Travel Planner India A-Z

Accommodation

India has accommodation for every budget. There are simple accommodation options such as Dharamshala's ashrams, lodges and guesthouses. Also, the other segment, the five star luxury hotels are well represented in India. Particularly noteworthy are the heritage hotels where you can stay in palaces and forts. In several cities there are hotels (Yatri niwases) for tourists, with comfortable rooms at a reasonable price. These can be booked at the tourist offices of the state Ashok Group of the India Tourism Development Corporation. It is usually easy to find accommodation in India, except during festivals.

Behaviour in temples and monasteries

At temple and monastery in India, one should wear appropriate clothing: at least no shorts and sleeveless t-shirts. In temples and monasteries shoes often are forbidden. When giving a donation to a monk it should be handed with both hands. Never touch a monk, especially not as a woman.

Bollywood

The Indian film industry is the largest in the world. The name Bollywood is derived from the American Hollywood, where B stands for Bombay, the center of the Indian film industry.

Culinary

The cuisine of India is very spicy, rice is with every meal. Spices and herbs are often ground into garam masala's (aromatic mixtures). Famous Indian dishes are curries, tikka and kofta's.

Economy

The population of India consists of 516.4 million people. Of these, 28% work in the service sector, 12% work in industry and 60% work in the agricultural sector. The service sector is also a strong growth sector due to the high level of education in India. Especially the IT sector is thriving. The Indian economy is the fastest growing after China. Nevertheless, India is among the developing countries with low average income. There are large differences in wealth by state.

Elektricity

India has 220 ​​volts. The flow often falls out and there are many variations. A universal plug is required in India.

Etiquette

Greet people in India you do best with hands on the chest and speak the words: namaste, pranaam or namaskaar. The higher you hold hands, how deeper the respect. If people in India are smiling this can mean friendliness, embarrassment, shame. The shaking of the head can also mean different things; besides yes or no it can also be a sign of mutual understanding.

Fauna

ndia has a lot of cattle, most are related to the zebu. Buffaloes are not holy and therefore also eaten. Along the way one may find dromedaries, they are mostly domesticated. Monkeys one sees everywhere, often living really in the wild. Dogs are often bewildered and not used to being touched, they may react aggressively out of fear. Be careful of snakes, especially when walking in tall grass. In the sanctuaries in India, one can see the wild elephant, however, there are also a ,lot of work elephante.

Flora

The flora in India is hugely varied, there are more than 15,000 species of plants. Along the coast, especially in Bengal are still vast mangrove forests. A large part of Rajasthan consists of treeless desert. The central plateau in the south has palm trees with rainforest. In the Northeast there are many bamboo forests. There are several national parks in India.

General

India is officially called the Republic of India (Hindi name: Bharatiya Ganarajya or simply Bharat). The name India is derived from Sindhu, the name of the Indus River (from the Sanskrit stem ind = drop). Many people in India speaks affectionately about Bharat Mata, Mother India. India is a former British colony.

Geography

India is at the Indian subcontinent, it is largely a peninsula. The Indian subcontinent can be divided into three zones: under the Himalayas is a plain where the Ganges and the Indus flows. In the south, the plain turns into a table plateau. On the coast are again wide plains. India is sandwiched between the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea on the west and the Indian Ocean in the south. The total length of the coastline is approximately 7,000 km. In the west and south India, bordering the Indian Ocean, on the east by the Bay of Bengal. In northern India, bordering Pakistan, China (Tibet), Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The highest point in India is the Kanchenjunga mountain 8586 meters high, this mountain is on the border of Nepal and the Indian state of Sikkim.

History

India became independent from the British in 1947. The Indian subcontinent was divided into India, with a hindu majority and the Republic of Pakistan, with a Muslim majority. The Indus civilization dates back between 2600 BC and 1900 BC and is one of the oldest civilizations. Supporters of the Aryan invasion theory claim that it has been subject to European influences by invasions from the Caucasus, Greece and Macedonia.

Money

In India, one uses the Indian rupee (INR). ATMs are sometimes hard to find outside the big cities. Credit cards are generally accepted in India.

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