Area: 3,287, 263 Sq.m.States:
26, Union Territories 6, Districts: 463 Passport & Visa: All foreign nationals require visa to
enter India. The Indian Embassies/Missions situated outside issue
visas. Language : The official language is Hindi in the Devanagri
script. The States are free to decide their own regional languages
for internal administration and education, so there are 14
official languages widely spoken throughout the country. English
is also widely spoken in India. Electricity: Voltage in most places is 220 volts AC, 50
cycles, although some areas also have DC supplies. Visitors are
advised to check the voltage before using any electrical
appliances. Socket sizes vary, so it is advisable to take a set of
plug adapters, available from most electrical stores near your
home.
Currency
& Regulations
There are no restrictions on the amount of
foreign currency or travelers cheques a tourist may import,
provided a Declaration Form is completed on arrival. This will
facilitate the exchange of imported currency as well as the
export of unspent currency at the time of departure. Cash, Bank
Notes and Travelers Cheques up to US$ 10,000 or equivalent need
not be declared at the time of entry. Any money in the form of
Travelers Cheques, Drafts, Bills, Cheques etc. which tourists
wish to convert into Indian currency should be exchanged only
through authorized money changers and a receipt of changed money
be taken.
Tourists are warned that changing money through unauthorized
persons is not only illegal but also involves the risk of
receiving counterfeit currency. To exchange foreign money other
than through banks or authorized money changer is an offense.
Please note that no Indian Currency whatsoever can be imported
or exported, except for Rupee Travelers Cheques. Banks abroad do
keep rupee balances with their agents in India and are able to
draw upon these balances to issue Rupee Travelers Cheques to
intending tourists. Top
Etiquette
and Customs
India is a vast country having diffrent customs
which are followed in different parts of the country.You may find
the metros more liberal and cosmopolitian as would be the
case anywhere in the world and you may come across various unusual
customs as you move into the hinterland, which are preserved over
thousands of years.You may also find that in genral,the attitude
to life is vastly different compared to your part of the world.
However,Indians are a hospitalble people
and usaually take in their stride your different
ways.Nevertheless,there may be certain situations where you not
following the accepted norm will be seen as a sign of disrespect
.These are the situations you need to know about.
Always remove your shoes before
entering a holy place such as a temple,gurudwara or mosque,Gurudwaras
and tomb of Muslim holy men will also require you to cover your
head .In genral,dress conservatively at a place of worship.
Do not touch any holy object with
the feet or your left hand.Also,do not give ,take or point at
anything with the left hand.If you are required to eat with your
fingers at any place your right hand.
Public show of personal affection
is generally disapproved of, particularly in smaller cities and
villages.Avoid it.
Avoid wearing clothes that bare
your arms and legs especially in smaller cities and villages in
particular.Metros are fairly libral in this respect.
Always follow the rules writtern
on notice boards at holy places.These may include'leather objects
not allowed','cameras not allowed',menstruating woman not
allowed',and so on and so forth .
Giving tips is customary but not
mandatory.At resturants ,the usual rule of 5-10 percent applies
while giving tips. The trick is if you want quicker service you
tip.
Bargaining for a lesser price is
a fairly common fact of day to day life ,especially at local bazaars,with
rickshaws and with autorikshaws branded.However,recognised
and larger shops, departmental stores will usaually charge fixed
prices.
IST stands for Indian Standrad Time
but people will smile and inform you that it may be read as Indian
'Stretchable' Time nothing always move as per schedule in India!
Formalities
and Regulations
For purposes of customs, a ‘Tourist’ is
defined as a person not normally resident in India, who enters India
for a period upto 6 months in the course of any 12 months period,
for legitimate non immigration purposes. Passengers who are covered
by this definition, except passengers of Nepali origin arriving from
Nepal, will be entitled to concessions under the tourist baggage rules
1978, whether they of happen to possess Tourist, Transit or Entry
visa or not. Baggage declaration: Visitors are generally required to make
oral baggage declaration in respect of baggage and foreign currency
in their possession if it is more than the permitted limit, in which
case they will have to obtain a Currency Declaration Form before leaving
customs. They should fill in the Disembarkation Card handed over to
them by the respective airlines during the course of the flight. Articles allowed free of duty: If you are eligible to avail
concessions under the Tourist Baggage Rules 1978, duty free imports
of the following items is allowed: Personal Effects: All personal effects like clothing and other
articles, which you reasonabl require during your period of stay.
These include personal jewelry, 1 camera with 12 plates or 5 rolls
of films, 1 miniature cine-camera with 2 reels of film, 1 pair of
binoculars, 1 portable typewriter, 1 pram, 1 tent and other camping
equipment, sports equipment such as 1 fishing outfit, 1 non-powered
bicycle, 1 Canoe or Kayak less than 5.5 meter's, 2 pair of skis, 2
tennis rackets. Professional equipment: you are also allowed to bring free
of duty the following articles, on the condition that these will be
re-exported. (I) Audio-Visual aids including slides and films for
demonstration and instructional purposes (ii) professional equipment,
instruments, apparatus or appliances including cine/television equipment. Souvenirs: travel souvenirs up to a value of Rs. 2000 are allowed
provided they are not intended for commercial purposes. Gifts: Maximum value of goods imported for personal use or
to be give as gifts for tourists holding foreign passports : Rs. 5000
and for tourists holding Indian passports : Rs. 5000. Articles not allowed free of duty:
motorcycle, scooter or moped.
Cigarettes exceeding 200, or cigars
exceeding 50, or tobacco exceeding 250 gms
alcoholic liquor exceeding 1 liter,
Tourist, whether of foreign or Indian
origin, are allowed to import duty free: 200 cigarettes or 50
cigars or 250 gms of tobacco and alcoholic liquor up to 1 liter. Duty: In addition to the gift items mentioned above, goods
up to the value of Rs. 5000 for non-resident Indians and Rs. 5000
for foreigners are exempt from the duty. Any articles over and above
the prescribed limit are liable to duty from 100% to 62% depending
upon the type of article. For further information contact the Consular
section of the nearest Indian mission near your home. Import of weapons: Import of weapons is prohibited. Inquire
at the Indian mission before departure for full details. Prohibited articles: The import of certain articles such as
dangerous drugs, live plants, gold coins, gold and silver bullion
and silver coins not is current use, is either totally prohibited
or restricted. The law provides heavy penalties for infringement of
this restriction. Enquire at the Indian mission for further details.
Foreign travel
tax
Passengers embarking on journeys to any
place outside India from a customs airport / seaport will have to
pay a foreign travel tax (FTT) of Rs. 150 on journeys to Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives
and Rs. 500 to all other countries. Transit passengers traveling by
air who have to leave the airport on account of mechanical trouble
but continue their journey by the same aircraft and the same flight
number by which they arrive are also exempt from FTT.Also PSF@Rs.200
for all tickets issued in Indian Rupees and US Dollar 5 is charged
for each point of embarkastion in India w.e.f. 1 April 2001. Top
Hotels
in India
There are Government approved hotels in
India rating from Five Star Deluxe, Five Star, Four Star, Three Star,
Two Star, One Star. For more details kindly contact us. Heritage hotels : Among tourism's recent gains in India has
been the launch of the unique heritage hotels scheme. The country's
rich and distinguished cultural past has bequeathed it a number of
feudal estates, that are in the nature of small forts or palaces,
havelis, the mansions of erstwhile aristocratic families.
In a heritage hotel, a visitor can expect to be extended a gracious
welcome, offered rooms that have their own history, be offered traditional
cuisine toned down to the requirements of internationals palates,
be entertained by folk artistes, participate in activities that allows
a glimpse into the heritage of the region, and bask in an atmosphere
that lives and breathes of the past. Top
Climate
in India
Hot tropical weather with variations from
region to region. Coolest weather lasts from November to mid March,
with cool, fresh mornings and evenings and dry, sunny days, really
hot weather, when it is dry, dusty and unpleasant, is between April
and June. Monsoon rains occur in most regions in summer between June
and September. Western Himalayas: Srinagar is best from March to October,
July to August can be unpleasant, cold and damp in winter. Shimla
is higher and therefore colder in winter and places like Pahalgam,
Gulmarg and Manali under several feet of snow (December to March)
and temperatures in Ladakh can be extremely cold. The road to Leh
is open from June to September. Lightweight to medium weights clothing
from March to October and warmer wear for winter is recommended. Northern plains: extreme climate, warm inland from April to
mid June falling to almost freezing at night in winter, between November
and February summers hot with monsoons between June and September.
Lightweight cottons and linens in summer with warmer clothes in winter
and on cooler evenings are recommended. Waterproofing is essential
during monsoons. Central India: Madhya Pradesh state escapes very worst of hot
season but monsoon are heavy between July and September. Temperatures
fall at night during winter. Lightweight most of the year with warmer
clothes during evenings particularly in winter, waterproofing during
monsoon rains is recommended. Western India: November to February is most comfortable, although
evenings can be cold. Summers can be extremely hot with monsoon rainfall
between Mid June and Mid September. Lightweight cottons and linens
most of the year with warmer clothes for cooler winters and waterproofing
essential in monsoon are recommended. Southwest: The most pleasant weather is from November to March.
Monsoon rains between late April and July. Summer temperatures not
as high as northern Indian although humidity is extreme. Cool breeze
on coast. Inland, Mysore and Bijapur have pleasant climate with relatively
low rainfall. Lightweights all year with warmer clothes for cooler
evenings particularly in winter and waterproofing during monsoon are
recommended. Southeast: Tamil Nadu experiences northeast monsoon between
October and December and temperatures and humidity are high round
the year. Hills can be cold in winter. Hyderabad is hot but less humid
in summer and much cooler in winter. Lightweight cottons and lines,
waterproofing in monsoon, warmer clothes in winter particularly in
hills are recommended. Top
Restricted
& protected area's
Certain parts of the country need special
entry permits before they can be visited. Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoran and Nagaland : These Sates/Union
Territories have been designated as protected areas and foreigners
cannot enter these areas without special permits. These permits are
issued by the Under-Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Foreigner
Division, Lok Nayak Bhavan, Khan Market, New Delhi –110003 at least
4 weeks before the date of the expected visit in some instance by
Indian Mission, consulates near your home. Advisable to check before
leaving. Sikkim: Certain areas of Sikkim like Gangtok, Rumtek and Phodang
and Zongri in West Sikkim and Pamayangtse have been excluded from
the inner line and declared as Restricted Areas. Individual tourists
are permitted to visit Gangtok, Rumtek and Phodang. Group tourists
are permitted to visit Zongri and Pamayangtse. The duration of stay
has been raised from 7 to 15 days. Permits can be issued by all Indian
missions abroad, all FRRO-Immigration officers at Airports at Mumbai,
Calcutta, Chennai and New Delhi Chief Secretary, Govt. of Sikkim,
Secretary, Hotel Department Govt. of Sikkim, L.G. Police, Govt. of
Sikkim, Siliguri, Dy. Director Tourism, Government of Sikkim, New
Delhi, Resident Commissioner, Govt. of Sikkim, New Delhi Calcutta,
Dy Commissioner of Darjeeling and Dy Secretary, Home department, Govt.
Of West Bengal. Manipur: Manipur has also been opened to foreign tourists,
permits can be issued by all missions abroad, all FRRO, Home Commissioner,
Manipur, Imphal. The duration of stay has been raised from 3 to 5
days. Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Individual foreign tourists can
visit Port Blair municipal area, Havelock Island, Long Island, Neil
Island, Mayabunder, Diglipur, Rangat, where a night halt is allowed
and Jolly Buoy, South Cinque, Red Skin, Mount Harriet, Madhurban where
only day visits are allowed. Prior permit is necessary. Individual
tourists are permitted 30 days allowed. Lakshadweep Island: Of this only Bangaram, Agatti and Suheli
Islands are open to foreign tourists. Permits are required, obtainable
from the Lakshadeep Administration, Wellington Island, Harbour Road,
Cochin-3. However foreign tourists traveling in organised groups may
obtain permits in advance from the administrator at Cochin through
a recognized Travel Agent / Tour Operator.
