.

• Take off your shoes when visiting a temple, mosque or someone's home.
• The left hand is considered unclean in both Hinduism and Islam. Be sure to handle sacred objects and perform religious rituals using only your right hand.
• Christians are a minority in India, but going to church and following your faith are always appreciated. There are different denominations and they differ in their practices.

It is disrespectful to touch people or things with your feet. If done accidentally, you will find that Indians will make a quick gesture of apology that involves touching the offended person or thing 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 materials are treated with respect, as they are treated as concrete/physical forms of Sarasvati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge.
• Anything associated with wealth is treated with respect as it is treated as a concrete/physical form of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth.
• The head is considered to be the holiest part of the body, so avoid touching people on the head, including young children, as this is very offensive to Hindus.

The swastika is a common and quite ancient symbol in India, and it symbolises prosperity and good luck in the country. It is also fairly common for Indian parents to name their sons "Swastik" and daughters "Swastika". Drawing parallels between the swastika and Nazism will not be appreciated and is considered cultural appropriation. Jewish people have lived in India for hundreds of years and have never faced any significant antisemitism.

Many Indians have liberal, open-minded attitudes towards religion, especially in the south and the east. However, there are some who have rigid, radical viewpoints, with Hindu nationalism seing growing support in recent decades. It's not considered impolite to discuss your religious convictions with someone; for the most part, many Indians are open talking about it. But do not impose your religious beliefs upon someone, and anything hinting at proselytisation will not be appreciated.

Atheism is not taboo in India. This said, you should be careful when discussing religion with those who have rigid, radical viewpoints; some atheists in India have been attacked by radical groups for openly criticising religion.

Dietary restrictions

Note dietary restrictions when inviting Indian friends for a meal. Pork is forbidden to Muslims, while beef is considered a taboo to Hindus. However, beef and buff (buffalo meat) are consumed liberally by Christians and Muslims in states like Kerala.

Contrary to popular belief, India is not a vegetarian nation. However, vegetarians are a very large minority in India, comprising 20-30% of the population, including Jains and some Brahmin sects. States like Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan are majority vegetarian. That said, some ardently religious groups and people often try to demonise people eating eggs and meat. Many of the more well-aware Indians feel it as a part of a concerted attempt to codify a monolithic idea of Indian culture and do not like it. If visiting someone's house, it's always wise to ask what they don't eat beforehand. Do not impose your food preferences upon anyone; it is frowned upon.

Women

Whereas Indian men can be really eager to talk to foreigners, many Indian women avoid interacting with men outside their own families. If you are a man and approach an Indian woman even for an innocuous purpose like asking for directions, you are usually putting her on the defensive, especially if she is dressed traditionally. It is best to ask a man if one is available (there usually will be), or be extra respectful if you really need to ask a woman. However, in Ladakh, the relation between genders is much more equal and nobody will bat an eyelid if you ask a woman for directions.

Indian women generally dress conservatively, although in larger cities more liberal attire can be seen. Tank tops, miniskirts and other revealing or tight-fitting clothing can attract unwanted attention. Dressing in traditional Indian clothes, such as salwaar 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 jeans or a salwar. They are very comfortable and most women do the same.

Bikinis are acceptable at tourist-oriented beaches, but not at those primarily visited by locals. Wearing one beyond the beach is inappropriate no matter where you are. There are a few beaches where women (mostly foreigners) sunbathe topless, but make sure that it is safe and accepted before you do so.

Outside of the larger cities, it is unusual for people of the opposite sex to touch each other. 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 opposite sex unless the other person extends their hand first.

Befriending Indian women can be a wonderful experience for female visitors, although you might have to initiate conversation. An easy topic to get things going is to talk about clothes or food.

LGBT

Attitudes towards the LGBT community have been changing since the 2000s. In 2018, homosexuality — which was once punishable by life imprisonment — was decriminalised by a court ruling, and since then there have been strong political movements in favour of LGBT rights.

There are many pride parades across India's major cities, and some restaurants and bars in the major cities are targeted at the LGBT community. While there is a vibrant gay nightlife in metropolitan areas, a few openly gay celebrities and movements to legalise same-sex marriage, the acceptance is not universal. Many Indians still have conservative opinions on homosexuality and do not fully understand it. Try not to reveal your sexuality in public as you may invite unwanted comments or stares.

Heterosexual Indian men often walk hand-in-hand in the streets; don't take this as a sign of anything but friendship.

Politics and history

Indians, in general, are ardently political, and politics is a very popular conversational subject amongst many Indians, including the older generation. They have a breadth of political opinions, including that of their own country; often they express frustration with the government. As always, it is better to listen than to express firm opinions.

Also, some Indians will come up with topics like Hitler, Aryans and other weird stuff — while half of the time this is uneducated and innocent interest, the other half of the time they will know exactly what they are talking about and it is best not to engage on such topics or to make your position very clear.

Attempting to compliment or say anything that could be perceived as positive about Pakistan can evoke a strong response from some Indians. Referring to someone as a "Pakistani" is often used as an insult in India. In particular, the Kashmir conflict is a highly emotional subject that can very quickly elicit strong reactions from Indians. The Indian view is that the whole of Kashmir, including the areas under control of Pakistan or China, are inseparable parts of the country.

Try to avoid being overly enthusiastic about China. India's diplomatic relationship with China is tense and anti-China sentiments are common among the population. The 1962 Sino-Indian war and 2020 Galwan Valley clash are still very much open wounds in the Indian national consciousness. Some Chinese products are illegal to possess in India and the mere sight of Chinese products can evoke a strong response from some Indians.

The partition of India is a sensitive issue. Many may convey bitterness against the British Empire, and some who lived through the horrors of the partition may let this reflect on their view of people from the United Kingdom. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is widely regarded as a villain in India due to the Bengal famine in 1943. Nevertheless, the two countries enjoy a positive relationship, and Indians are the largest immigrant group in the UK.

Some people in regions like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and North-Eastern India are sympathetic to full autonomy or secession from India. Whilst nowhere near as sensitive or divisive as in other parts of the world, try not to bring up such subjects. In particular, avoid topics like Khalistan and Indira Gandhi in Punjab completely, as there are various opposing views which can get fired up.

Tread carefully when discussing the history of Mughal rule or any Islamic rule in India. Many devout Hindus or "Sanatanis" consider them to be foreign occupiers akin to the British. However, you can discuss the resistance of Maharana Pratap or Shivaji against the Mughals.

The country code for India is +91.

In India, area codes are called STD codes (Subscriber Trunk Dialing - national long distance) and international dialing is called ISD (International Subscriber Dialing - international long distance).

Local phone numbers can be anywhere from 5-8 digits long. But when the STD code is included, all landline phone numbers in India are 10 digits long. Mobile phone numbers are always 10 digits long and usually start with '9', '8', '7' or '6'. The following table explains how to dial:

Toll-free numbers start with 1-800, but are usually operator-dependent: you can't call a BSNL/MTNL toll-free number from an Airtel landline, and vice versa. Often, the numbers may not work from your cellular phone. Other National Numbers that start with 18xx or 19xx may attract special charges.

To dial outside the country from India, prefix the country code with 00, e.g. a US number will be dialed as 00-1-555-555-5555. Calling the Canada/UK/US over the normal telephone line will cost you about ₹7.20 per minute. Calls to other countries, particularly to the Middle East, can be more expensive.

Payphones, called public call offices or PCOs are now increasingly rare with the ubiquitous availability of mobile phones. Where they exist, they are usually staffed, and you dial yourself but pay to the attendant after the call is over. Metering is done per pulse and a service charge of ₹2 is added to the bill. Larger cities also have Western-style unmanned public phones, which are usually red in colour and accept one rupee coins.

Internet

• Wi-Fi hotspots in India are, for the most part, limited. Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai are the only cities with decent Wi-Fi coverage. Many free Wi-Fi services will require entering a one time password (OTP) sent to an Indian cell phone number and are usually operated by Airtel or Jio.
• All airports and railway stations offer free high speed Wi-Fi.
• Internet cafés are common and they charge as little as ₹10–20/hr. Many will ask for your passport or ID. Beware of using your credit cards online as there have been many cases of credit cards thefts using keyloggers.
• Public libraries have PCs with broadband for public use. Most libraries require a membership but government-operated libraries only require a quick registration with the verification of your ID.

Internet censorship in India is considered "selective". There are occasional random, inexplicable and arbitrary attempts by the government to block some sites it considers as carrying hateful propaganda, but enforcement is spotty and the decisions are often forgotten after a few month of being made. The sites that are blocked by the courts remain strictly blocked and are different from the vague blocks by the government. For travellers, the most important sites that are blocked are popular Chinese services like TikTok and WeChat, as well as games such as PUBG, for which Indian versions are available (like BGMI). Also, major Pakistani websites, accounts and channels have been blocked on social media, and on the internet. However, you may use a VPN to access other servers.

Mobile

Jio, Airtel, Vi, and BSNL provide telecom services to the whole of India. Jio has the best coverage throughout the country and Airtel is somewhat behind. Since providers are state-specific, you need to activate roaming, so you can stay connected with the same provider if being in a different state than from where you got the SIM card. No extra costs apply for this kind of roaming within India.

As restrictions on internet use increase in India, many mobile stores refuse to sell SIM cards to foreigners (or anyone without local ID, particularly an Aadhaar Card)—though you may find an Indian resident or hotel employee willing to buy one under their name if suitably motivated (i.e. rupees). Also, Jio mobile store owners seem to be sufficiently motivated to sell you a SIM and an initial package for a 20% surcharge if you look reliable enough. To get a SIM card alone as a foreigner, you are recommended to visit the telecom operator's exclusive store.

To make calls, send text, or use data, you will always require a (monthly) package or validity plan. Packages start at ₹299 for 28 days, e.g. Jio with 1.5GB/day data, unlimited calls, and 100 SMS. With Airtel the same package was around ₹349 with 2GB/day. All operators provide unlimited domestic phone calls with their packages.

Calling overseas can cost quite a bit and will depend on the location you are calling to. In contrast, the other way round (calling to India from elsewhere) is cheap.

You can buy a keypad phone for ₹500, and smartphones retail from ₹4,000.

Internet

Mobile internet is very cheap, especially with the proliferation of low-cost operator Jio, which has forced the mainstream operators such as Airtel and Vi to follow suit. Prices for packages including mobile internet are mentioned above. 5G networks in India now cover 85% of the population. 4G (LTE and VoLTE) networks cover 95% of the population of India. 3G is available only in some remote locations where BSNL network is available; in most locations 3G is unavailable but 2G is still available.

Messaging

WhatsApp is the main messaging gateway. SMS is only used for things like one-time passwords (OTPs) for Wi-Fi or contract information.

Mail

Addressing mail with a properly-formatted address will expedite its journey with government owned India Post. The PIN code (postal index number) is important, and you can look up PIN codes and correct address formats on India Post's website. A 6-digit PIN code identifies the post office of a district; a 4-digit Post box number (recommended but optional) may narrow this to one business or an individual building. Addresses should be written in three to four lines with the name of recipient, house number and suite or apartment or building number, street name, city or town, state name, PIN code, e.g.:

United Nations House
55/73 Lodhi Estate
New Delhi, Delhi-110003

First class mail travels by air within India. International first class mail has a maximum limit of 20 kg. Prices vary from country to country. A full list related to the pricing can be found in India Post's website. All locations with a PIN code are considered domestic. Military mail is operated by the Army Postal Service through its APOs and FPOs. The rate for domestic post is ₹15/50 g.

Private international courier companies like FedEx, DHL and UPS also operate though all major cities.

For immediate emergency assistance, you can call 112.
The Ministry of Tourism has a 24-hour helpline for tourists in need. You can call the helpline number at 1800-11-1363 or just 1363.

Consular assistance

All major cities have international consular assistance which include high commissions, embassies and consulates. More information can be found in respective city articles. Here are links to consular assistance in some cities:

• New Delhi and Delhi
• Bengaluru
• Chennai
• Kolkata
• Mumbai
• Hyderabad

Television

Also in this library: Indian cinema tourism

Watch Indian films as the Indian media industry is booming, with Bollywood (based in Mumbai, for Hindi film networks) churning out popular films and series featuring famous actors such as Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, etc. Other languages churning out films and series are Tollywood (Telugu), famous for hits such as Baahubali, RRR and Animal; Kollywood (Tamil); Mollywood (Malayalam); Pollywood (Punjabi); and Sandalwood (Karnataka).

India has a variety of local Indian news channels in English such as Doordarshan or DD, India’s state broadcasting network owned by the Indian government; India Today; NDTV; CNN-News18; Republic TV; Times Now; Mirror Now; NewsX; WION. There are also foreign news channels available such as BBC (World Service), CNN (International South Asia), France 24; Russia Today; ABC Australia; Bloomberg Television; CNA; Al Jazeera English; Deutsche Welle; NHK (World) and Push TV.

There are also many Hindi news channels, as well as regional news channels in their respective local languages.

Sports can be viewed live on DD Sport, Eurosport, Sony Sports Network, Star Sports and Unite8 Sports.

There are also many Hindi, English and Regional movies and series channels, children’s and music channels (English, Hindi and regional), lifestyle and teleshopping available on TV networks using cable or satellite

These channels can be found on TV using networks such as Tata Play, Airtel XStream and JioHome.

JioHotstar, ZEE5, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix India are available for streaming in India.

Newspapers

Local Indian English newspapers can be handy and reliable sources for day-to-day updates about the country. India has a number of English newspapers and magazines. You'll find it popular across the country with most households having a newspaper subscription.

Some of the major newspapers are Business Standard, Daily News and Analysis, Deccan Herald, The Hindu, The Statesman, The Telegraph, The Times of India, The Tribune and many more.

Some popular magazines are Filmfare, Down to Earth, India Today, Forbes India and Vogue.

There are also local regional newspapers which are either often in English or the local regional language. This depends on which states you go to.

Radio

Radio has historically been a major part of the lives of Indians. During travel, you might switch on the radio for entertainment, and many radio stations are available across India. In rural areas, or impoverished areas, people might switch on the radio for news broadcasts and entertainment. Previously, radio was state-owned with All India Radio (AIR) being the only broadcaster offering multiple channels; however, private and regional radio stations have now been made available.

• AIR FM Rainbow offers hourly news broadcasts at 102.6MHZ.
• AIR FM Gold offers hourly news broadcasts at 100.1MHZ
• Radio One offers modern and retro song broadcasts at 94.3MHZ.
• Radio City is known for its blend of Hindi and regional music, India's first private broadcaster at 91.1MHZ
• Red FM offers public talks and entertainment at 93.5MHZ
• Radio Mirchi maintains weekly music charts, or record charts, for India. Features Bollywood hits at 98.3MHZ

There are also many regional radio stations on their respective frequencies.

Given tense relations with Pakistan, it's effectively impossible for travellers to visit Pakistan from India. However, there are other neighbouring countries to explore nearby.

• The Maldives — popular among upper-class Indians, the islands are home to gorgeous beaches.
• Nepal — home to Mount Everest and Buddha's birthplace Lumbini. Nepal is closely related to India culturally, and there are Nepal-bound buses from Delhi, Kolkata and Siliguri.
• Sri Lanka — less explored by Indian tourists, the island is home to stunning beaches, rugged mountains, scenic rail journeys, delicious food, safaris, and ancient monuments.
• Tibet — popular among Kailash Manasarovar pilgrims via Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand.

Besides, one can also visit Southeast Asia to explore the influence of the Indian civilisation in that region.