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Do's and Dont's
Citizens of all countries, except Nepal and Bhutan, require a valid national passport or valid travel documents and a valid visa granted by Missions abroad for entering India. Nepalese or Bhutanese citizens need no passport or visa but should carry suitable documents for their identification when proceeding from their respective countries. For visitors to the country, visas are available from the Indian missions in each country. Six month multiple-entry visas are now issued to most nationals regardless of the intended duration of stay. Generally a tourist visa is given for 6 months while a business visa can be issued for one or more year with multiple entries. Transit visas are issued for a maximum period of 15-days with single/double entry facilities to bonafide transit passengers only. Conference visas are issued for attending conferences, seminars, or meetings in India. A letter of invitation from the organiser of the conference needs to be submitted along with the visa application. The fee structure depends on the nationality of the passport holder and type/duration of visa applied. It ranges from $5 for a to $50 for a visa with a one-year validity. The currency is the Indian Rupee, approximate value being US$
1.00=INR 45.00 ( rate of exchange is subject to change) In tourist restaurants or hotels a 10% service charge is often added to bills. In smaller places, where tipping is optional, you need only tip a few rupees, not a percentage of your bill. Most major hotels include a service charge of 10%. Waiters, room service boys, housekeepers, porters, and doormen all expect to be tipped. Railroad porters should be paid Rs. 5 - Rs. 10 per bag, depending on the weight. Set the rate before you let him take your bags. Taxi drivers don't expect tips unless they go through a great deal of trouble to get to your destination, but if you hire a car with a driver, tip him about Rs.50-Rs. 100 per day, depending on the distance travelled. If you hire a local guide, tip him or her Rs. 40 for four hours, Rs. 80 for a full day. With all sects, removing shoes is a must before entering a shrine, though sometimes cloth overshoes are provided for a small charge. Drinking alcoholic beverages on the premises or speaking in a raised voice is not permissible. Some structures are off-limits to visitors who don't practice the faith. One should not try to force or bribe to enter such places. Some temples do not permit any leather articles at all on their premises. Women should always be properly dressed and should cover their head before entering a Sikh gurudwara or a mosque. When you enter a mosque, you are supposed to step right foot first into the courtyard. In some Hindu and Jain temples all leather products inside a shrine like shoes, belts, handbags, camera cases etc. are prohibited. Many temples also expect visitors to purify themselves by washing their hands and feet under a tap or tank available there before entering. No visitor in a gurudwara should keep his feet pointing towards the Holy Book or step over any one sitting in prayer or meditation. India is the gourmand’s delight, boasting not one or two but about as many cuisines as the number of communities. One can broadly categorise the foods of India into North Indian and South Indian for the purpose of simplicity. But that is a simplistic categorisation, you’ll realise, for even within every state in India one finds great culinary variation. Drink only bottled water. Buy it only from respectable or known outlets. In restaurants insist that they bring a sealed bottle to your table. Try Indian Beer - it is quite drinkable. Beef is not served in India. Pork is also not easily available. Eat non-vegetarian food only in good restaurants. The meat in cheaper and smaller places is generally of dubious quality. Vegetarian food is easily available, cheap, and of excellent quality. Curd or yoghurt is served with most meals. It is a natural aid to digestion and helps temper the spicy food. As far as possible, avoid drinking any kind of water or juices from roadside carts and vendors. Delhi observes numerous national and religious holidays, in such
cases the commercial places are closed. Most government and private banks are open
weekdays 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM and on Saturdays 10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon, they are closed on
government holidays. The international airport and some luxury hotels have 24-hour
money-changing facilities. You can pick up a mobile phone connection from most departmental stores and often even at small roadside stores. The service provided by these private companies is on par with the best in the world. In India, delicate fabrics do not stand up well to laundering
facilities except at deluxe hotels. Plain cottons or cotton/synthetic blends are the most
practical and the coolest in summer. It's best to avoid synthetic fabrics that don't
'breathe'. For protection from the harsh sun a hat with a wide brim is recommended. When
traveling during monsoons, a collapsible umbrella comes handy. During the winter months,
sweaters and light jackets are required. For functions carry formal suits for men and
skirts and tops for women. |
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