India Notes - Traveltips on India

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION : The Indian mainland extends between latitudes 8°4´ and 37°6´ north and longitudes 68°7´ and 97°25´ east. It covers an area of 3,287,268 sq. km. from north to south, the country measures 3,214 km from east to west 2,933 km.

POPULATION : The Indian population is estimated at 1,00,00.00.000 inhabitants, including Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists. Hindus account for approximately 82% of the population, Muslims for about 12%, Christians for about 3%, Sikhs for around 2% and Buddhists for about ½%

CURRENCY : One Rupee - 100 paise, Notes are denominations of rupees, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 & 1000.

DRIVING : Driving in India is on the left hand side of the road, and a valid Indian license is compulsory.

ELECTRICITY : In the most places the electric voltage is 220 Volts AC, 50 Hz. However, many of the deluxe hotels offer both 220 and 110 AC, 60 cycles.

LANGUAGE : Hindi and English are the official languages used in the government. 14 regional languages are also used throughout the country.

FOOD : Indian food is basically spicy. Almost all the restaurants serve continental food. Chinese food is also generally popular here.

TAXIS : Taxis are available everywhere in the cities and also at hotels. For non-metered taxis, it is advisable to finalize the rates before taking the journey.

CREDIT CARDS : International cards are widely accepted by hotels and leading travel agents, departmental stores and shops (AMEX, VISA, MASTER, DINERS etc.)

India has three major seasons: winter, summer and the monsoon. The winter months (November-February) have bright, sunny days and are pleasant throughout India.

The summer months (April-June) are hot in most parts of India. During this period, hill stations such as Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital, Kullu and the Kashmir valley (North), Darjeeling, Shillong (North-East), Ootacamund, Kodaikanal (South), Pachmarhi (Central India) and Mount Abu (Rajasthan) provide cool retreats.

The monsoon is an amazing phenomenon of nature. Sometime in June, the clouds break in the coast of southern India and are pushed up northwards by July - immersing the entire Indian sub-continent in torrents. Except for the south-eastern region, India receives its major share of rain between June and September. The south-eastern areas receive most rainfall from the northeasterly monsoon between mid-October and December-end. However, the only area which remains dry is the highest desert in the world - the fascinating moonscape of Ladakh. This is the time to trek up here.

Foreign nationals desirous f coming t India are required to possess valid passport of their country and a valid Indian Visa.

The Consular Passport and Visa (CPV) division of the Ministry of External Affairs is responsible for issuance of Indian Visas to the foreign nationals for their visit for various purposes This facility is granted through various India missions abroad.

There is no provision of "VISA ON ARRIVAL" in India and no fee is charged for immigration facilities at the airports. Foreign passengers should ensure that they are in possession of valid Indian Visa before they start their journey to India, except nationals of Nepal and Bhutan who do not require visa to enter India and nationals of Maldives who do not require visa for entry in India for a period of up 90 days ( as separate visa regime exists for diplomatic/official passport holders)

TYPE OF VISAS
The following visas are available from the Indian Missions Abroad.

TOURIST VISA
Normally given for six months but sometimes specifically depends on the country of residence. The applicant is required to produce/submit documents in proof of his financial standing. Tourists travelling in groups of not less than four members under the auspices of a recognised travel agency may be considered for grant of collective tourist visa.

BUSINESS VISA
Valid for one or more years with multiple entries. A letter from the sponsoring organization indicating nature of business, likely duration of stay, places and organisations to be visited, incorporating there in a guarantee to meet maintenance expenses, etc. should accompany the application.

STUDENT VISA
Are issued for the duration of the academic course of study or for a period of five years, whichever is less, on the basis of bonafide letters of admission from Universities/recognised colleges or educational institutions in India. Change of purpose and institutions are not permissible.

TRANSIT VISA
Are issued for a maximum period of 15 days with single/double entry facilities to bonafide transit passengers only.

VISA TO MISSIONARIES
Are valid for single entry and duration as permitted by Government of India. A letter in triplicate from the sponsoring organization indicating intended destination in India, probable length of stay. and nature of duties to be discharged should be submitted alongwith guarantee for applicant's maintenance while in India.

JOURNALIST VISA
Are issued to professional journalists and photographers for visiting India. The applicants are required to contact on arrival in New Delhi, the External Publicity Division of the Ministry of External Affairs and in other places, the office of the Government of India's Press Information Bureaus.

CONFERENCE VISA
Are issued for attending conferences/seminars/meetings in India. A letter of invitation from the organizer of the conference is to be submitted alongwith the visa application. Delegates coming to attend conferences may combine tourism with attending conferences.

EMPLOYMENT VISA
Are issued to skilled and qualified professionals or persons who are engaged or appointed by companies, organisations, economic undertakings as technicians, technical experts, senior executives, etc. Applicants are required to submit proof of contract/employment/ engagement of foreign nationals by the company or organization.

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

Foreign Currency
Foreign exchange/currency brought into India must be declared at Customs should the value of foreign currency exceed US$ 2,500 or the aggregate value of the foreign exchange including currency notes exceeds US$ 10,000 or equivalent. You can exchange money at international airports where 24-hour exchange facilities are available through banks and approved money changers. You can also change money at nationalized banks and other banks in the country.

There are two customs clearance channels. The green channel is for travellers carrying non-dutiable items while the red channel is for travellers carrying dutiable items.

Duty-free items
Duty-free items which you may bring to India include personal effects like clothing and other articles but not if this is commercial merchandise. All expensive electronic equipment/s must be declared at the Customs on arrival - which will be re-checked on departure. Take care to obtain an Export Certificate for these items if you are travelling to neighbouring countries and intend a multiple entry.

You can not bring in gold coins, gold or silver bullion into the country. Weapons brought into the country should be licensed and declared. Any cash or travellers cheques over US$ 10,000 or equivalent must be declared. Possession of narcotics is strictly prohibited. Personal effects which are not used during your stay must be carried back to you.

Gift worth Rs. 4000 for tourists of foreign origin and Rs. 12000 for tourists of Indian origin, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 gm of tobacco, one litre each of wine and spirits is allowed free of duty.

ARTICLES ALLOWED FREE OF DUTY
Used personal objects and travel souvenirs, if these goods are for personal use of the tourists, and these goods, other than those consumed during the stay in India, are re-exported when the tourist leaves India for a foreign destination.

Import of cigarettes, cigars and tobacco products and alcoholic drinks, as baggage within the duty free allowances is permissible in the following limits.

200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250gm of tobacco
Alcoholic liquor and wine upto 1 litre each

Trained English speaking guides are available at fixed charges at all important tourist centres. French, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian and Japanese speaking guides are available at most of the important cities. Since the Language speaking guides are limited in numbers, enough notice should be given to your travel agent to block them for assignments.

Unapproved guides are not permitted to enter protected monuments and tourists are, therefore, advised to ask for the services of guides who carry a certificate issued by the Department of Tourism/Archaeological Survey of India.

If a foreign tourist originates from or has transited through endemic Yellow Fever countries (Africa, South America, Papua New Guinea), he/she must possess a Yellow Fever Vaccination certificate.

No other vaccination certificate is mandatory though you may like to consult your doctor for inoculation against typhoid, hepatitis A and meningitis. If you are a health fanatic, you may like to consider inoculation against polio, measles, mumps, cholera etc. However a few careful precautions will make sure that even if you do not take the inoculations, you are protected.

The international airports offer a range of services ensuring that the traveller on business can continue working while waiting to catch an international connection, or when transferring between international flights. These include gourmet restaurants, business centres and are equipped with state of the art equipment including word processors and telefax. Airports also provide the tourist with such facilities for leisure as duty-free and handicrafts shopping, informal snack bars, nursery and baby care rooms, and even an art gallery. Duty-free prices in the airport shops are very competitive, offering you bargains on international merchandise.

By Air
There are three large domestic airlines which fly across the country. The state-owned Indian Airlines with the largest network, Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines.

Jet Airways : India's award winning largest private airline. Jet Airways operates one of the youngest fleets in the world, consisting of 38 Boeing 737-400/700/800 jets to 44 destinations within India, with over 235 daily flights. The airline has Interline agreements with over 120 international airlines and facilities include 24-hour flight information and reservation, computerized check-in, free coach service at the Mumbai (formerly Bombay) Airports, a choice of meals including vegetarian/non vegetarian diabetic, low cholesterol, Jain meals etc.

Jet Airways offers a variety of special fares to facilitate travel within India

Indian Airlines : Commanding a large and modern jet fleet, the Indian Airlines (IC) network, spans the country's 3,000 km from Leh in the north to Thiruvananthapuram in the south, and about the same from east to west, covers all important places of tourist interest. Indian Airlines links 59 cities in India and 16 in the neighbouring countries including Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kuwait, U.A.E., Oman and Malaysia.

Reservations : Reservations on Indian Airlines flights can be made from any where abroad in a matter of minutes through the SITA Airlines Communications System which is linked to the airline's Real Time Computer Reservation System.

Indian Airlines has inter-line agreements with over 120 airlines worldwide and the offices of any of these airlines or their agents have been enabled to issue tickets on IC flights.

Sahara Airlines : The airline has a fleet of nine Boeings and four helicopters (Dauphins and Equirriels). With Interline agreements with various national and international airlines, value added services on Sahara include an in-flight library, valet service, tele-check-in for both "Y" and "J" class, personalised reading kit and meal preference (Jain meals and diabetic meals are standard fare and customised meals for Sahara Royale passengers Include Thai, Italian, Continental and Indian, as well as health meals).

By Rail
The Indian Railways network is incredibly extensive (the second largest in the world) and if you want to see the country unfold in front of you, this may be the best mode of travel. The rail network, of course, is more extensive than the air network and may take you to a greater number of places. The Railways operate nearly 7,800 passenger services a day over a route length of approximately 63,000 km.

You can opt for the luxury tourist trains such as Palace-on-Wheels and the Royal Orient, the superfast Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains or the other regular trains which are divided into 15 zones. Most trains run daily. However, tourist or other special trains may have a limited schedule. Special holiday trains are also often run during holiday and festivals. There are also steam-hauled 'toy-trains' in the hills which offer a quaint experience.

By Road
India has a road network of over 2.9 million kms. National highways comprise 34,608 kms and state highways 128,622 kms. Several highways such as Delhi-Agra, Delhi-Jaipur have been upgraded and widened of late. In all, national highways have been widened to four-lane highways in the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.

All state transport corporations operate extensive bus services and it is possible to reach even the remotest of places by bus (check respective cities for details). However, do remember that not all buses are well-cushioned and some of the rides can be bumpy and uncomfortable. Take a bus only when you are sure of what it feels like. Tourist districts, of course, will have a range of buses - offering air-conditioned, well-maintained interiors.

If you are planning a self-drive, India can be an extremely adventurous and interesting destination. Once in India with your vehicle, it is good to remember a few things.

Vehicles drive on the left in India
Have a map of the journey you wish to chart
Fuel Either tank-up sufficiently before starting or enquire about unleaded petrol stations prior to embarking on the journey
Safety Avoid driving in the night. Do not offer lift to strangers

The Indrail passes on 12 hours, two-day and four-day basis are available and are economical for tourists intending to visit places, the journey time of which fits in these durations. These can also be used as convenient supplements to extend the journey time, which otherwise is not covered by the Indrail passes, for 7,15, 21, 30, 60 and 90 days. Indrail Passes for 12 hours, one-day, two-day and four-day duration are sold by General Sales Agents abroad.

Period of Validity and Fare Structure (Fares in U.S. dollars)
Period of Validity	AC Class		First Class AC-2 Tier AC-3 Tier AC Chair Car		Sleeper Class Second Class (Non AC)
	Adult	Child	Adult	Child	Adult	Child
½ Day*	57	29	26	13	11	6
1 Day*	95	47	43	22	19	10
2 Days*	160	80	70	35	30	15
4 Days*	220	110	110	55	50	25
7 Days	270	135	135	68	80	40
15 Days	370	185	185	95	90	45
21 Days*	396	198	198	99	100	50
30 Days*	495	248	248	126	125	65
60 Days*	800	400	400	200	185	95
90 Days*	1060	530	530	265	235	120
* SOLD BY GENERAL SALES AGENTS ABROAD. FARES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Military installations and areas, defence organisations and research organisations are considered protected areas, where permits are generally not given to foreigners.

Photography is prohibited in places of military importance, railway stations, bridges, airports and other military installations.

For photography at some of the monuments by Video cameras specially for commercial purposes, a special permission is to be obtained from the Archaeological Survey of India.

Antiquities, which include sculpture, painting or other works of art and crafts, illustrative of science, art, crafts, religion of bygone ages and of historical interest which have been in existence for not less than 100 years may not be exported out of India.

Manuscripts or other documents of scientific, historical, literary or aesthetic value in existence for not less than 75 years; art treasures, not necessarily antiquities but having regard to the artistic and aesthetic value cannot be exported out of India.

For further clarification on the antiquity of an artefact, the tourists can contact the authorities and get information on the Acts and Rules governing Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972.

Govt. of India is concerned about the conservation of its endangered and rare fauna. With this view, export of all wild animals indigenous to the country and articles made from such listed animals like skin, pelts, furs, ivory, rhino horns, trophies etc have been totally banned.

Tourists are also advised to acquaint themselves with the provisions of Convention on International Trade of endangered species of wild fauna and flora. All the member countries of the convention allow import of the articles covered by convention on the strength of a certificate of export from the country of origin.