INDIA

Topography

India has the great Himalayas to its north holding back against China and Afghanisthan. It has Pakisthan to its left and Nepal to its right.

India stretches from the deserts of Kutch to the wet rain forests of the north- eastern region. It is bounded by the Arabian Sea in the west , the Bay of Bengal in the east and the Indian Ocean in its south. The confluence of the three Oceans at the southern most tip at Kanyakumari is a spectacle of colors.

India has four major metropolitan cities namely Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Delhi, the capital city is to its northern side. Mumbai, earlier called Bombay, is the commercial capital of the country , on the coast of the Arabian Sea in the west. Chennai , earlier named as Madras is on the southern coast of the Indian Ocean and Kolkata , the intellectual capital is to its the east.    

The Himalayas (North)	Kerala Backwaters(South)
The Bay of Bengal (East)	Thar Desert (West)

 Weather

India has three main seasons namely winter, summer and monsoon.

The winter is the best season to visit India. Winter is from November to February, and the days are bright sunny and pleasant. Beach holidays are apt during this period. During this period winter sports are held in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh.

The summer months of April and June are hot in most parts of the country. Hill stations like Shimla, Mussoorie, Naintial, Kullu, Darjeeling, Shillong and Ootacamund and Kodaikanal in the south are cool retreats during the summer. Trekking, paragliding, angling, etc are the common adventures pursued during summer in India. All the major towns and cities provide air-conditioned hotels and restaurants during the summer .

Monsoon is the most joyous time in India.The entire northern part experiences heavy rain during June, July and September due to the monsoon. Only the south -eastern part receives rain due to the north eastern monsoons scheduled between mid-October and mid-December.

 Formalities for entering India

Passport - All the travelers visiting India should posses a valid passport. It is advised that every visitor carries his passport on his self for possible verification purposes. Visas - All foreign Nationals visiting India, except those from Nepal and Bangladesh must posses a valid visa. Visas are not issued on arrival. The Indian Embassy or the Consulate in the respective country of the visitor can be contacted for the issuance of visas. A tourist visa is valid for three to six months. Multiply entry visas are also issued for entry into neighboring countries.

Registration- Foreigners visiting India on Tourist visas for less than 3 months need not register themselves. They can move around the country except the restricted areas mentioned by the Government of India. If their stay exceeds more than 3 months, then they have to register themselves with any assigned authority.

Customs- Personal items and other articles which are not commercial merchandise can be brought to India. Expensive Electronic gadgets and other items have to be declared at the customs on arrival and will be rechecked on departure. Gold coins, gold and silver bullions cannot be brought inside the country. Weapons brought inside should posses valid license and should be declared. Cash limits vary. Possession of narcotics and other related items are strictly prohibited. Similarly on departure from the country, more than the designated amount of gold, animal skins, antique items more than 100 years old, wild plants and seeds should not be carried back.

Money matters

The Indian currency of Rupee is fully convertible. The rupee notes are available in denominations of 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5,2 and 1. Coins are available as 5, 2 and 1 rupee and 50, 25, 20, 10 and 5 paise.

Any foreign exchange brought into the country should be declared at the Customs. Money can be exchanged at all international airports and in all nationalized banks of the country. Some of the larger nationalized banks of India include State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, Canara Bank, Allahabad Bank and Union Bank of India. International banks like ANZ Grindlays, Citibank, Standard Chartered, BNP, Bank of America, Hong Kong Bank and others operate in the metros. Most of them have 24 hour ATMS. The usual banking hours in India are 10am to 2pm on weekdays and 10am to 12 noon on Saturdays. Most of the recognized hotels accept foreign currency. But a nominal service charge would be collected.

Well known credit cards like Diners, Masters, Visa and American Express have become vogue in India these days. The credit cards are accepted in hotels, railway booking offices of the metros and even in shops selling souvenirs and other personal items in the metros and other major cities.

Getting to India

Air

There are five International airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Thiruvanathapuram. Delhi and Mumbi are the main airports used. Limited international flights are also available from Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Goa, Calicut, Amritsar, Varanasi, Lucknow, Guwahati, Thriuchirapalli, Agra and Jaipur.

India has a total of 115 domestic airports. There are three large domestic airlines which fly across the country namely, the state owned-Indian Airlines and Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines. Airlines like Jagson Airlines, Gujarat airlines, etc offer limited regional services.   

 Rail

The Indian Railway Network is the second largest and extensive network in the world. It is the best mode of conveyance as far as India is concerned. The Indian railways operates around 7800 passenger services daily over a route length of approx 63,000kms.For administrative purposes the whole system is divided into 15 zones.

 Road

India has a road network of over 2.9 million kms. The National Highways constitute around 34, 608kms and the state highways, 128,622kms. All the state transport Corporations operate extensive bus services and it is possible to reach even the remotest of the places by bus. Vehicles drive on the left in India.

Yellow -top- metered taxis operate in the cities and major towns. Hooded three- wheelers called Autorickshaws, a convenient and cheap mode of transportation is also found in most cities. A unique Indian way of traveling can be experienced by riding a man- drawn cycle -rickshaw or a tonga (horse -driven carriage). Nowadays hiring of motorcycles and cars have become a common thing.

Accommodation

The most sought after category by the influential tourists are the heritage hotels which are ancient palaces now converted into hotels. These heritage hotels have ancient architecture, traditional cuisine being served, folk performances, etc. Mostly Rajasthan and other states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh have these heritage hotels.

Tourist bungalows and Lodges are found in almost every town and city and they offer comfortable boarding and lodging facilties. Sikh temples, dharmasalas and camping sites also are cheap and free modes of lodging. The other types of accommodation include the Kashmiri boat shikaras or boat houses , the rice boats of the Keralan backwaters, tree houses in the sanctuaries of Madhya Pradesh and the eco -friendly mud thatched hutments available in south India. Paying guest options are also available in almost all major cities of India including Goa.

 Cuisine

Indian cuisine mainly consists of rice and curry . Indian food and preparation varies from region to region along the length and breadth of the country. The Mughal legacy of Mughlai food available in Lucknow and Delhi is usually meat based. Tandoori items prepared on clay ovens are served almost throughout the country. Kashmri is known for its famous 24 course banquet Wazwan. Goa, Kerala, and Bengal specialize in fish, sea food and coconut-based dishes. Gujarat and Tamilnadu excel in vegetarian items. The sweet meats of Bengal, Delhi and Bikaner can tickle many a tastebud.

Carrot halwa	Rawa Laddu	Jalebi
Indian Sweets

Apart from the native Indian cuisine, Continental, Chinese and western dishes, Thai, Spanish, French, Mexican, Italian, South Asian and Mediterranean dishes have come up in the metros. International chains like Mc Donalds, TGI Fridays, Pizza Hut, Kentuchy Fried Chicken, and Domino's Pizza have also entered the fray.

Adventure

Trekking- the Himalayan region including the Garhwal hills, Kumaon hills, the Kullu valley, Kangra valley, Lahaul and Spiti, Zanskar and Ladakh are excellent places for trekking in India. The best time for this is from May to October.

Skiing and Heli-skiing- From mid-Decemer to March, skiing is possible on the slopes of Garhwal in UP, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir. Auli in Garhwal region, Gulmarg in Kashmir, Mandi, Solang and Narkanda in Himachal have natural slopes for skiing. Heli- skiing is operational in Solang valley.

Safaris-Himalayan Jeep safaris in the Manali-Leh stretch from July to mid-October is very popular. Rajasthan Jeep safaris are operational from October to April covering the forts and palaces. Horse safaris are operated in Rajasthan and in certain trails of Himachal Pradesh from October to March. Camel safaris are operated in the desert regions of Rajsthan covering Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner.

Wildlife safaris are operational in the 10 or more wildlife sanctuaries that are present in the country. The Corbett Park, Dudhwa National Park known for its rhinos and elephants, Sarsika National Park and Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary with migratory bird population, Ranthambore in Rajasthan with tigers, Kanha in central India for tigers, Gir Lion sanctuary in Gujarat with the white lions, Bandipur, Nagarhole and Mudumalai in the south with elephants, Periyar sanctuary with tigers a and sizeable bird population and the Kaziranga National Park of Assam with the one-horned-Rhino are all possible parks for wildlife safaris either on jeeps, elephants, horses ,etc.

Angling- Trouts and mahseers can be caught in the ice-fed high- altitude lakes of the Himalayas. Mahseers ,found only in India is known as the toughest fresh water fish in the world. Trout fishing is also possible in the water sources in the Nilgiri hills of the southern part of India. The best season for this fishing is from February to June and from September to mid-November. Deep- sea fishing is possible off the Malabar coast and in the Lakshadweep islands.

Aero Sports- Hot- air ballooning is available over the Taj, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and the Rajputana deserts. Para- jumping, free- fall parachuting and bungee jumping have of late caught the fancy of many tourists. Hang- Gliding and Para -Sailing are possible in the lower reaches of the Himalayas because of the good thermal soaring effect.

Mountaineering- the Himalayas are a good source for mountaineering with altitudes ranging from 17,000 feet to 25,000 feet. There are various Mountaineering Institutes in the north catering to the needs of those more bent on this sport.

 Tourist Information Offices

Fairs and Festivals of India

Andhra Pradesh Deccan festival- Feb/March	Himachal Pradesh Shimla summer festival- May/June Kullu Dussehra festival- Oct Lavi Fair- Nov	Meghalaya Nongren dance festival- Oct
Assam Tea festival- December	Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh Festival- June	Nagaland Autumn festival- Oct
Bihar Rajgir Dance and food festival- Feb  Vaishali Mahotsav- March SonepurMela- Nov	Karnataka Coorg festival- Feb Hoysala Mahotsav- Feb/March Hampi festival- Nov	Orissa Beach festival- Jan Rath Yatra- July Konark dance festival- Dec
Chandigarh Rose festival- Feb Teej festival- Aug Garden festival- Dec	Kerala Great Elephant March- Jan Nishagandi Dance festival- Feb Nehru Trophy boat race- Aug Onam- Aug	Pondicherry Fete de Pondicherry- Jan
Delhi International Citrus festival- Jan International Kite Festival- Jan Garden festival- Feb	Madhya Pradesh Khajuraho festival- Feb Tansen festival- March Pachmarhi festival- Oct	Rajasthan Desert festival, Jaisalmer- Feb Nagaur festival- Feb Pushkar- Nov Jhalawar festival- Nov
Goa Carnival- Feb Shigmo- March Goa Food and cultural festival- Nov/Dec	Maharastra Elephanta festival- Feb Ganesh ,Pune Fesitval- September Ellora festival- Dec	Sikkhim International flower festival- April/May
Gujarat International Kite festival- Jan Somnath festival- March Tarnetar festival- September	Mizoram Chapcharkut Festival- Feb	Tamilnadu Natyanjali festival, Chidamabram- Feb Mahabalipuram dance festival- Jan/Feb Chithrai festival, Madurai- May Ooty summer festival- May
Haryana Surajkund Craft Mela- Feb Kurushetra festival- Nov	Manipur Kut festival- Nov	Uttar Pradesh Taj Mahotsav, Agra- Feb Yoga Festival, Rishikesh- Feb Avadh festival- Nov
	West Bengal Shantiniketan festival - Jan Darjeeling Tea Festival - Dec Vishnupur Festival -Dec
Nagaland Tribal Dance                                                                                Thrissur Pooram