Electricity
The majority of India works on 220 volts AC 50 Hz. However, it is possible that certain areas have DC supplies and it may be a good idea to check before using electical appliances. Socket sizes vary, so it is well to take along a set of plug adaptors.

Tips
It is usual to tip waiters, porters, guides and drivers. An approximate guideline would be as follows:

Restaurants - 10 % of the bill Porters - Rs.10/- per piece of luggage
Drivers/Guides - Rs.200 per day
Tips are not included in the bill and are solely based on each person’s discretion.

Language
English is widely spoken, though the accents may vary considerably, making it a bit difficult to understand at first. The official language is Hindi but there are totally 15 major languages 544 dialects spoken in India in addition to English.

Telephone/Communication
Telephone calls to most countries are now direct, with quality service comparable to international standards. Direct dialling is possible also between most cities/towns within India. Where a direct dialling facility is not available a call may have to be made through an operator.

Fax and Telex facilities are now ubiquitously available. It may even be possible to send e-mail messages from certain five star hotels and cyber cafes at a certain cost. Postal services in India are good and stamps can be bought at hotels.

Climate
Hot and tropical with variations according to the region. Coolest months from mid-November to mid-March are also the best to visit India. The monsoons, in the majority of India, occur between the months of June and September. The summer which is the really hot weather is usually between the months of May and June.

Clothing
Winter - Light to medium clothing with jerseys/jackets may be required in the evenings, early morning excursions or on overcast days. In North India light woolens may even be required during the days.

Summer - Tropical clothing with a sun hat and sunglasses are recommended. For those travelling in the hills or mountainous areas light woollens may be needed.

Monsoon - Light clothing with either a raincoat or an umbrella or both (especially in places like Bombay, Cochin, Madras, Calcutta). Light sweater may be required for some even during this period.

Food & Drink
Indian food is as varied as the country itself, with every region having its own mouth-watering specialties. It therefore, does not always have to be "hot" nor can any one dish be labelled a "curry". Most dishes with a gravy are normally called curries but are prepared with a different ‘masala’ or combination of spices containing among other things coriander, cumin, garlic, onions ginger, turmeric. Additional seasoning which adds to the flavour and richness of meat dishes is called "garam masala" and is made from different combinations of a variety of spices like cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves cinnamon, bayleaves, saffron, mace and nutmeg. The very aromas and flavours that drew the West to the Indian shores.

A traditional meal all over India is usually served in large metal plate called a ‘Thali’ with a number of small bowls used to hold the gravy dishes. The meal is normally accompanied with Indian bread (which varies from region to region) and rice.

North Indian food has been strongly influenced by Mughal cuisine and is broadly non-vegetarian characterised by the use of yoghurt fired onions, nuts and saffron. Outstanding dishes worth trying, would be biryani, gushtaba, tandoori dishes and kababs.

East Indian specialities include freshwater fish (especially hilsa) cooked in a variety of sauces, sweetmeats made from sweetened cream and cheese are also a specialty around West Bengal. The areas further east are influenced by by Tibetan cuisine, with ‘momos’ (delicious chicken or pork dumplings) being a popular dish.

Western India is a very diverse area in terms of cuisine. Gujarat with its strong Jain traditions, is almost entirely vegetarian with a sweetish touch to all its dishes. Goa is famed for its delicious meat and seafood dishes of Portuguese origin such as Sorpotel, Vindaloo and Xacuti.

Southern India is renowned for its spicy curries, rasam (millagu tannir or literally pepper water, before it was anglicised to mulligatawny), masala dosai or crisp potato pancakes and a variety of rice pancakes. The hot food has to be tempered with pappadums, yoghurt and buttermilk. Coconut is extensively used in the preparation of south indian dishes which are predominantly vegetarian, with the exception of Chettinad (from the area around Madurai) and cuisine from Kerala.

All good hotels in India provide continental meals as a matter of course, for those who are looking for a respite from spicy Indian cuisine. Many hotels and restaurants, atleast in the major cities, specialise in specific international cuisine like Italian, Chinese, Indonesian, Mexican, Thai, Japanese etc.

For an Indian, a drink with a meal usually means water! Imported wines and liquors are now available reasonably easily though not in great variety. The quality of Indian wines are improving steadily and are almost of international standards. Indian beer and rum are considered excellent, while gins and vodkas are good, the Indian whisky is an acquired taste.

Gujarat is the only dry state in India at present. However, foreigners visiting India can obtain liquor permits either from embassies/missions/tourist offices abroad or at a Government of India Tourist office at Bombay, Delhi, Madras or Calcutta. Tourists can bring in either one regular size bottle of wine and one quarter litre of spirits or one quarter of spirit free from Customs Duty at the time of arrival into India.

Drinking water could be a problem in India, and apart from the flasks of water in the hotel rooms, tea/coffee, mineral water and bottled aerated drinks, one should use purifying tablets. If one is out sighseeing or on an excursion it may be a good idea to carry a bottle of mineral water or to consume aerated soft drinks through a straw.

Shopping
Extraordinary patience, talent and imagination goes into the making of Indian products, whether dazzling silks, hand knotted carpets, bronze statues of Hindu gods, jewellery, shoes/sandals, handbags, men’s and women’s clothing, musical instruments or perfumes. The list is inexhaustible and the prices reasonable. Each region of the sub-continent has its own specialities. The bazaars are the places to find the best bargains, but one must be prepared to haggle. It would be prudent to remember that if the shop/emporia undertake to export purchased goods, it invariably takes a much longer time to for them to reach than indicated at the time of purchase.

It is forbidden to export recognised antiques over 100 years old. It is advisable to keep the sales reciepts to convince the customs officers. Exports of wildlife and products made from them is banned. Insist on getting a proper certificate for the legitimate sale of a particular animal product to avoid inconvenience at departure.

Indian Customs Procedures
International airports operate the conventional green and red channels, with officials liable to carry out sudden spot check on passengers passing throught the green channel.

If carrying certain items of high value such as Video cameras, lap top computers, cameras one may be asked to fill in a Tourist Baggage Re-export Form (TBRE) while entering the country,which allows one to bring items into India free of duty, provided it is re-exported while leaving.

Security
If carrying pen knives, batteries or electronic items it may be prudent to pack them in the checked in baggage as they may be confisicated, only to be returned on arrival at ones destination. This applies to all domestic flights on the sub-continent.

For extra security reasons, it may be necessary to identify your baggage on the tarmac before it is loaded on to the aircraft.

Baggage Allowance
The normal free allowance for Indian Airlines is 30 kgs on Economy and 40 kgs for Club class while for Jet Airways and Sahara it is 20 kgs on Economy and 30 kgs on Club class. Only a single piece of hand baggage (within certain specifications) is allowed on domestic flight.

Airport Departure Tax
Airport departure tax is to be included in your international tickets and does not have to be paid at the airport.

Import Restrictions
When entering India, the personal allowances are one litre of spirits, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 gms of tobacco. Indian customs are particularly thorough. These allowances do not apply to persons under the age of 18 years.

Crime & Theft
India is not particularly more dangerous than the West. Most deluxe hotels have lockers to keep ones valuables, but one has to be cautious with valuables when outside. Violence against foreigners is virtually unheard of, provided basic precautions are taken like anywhere else.

National Holidays
Full public holidays -

January 26 - Republic Day	August 15 - Independence day
October 02 - Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday	December 25 - Christmas

There are other local holidays which are applicable to different states

Reference Reading

Freedom at Midnight	Lapierre and Collins
A Princess Remembers	Gayatari Devi
A Suitable Boy	Vikram Seth
God of small things	Arundhati Roy
Maharajas Of India	Ann Morrow
City of Djinss	Oliver Dalrymple

Note :- The above particulars are correct at the time of printing, but may be subject to change. This is purely for information.