India Fact File 2011

General Information

Population:
1 billion officially (*closer to 1.3 billion if all responded to the census)

Capital:
New Delhi

Language:
The official language is Hindi in the Devangari Script with about 30% literacy in it. States are free to decide their own regional languages for internal administration and education, so there are about 14 official languages widely spoken. English is very widely spoken, however, there are at least 300 known languages.

Lonely Planet's India Phrasebook is a helpful pocket sized book.

Tipping:
In India, a service charge is not usually included in a price but it is customary to tip waiters, porters, guides and drivers. The tips for these services are already included in the price of the pilgrimage. If you desire, you may reward good service with an additional tip at your discretion.

Bank Hours:
Monday to Friday 10:00 - 14:00 and 10:00 - 12:00 on Saturdays. Some International hotels have 24hr money changing facilities. It is unlikely that our group will have unscheduled time during these hours when we are in the proximity of a bank, so it is recommended that you exchange currency to Indian rupees before leaving the New Delhi airport.

Post Office Hours:
Monday to Friday 10:00 - 17:00, plus Saturday mornings. This varies in different cities. Please note that strikes are frequent in India and the post office is often closed as a result.

The Indian postal services are generally reliable. Expected letters almost always arrive and letters you send almost invariably reach their destination. If you are planning to mail high value items home from India, it is fundamental that you fill out the necessary customs forms - itemizing your contents and declaring their value -- and have your package properly wrapped/packed. For posting at the post office, this requires having a linen cloth hand sewn around the package to prevent pilfering; this is usually a time-intensive process. It is also important to insure your items and send these through a reputable service such as Federal Express or DHL in order to be able to track your items. You may wish to make a prior inquiry with your local shipping office about shipping prices, as they can often be higher than the value of your items to be mailed.

Shopping Hours:
Monday to Saturday 09:30 - 18:00.

Electricity:
Electricity around the world link - everything about plugs, sockets, voltages and converters including photographs: http://users.telenet.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm

Voltage in most places in India is 230v to 240v AC/DC. Sockets take mainly round 3 pin plugs or in some cases round 2 pin plugs. If you are traveling from the USA with any electrical devices, make sure to not only bring adapter plugs but also transformers/converters that will convert India's 240v down to 110v. This will avoid damaging your electronics.

Public Holidays:
26th January - Republic Day
15th August - Independence Day
2nd October - Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday
25th December - Christmas Day

Telephone:
The international direct dialing code for India is 91. Telephone booths are available in most towns/villages. (24hr service is available in large hotels). Please check with your mobile phone provider if your network & contract enable you to have coverage in India. Cellular coverage is limited in many many parts of India, and some of the remote areas to which we will be traveling may not get a cellular signal. It is recommended that you wear an inexpensive wristwatch as a timepiece and do not rely on a cell phone as a clock.

Photography:
In wildlife sanctuaries and reserves, photography is permitted upon payment of a prescribed fee. Don't photograph military installations. Photography at some civil airports is also forbidden as they are shared with the Indian Air Force. If you are traveling to sacred shrines you must ask permission first. In many of these, photographs are not permitted. It is customary to give a small tip/offering to temples or holy people that agree to be photographed.

Currency regulations:
Foreign currency regulations are strict. $USD and £Sterling are the easiest to change, however any money NOT exchanged via a bank is a criminal offence, not to mention a risky affair. Only change money at banks or legal foreign exchange dealers. Count your rupees when you receive them before you step away from the dealer to make sure you have received the correct amount. Keep and look after your transaction receipts as you may be required to provide proof that you obtained your rupees legally. NO Rupee currency may be imported or exported apart from in the form of a cheque without the prior permission of the Reserve Bank of India. Baggage and Foreign Currency may come within $2,500 USD by oral declaration. You may be able to purchase rupees from some US & UK exchanges prior to travel however please note importing currency must be done at your own risk as this is illegal.

Credit cards:
A growing number of hotels, restaurants and shops in major cities are beginning to accept credit cards. The well-known and more accepted ones are MasterCard and Visa. In rare instances such as high-end hotels, American Express and Diner's Club are accepted, however, credit cards are more difficult to use in general in India. It is best to use cash and carry small denominations. Change is difficult to come by in many circumstances.

Vaccinations and Health:
Possible vaccinations for travelers, per the Center for Disease Control:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/india.aspx

Although not required, the following vaccinations have been suggested by various health institutes worldwide for traveling throughout India: Diphtheria; Tetanus; Poliomyelitis; Hepatitis A; Typhoid.

Vaccines sometimes advised: Hepatitis B; Rabies; Tuberculosis; Japanese B Encephalitis; Meningococcal Meningitis; Cholera.

It is necessary to take precautions against Malaria in Delhi and Rajasthan. This includes wearing long-sleeved shirts, and long trousers and socks at dawn and dusk. You may also wear insect repellent which contains Deet. Check with your doctor or nurse about suitable anti-malarial tablets. Chloroquine together with Proguanil is usually recommended for high-risk areas.

Theft:
Theft of valuables, especially passports, is a particular risk at major railway stations and on trains. In addition, confident tricksters (particularly in Agra and Jaipur) promise a substantial cash reward for delivery of jewelry abroad but only in return for an initial financial deposit. The jewelry is invariably worthless and the deposit is lost. Crime in Delhi is rife, be aware!

Hospitals & Pharmacies:
There are state-operated facilities in all towns and cities and private consultants and specialists in urban areas.

Water:
The water is NOT safe to drink in India prior to being sterilized with iodine or any other purification method. Bottled & sterilized water is provided. If you need to purchase more, check that the bottle top has not been tampered with.

Climate:
India is so vast that the climatic conditions in the far North have little relation to those of the extreme South. While the heat is building up to breaking point on the plains, the people living in the Himalayan regions will still be waiting for the snow to melt on the high passes. Basically, India has a three-season-year: the hot, the wet and the cool. We will be traveling during the cool season. You can see a discussion of temperature and what to pack in the FAQs section.

Temperatures: Because of the unusual topography of the land, climatic conditions are widely diversified on both a seasonal and regional basis. The coolest weather lasts from November to mid-March, with brisk mornings and evenings and dry, sunny days. Between April and June the weather is very hot, dusty and dry. July heralds in the monsoon season for much of the country and temperatures are hot in spite of the rains.

Geography:
India is located in South Asia, with Tibet/China, Nepal and Bhutan bordering its North, Bangladesh and Burma to its East, the Indian Ocean to its South and Pakistan and the Arabian Sea its West. It is the 7th largest country in the world, covering 3,287,590 sq. km's.

Do's & Don'ts:

• Do exchange money only through authorized banks or moneychangers; insist on a receipt when changing money.
• Do cover your head entering Sikh shrines.
• Don't wear footwear or shorts, sleeveless tops or revealing clothes inside Hindu, Sikh, Muslim or Jain places of worship.
• When you take off your shoes to enter temples, check them with the shoe-watching attendant service at most temples. This service is either free (tip your attendant) or only a few rupees. The alternative is much more expensive: shoe thieves will sometimes steal nice shoes that are left unattended.
• Both men and women need to keep their shoulders and legs covered, especially in temples, and it is handy for women to carry a scarf they can use to cover their heads if necessary.
• While Indian attitudes to informal western styles of dress are generally tolerant, respect should be given to local religious and cultural differences.
• Do be wary of approaches by strangers.
• Do keep your money and passport in a safe place.
• Do keep your luggage locked whenever you are not in attendance.
• Don't purchase skins of animals, snakes, etc. and the articles made thereof, as they are banned.
• Do not walk in isolated spots on your own in the popular tourist areas, especially after dark.
• Do not become involved with drugs of any kind. The penalties for smuggling, possession and use are severe (10 - 20 years jail plus fine) and detention of up to three years awaiting trial. Second offenders can receive the death sentence.