Country Guide - India

 

Holy Cow(s)

Cows are considered sacred in India, and are never killed or eaten by Hindus. Cows, givers of milk, are often associated with fertility and nurturing, and much celebrated in Hindu texts, especially in stories of the young Krishna as cowherd.

India will sideswipe you with its size, clamour and diversity - but if you enjoy delving into convoluted cosmologies and thrive on sensual overload, then it is one of the most intricate and rewarding dramas unfolding on earth, and you'll quickly develop an abiding passion for it.

Nothing in this country is ever quite predictable; the only thing to expect is the unexpected, which comes in many forms and will always want to sit next to you. India is a litmus test for many travellers - some are only too happy to leave, while others stay for a lifetime.

COUNTRY FACTFILE

 

  • Full Name

    Republic of India

  • Capital City

    New Delhi

  • Currency

    Indian Rupee

  • Timezone(s)

    GMT +5.5

  • Area

    3,287,590 km2

  • Population

    1,000,000,000

  • People

    72% Indo-Aryan, 25% Dravidian, 3% other

  • Languages

    • Hindi (official)
    • Urdu (official)
    • Tamil (official)
    • Bengali (official)
    • Kashmiri (official)
    • English (essential)
    • Kannada (official)
    • Marathi (official)
    • Gujarati (official)
    • Telugu (official)
    • Punjabi (official)

  • Plug Types

    • South African/Indian-style plug with two circular metal pins above a large circular grounding pin
    • European plug with two circular metal pins

    Voltage: 230-240V
    Frequency (Hz): 50Hz

 
 

Geography

India is a large, triangular-shaped country in southern Asia, buttressed by the long sweep of the Himalaya in the north and protruding into the Indian Ocean in the south. It's bordered by Pakistan to the northwest, China, Nepal and Bhutan to the north, and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. Sri Lanka is the teardrop-shaped island hanging off its southern tip. India covers a land area of some 3,287,000 sq km (1,281,930sq mi), though disputed borders with Pakistan and China make this figure somewhat arbitrary. India is the seventh largest country in the world.

When to Go

Climate plays a key factor in deciding when to visit India. Keep in mind that climatic conditions in the far north are distinctly different to those of the extreme south.

Generally, India's climate is defined by three seasons - the hot, the wet (monsoon) and the cool, each of which can vary in duration from north to south. The most pleasant time to visit most places is during the cooler period: November to around mid-February.

Around October the monsoon ends for most of the country. This is when India sees most tourists - however, it's too late to visit Ladakh (May to October is the optimum period). During October and November it's generally not too hot and not too cool (although October can still be hot and/or humid in some regions). In the thick of winter (around mid-December to mid-January), Delhi and other northern cities can become astonishingly cold, especially at night - and it's bone-chilling in the far north. In the far south the temperatures become comfortably warm during this period.

It's worth checking the dates of particular festivals - you may be attracted or repelled by the chaos (and jacked-up prices) that attend them. There are virtually no festivals in May/June. The wedding season falls between November and March, when you're likely to see at least one lively procession through the streets.

Events

India is blessed with a huge number of festivals, some so spectacular that you would be a fool to miss them. They start with the secular Republic Day Festival in Delhi each January, which includes elephants, a procession, and plenty of military might and Indian princely splendour. Holi, in February/March, is one of the most exuberant Hindu festivals in the north of India. It marks the beginning of spring and basically involves throwing coloured powder and water over as many people as you can in one day.

The 10-day Shi'ite Muharram festival, also in February/March, commemorates the martyrdom of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson. It's marked by a grand parade and dedicated penitents scourge themselves with whips in religious fervour. It's best seen in Lucknow, the principal Indian Shi'ite city; its timing varies with the Islamic calendar. The massive Kumbh Mela festival commemorates an ancient battle between gods and demons for a pitcher (kumbh) containing the nectar of immortality. During the fight for possession, four drops of nectar fell from the pitcher and landed in Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik and Ujjain. The mela is held every three years rotating through these four cities.

Don't mistake the great Rath Yatra (Car Festival) for a rally race. This spectacle in Puri in June/July involves the gigantic temple car of Lord Jagannath making its annual journey, pulled by thousands of eager devotees. One of the big events of the year in Kerala is the Nehru Cup Snake Boat Race on the backwaters at Alappuzha (Alleppey), which take place on the second Saturday of August.

The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi in August/September is dedicated to the popular elephant-headed god, Ganesh. It's celebrated widely, but with particular enthusiasm in Mumbai and Pune. Shrines are erected, firecrackers let off, clay idols are immersed in rivers or the sea, and everyone tries to avoid looking at the moon.

September/October is the time to witness the Dussehra (Durga Puja) Festival, which is perhaps at its most spectacular in Kullu, Mysore, West Bengal and Ahmedabad.

October/November is the time for the huge and colourful Camel Fair at Pushkar in Rajasthan. Diwali (or Deepavaali) is the happiest festival of the Hindu calendar and is celebrated over five days in October/November. Sweets, oil lamps and firecrackers all play a major part in this celebration in honour of a number of gods.

There are also usually holidays during major festivals. These vary from state to state.

Weather

Climate in India varies greatly, from the arid deserts of Rajasthan to the cool highlands of Assam, allegedly the wettest place on earth. But basically India has a three-season year - the hot, the wet and the cool. The heat starts to build up on the northern plains around February and by April it becomes unbearable - expect 35-45°C (95-113°F) days in most places. The first signs of the monsoon appear in May, with high humidity, short rainstorms and violent electrical storms. The monsoon rains begin around 1 June in the extreme south and sweep north to cover the whole country by early July. The monsoon doesn't really cool things off, but it's a great relief - especially to farmers. The main monsoon comes from the southwest, but the southeastern coast is affected by the short and surprisingly wet northeastern monsoon, which brings rain from mid-October to the end of December. The main monsoon ends around October, and India's northern cities become crisp at night in December. In the far south, where it never gets cool, the temperatures are comfortably warm rather than hot.

Activities

Trekking, whether on foot in the wondrous mountains of the north or by camel in the deserts of Rajhastan, is the most popular activity in India but there's also less-thought of options like skiing, white-water rafting and (down south) swimming and snorkelling.

Places of Interest

  • Humayun's Tomb

    Built in the mid-16th century by the senior wife of the second Mughal emperor, this is the first important example of Mughal architecture in India. It's also one of the most beautiful buildings in the city and should not be missed. The elements of its design are echoed in the later Taj Mahal.

  • Ajanta Caves

    The Buddhist caves of Ajanta date from around 200 BC to 650 AD, predating those at Ellora. As Ellora developed and Buddhism gradually declined, the Ajanta caves were abandoned and eventually forgotten. But in 1819 a British hunting party stumbled upon them, and their remote beauty was soon unveiled.

  • Khajuraho temples

    Khajuraho's temples were built during the Chandela period, a dynasty that survived for five centuries before falling to the Mughal onslaught. Most date from one century-long burst of creative genius from 950 to 1050 AD. Almost as intriguing as the sheer beauty and size of the temples is the question of why and how they were built here.

  • Gateway of India

    The Gateway of India is an exaggerated colonial marker conceived after the visit of King George V in 1911. The yellow basalt arch of triumph, derived from the Islamic styles of 16th-century Gujarat, was officially opened in 1924, only to be made redundant just 24 years later when the last British regiment ceremoniously departed India through its archway.

  • Taj Mahal

    Described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love, this poignant Mughal mausoleum has become the de facto tourist emblem of India. Many have tried to sum up its beauty, but even the poets of the time were unable to do this magnificent building justice.

Delhi Bomb Attacks - Floods

Delhi has been the target for two deadly bombings in September. On September 27, one person was killed and 15 injured when an explosives package was detonated in a crowded market area. On September 13, at least 20 people were killed and 90 injured when five bombs tore through a Delhi shopping district. Four more unexploded bombs were found by police in the area and defused. According to news sources, more than 400 people have died in bomb attacks in India since October 2005.

Monsoon rains in Orissa - the worst in 50 years - resulted in a mass evacuation of 200,000 people in mid-September. According to news sources, the floods have also affected West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Assam - travllers should avoid these regions.

Floods in the Indian state of Bihar left half-a-million people either stranded or displaced in early September. A burst dam on the Saptakoshi river in Nepal is believed to have triggered the floods. More than 100 villages were completely submerged in the floods.

Several Indian regions are prone to conflict; Jammu and Kashmir (as distinct from Ladakh) are subject to political violence and travellers should seek consular advice before entering any area bordering Pakistan. Similar advice should also be sought before travel to Assam, Nagaland, Tripura and Manipur in northeast India. There are militant groups operating sporadically in some rural areas of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Orissa.

Travellers should remain alert wherever they travel in India, particularly in big cities and when attending large public gatherings. Deadly bomb attacks have occurred in Mumbai, New Delhi, Jaipur and Hyderabad over the past couple of years, with a series of bombings killing 13 in Uttar Pradesh in November 2007. Political and sectarian tensions occasionally boil over into street violence.

Check out Safe Travel for updated government warnings or the Thorn Tree travel forum for some good advice from travellers.

Visas

You need get an entry visa before arriving in India. Six month multiple-entry visas are now issued to most nationals regardless of whether you intend staying that long or re-entering the country. Only six-month tourist visas are extendable. Most Indian embassies and consulates won't issue a visa to enter India unless you hold an onward ticket. Note that visas are valid from the date of issue rather than the date of arrival in India.

Dangers & Annoyances

Take extra care on crowded public transport. Thieves tend to target popular tourist train routes, such as the Delhi to Agra Shatabdi Express service. Train departure time, when the confusion and crowds are at their worst, is the time to be most careful. Occasionally tourists (especially those travelling solo) are drugged and robbed - Bihar, Jharkhand and Siliguri (West Bengal) can be particularly notorious for this. The usual scenario seems to be that after striking up a conversation, the traveller is offered a drink that has been doused with sedatives or the like. Be cautious about accepting any drinks or food from relative strangers, particularly if you are on your own.

In the Kullu region of Himachal Pradesh travellers have allegedly been the victims of drug-related set-ups, while others have vanished or even been murdered in allegedly drug-related incidents. You're strongly advised to trek in an organised group and steer clear of drugs. Trekkers should also make a point of telling people where they are going and when they will be back.

Sensitive border areas, such as Jammu and Kashmir, are subject to sporadic bouts of terrorist activities. Although smooth-talking touts (especially in Delhi) may try to get you to visit these areas, it's wise to seek the latest advice from your embassy.

Several women have reported being molested by masseurs and other therapists in Varanasi and McLeod Ganj. No matter where you are, it's always wise to check the reputation of any teacher or therapist before going along to a solo session. If at any time you feel uneasy, simply leave. In all parts of India (as elsewhere in the world) women should avoid walking alone in the streets late at night.

Indian beaches can have dangerous rips and currents and there are drowning deaths each year. Some of the more popular beach destinations may have lifeguards or signs warning of dangers, but many do not. Exercise caution and always check locally before swimming anywhere in the sea. Note that the Ganges is also reported to have strong currents.

Further Reading

  • Kim

    Rudyard Kipling

    A classic, ripping introduction to the 'great game' race between colonial nations out to map and lay claim to areas of central Asia. A beautifully written adventure story featuring the memorable main character Kim, boy spy for the British Empire.

  • A Passage to India

    EM Forster

    Readers have puzzled for decades over the central mystery of this superbly penned novel set in the dastardly day of the British Indian Empire.

  • Midnight's Children

    Salman Rushdie

    Winner of the 'Booker of Bookers' (ie deemed the best Booker prize-winner of the last 25 years), this is the creme de la creme of post-colonial Indian novels.

  • A Suitable Boy

    Vikram Seth

    A suitcase-sized read, but it's worth the wrist pain. Jam-packed with sensory clamour, detailed folklore and the weave of man and the gods across the spectrum of ages in India.

  • The God of Small Things

    Arundhati Roy

    A lyrical family saga set in Kerala's Backwaters. Winner of the 1997 Booker Prize.

  • City of Djinns

    William Dalrymple

    An exploration of Delhi that won't be soon forgotten.

  • Calcutta - A City Revealed

    Geoffrey Moorhouse

    A worthy travelogue.

  • A Million Mutinies Now

    VS Naipaul

    This is Naipaul's more mature reading of his country, moving on from acerbic earlier works India - A Wounded Civilisation and An Area of Darkness.

  • Pelican History of India

    Percival Spear

    A dry but comprehensive historical treatment.

  • The Inheritance of Loss

    Kiran Desai

    Desai's novel - winner of the Man Booker Prize in 2006 - explores love, terrorism, dispossession and yes, loss.

  • Upanishads

    The Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, Hindu holy texts, are available in English translations.

  • Hinduism

    KM Sen

    A blissfully brief and to-the-point introduction to India's major religion.

  • Karma Kola

    Gita Mehta

    Anyone tempted to don a dhoti and go looking for spiritual salvation will save themselves a lot of heartache by reading this witty book.

Bonds and Licences: ATOL 2582; ABTA Y 0751; IATA 91239702 and FTO

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