India

India is a land of contrasts where history and tradition are in parallel of an amazing modernity. In 1897, the writer and world traveler Mark Twain described it as: "It is the only country in the world that every man wants to see, and having seen it once, he wouldn’t exchange his fleeting vision against all the wonders of the world combined."
For nearly two centuries, India was an important part of the British Empire before gaining its independence in 1947. It is currently the second most populous country in the world after China! 

Language and Local time

Hindi and English are both the official languages of the Indian Headquarters. A total of 23 official languages are recognized in the country.

The time difference is + 5:30 from GMT.

To telephone code of India is +91

Departure formalities

Visa
It is imperative to be in a possession of an Indian visa in order to enter the country and you won’t obtain one locally upon arrival. The application has to e made to the VFS.

Health
No vaccinations are required to enter India but it is strongly recommended to be updated in vaccines such as hepatitis A and B, diphtheria and typhoid fever.

Currency / Bank / Exchange

The Indian currency is the rupiah (Rp).

1€ = about 60 Rps 

You can change your Euros, usually with no commission, in exchange offices, some banks and some hotels. Systematically refuse taped tickets or tickets that are cut on the edge: you won’t be able to use them. Credit Cards are not yet a widespread mode of payment in India only hotels, restaurants and luxury boutiques accept them. Banks usually close at 2 pm or 4 pm (12 pm on Saturday). 

Taxes and gratuities
In restaurants, you usually give a tip (5 to 10%). If you rent a car with a driver for the day, it is customary to tip him (100 to 200 Rps) at the end of the day. For a cultural guide you should count 300 Rps. In hotels, you should leave a tip at the reception at the end of your stay.

Weather

The climate in India is very diverse due to the country's geographical size. In general the ideal season to visit India is between mid-November and late March, except for the Southeast and the far south, due to late monsoon. In May, it is very hot, and temperatures can reach 40 ° C.
June is the period of the monsoon.
In summer, heat and humidity are quite painful. Strong rains are very common. (As in November and December on the side of Chennai - Madras - and Trivandrum)

Festivals / Holidays / Ceremonies

Feb. 26: Republic Day
February-March: Holi, party celebrating the end of winter
August 15: Independence Day
October-November: Diwali, the festival of lights

Religion / Culture / Arts

Religion

7 major religions are present in India 
Hinduism: it is the predominant religion of India and also one of the oldest. It rests on two fundamental principles: the universe is based on an order, the Truth, which keeps it alive. The second idea is that the human has a perishable and transient body, and an eternal soul that is reincarnated indefinitely from one body to another
Buddhism: it is here that Buddha began to "wake up", realizing that the man was suffering due to its desires. One can live without suffering by eliminating the desire.
Islam: India is the second largest Islamic country in the world
hristianity is more prevalent in the South.
Sikhism: Sikhs is a religious minority, very enterprising, they are essentially present in the field of business and trade. They proudly wear a color turban.
Judaism: the Jewish community in Kerala was already installed before the Christian era. Even today, fifteen of them live in Cochin.
The Parseeism: heirs of the Persian religion of Zarathustra, Parsis, they are a few of them, they are worshiping the sun.
Jainism: non violent, Jains refuse weapons and do not eat any animal. They are respected by all Indians and they were never persecuted. Dressed in white, strictly vegetarian, they have an extreme tolerance

Culture / Art

Movies
The Indian film industry turns every year about 800 films, making India the largest producer of films in the world. Much of these films are produced in the studios of Bombay, known as Bollywood. We hardly recommend you to attend at least one session!
Musique et danse
Avant d'être un spectacle, la danse indienne est un acte rituel, un intermédiaire entre l'homme et les dieux.
C’est au nord du pays qu’est née la musique « hindoustani». Dans leurs danses se mêlent expression dévotionnelle et danse de cour. La musique « carnatique » et les divers styles de danse du Sud, purement hindous, sont restés plus proches des formes originelles.
Music and Dance
Prior to a show, The Indian dance is a ritual, it is an intermediary between man and gods.
It is in the North that the "Hindustani" music was born. In their dances blends devotional expression and court dance.
Sports
If the national sport is field hockey, it is the cricket that has been elevated to a national passion sport level.
Other traditional sports include the Kabaddi, the Kho-Kho-Danda and Gilli, which are played across the country. India is the historical and religious source of yoga as well as the ancient martial art, the Kalarippayatt.

Savoir vivre
Unless he took the initiative, do not shake hands with someone, because some people consider it an unclean act.
If you are invited to a meal, do not offer your help, it is offensive to the family that welcomes you.
Hint: It's better to wake up a person sleeping in the hallway of a train rather than crossing over him. It is a sign of respect!

Geography

The Indian coastline stretches over seven thousand kilometers. The country shares borders with Pakistan to the west, China, Nepal and Bhutan to the north and north-east, Bangladesh and Burma to the east.
The north of India is the one of the elephant and Maharajas palaces, the saddhus and Jain temples, colorful festivals and the Taj Mahal. But it is also India's megacities, a striking mix of medieval and modern ages.
South India ... It is especially the beautiful Kerala landscape, rice paddies, palm trees, tropical vegetation, wildlife reserves but also the beaches, Dravidian palaces, elephants and multicolored saris. In that location the cooking is very spicy.
Bollywood in Bombay, the capital of the Indian cinema and Madurai, the capital of Hindu pilgrimage, the oldest and holiest city of the South, that has the most fascinating temples of the country.
India is a country that has many wealth and it offers many facets too that you will not be able to discover in one trip.
Streams and rivers play a crucial role in the religious life of Indians and flow in abundance throughout the country. The main river basin is the Ganges, which irrigates and covers a quarter of the country's total area.

History

The first permanent settlement discovered appeared 9000 years ago
In the sixth century BC a wave of religious reform rises, Buddhism and Jainism, adding even more richness to the Indian culture.
Long series of Muslim conquests in the eighth century and the twelfth century.
1631 - 1648 - The Taj Mahal in Agra was built by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal.
The European conquest began with the arrival of the Portuguese in 1508. The arrival of the French, Dutch and English traders precipitated the decline of the empire.
The British succeed in establishing their rule over India in the first half of the nineteenth century.
In 1857, the Indian Mutiny, turns into a general uprising against the power of the British East India Company.
On 15 August 1947, India finally won its independence
Transportation
Remember to reconfirm your flights at least once by giving your booking reference number to the airline, indeed overbooking is not uncommon!

Going around

By plane
Pensez bien à reconfirmer vos vols au moins une fois en donnant votre numéro de réservation à la compagnie aérienne.

By bus
Generally less crowded than the train. The bus fare is roughly equivalent to the price of 2nd class train.

By train
India has a huge network. It is the cheapest transport but unfortunately it is often very crowded. 
For schedule of express trains, buy the booklet Trains at a glance, on sale for 35 Rps in all newsstands stations, or visit the websites on www.indianrail.gov.in. Caution: during the monsoon, the train schedule in South India can be changed.
booked preferably 4 or 5 days in advance, and even 15 days in advance in high season (December-January) as well as during Indian school holidays (May-June).

En taxi
In all cities you will be able to find taxis. Their price range is per kilometer and they have meters.

By car
If you rent a car (for three persons, the price range is from 800 to 1600 rupees per day or € 13.30 to 26.70), check the status of the vehicle. Most landlords require a driver. This is not much more expensive, it is highly recommended because it is difficult and dangerous to drive in this country!

Rickshaw
We found motorized and bicycle-rickshaw. The rickshaw drivers often earn a commission from shopkeepers and hotel owners, if you ask them to drive you to a hotel where they are not commissioned, they sometimes refuse to drive you to your hotel. To avoid this, ask them to bring you in the street of your hotel rather than the hotel itself.
Always ask them to put their meter. If they refuse, negotiate the price per person before the travel.

Travel books

A Suitable Boy
By Vikhram Seth
Saga around several families in India in the 1950s, in this book you will learn a lot about the social life of India.

Midnight's Children
By Salman Rushdie
Aa burlesque saga, which depicts children born in the modern India, a night in August 1947.

The God of Small Things
By Arundhati Roy
Kerala novelist that has achieved a considerable success for this novel.

The Story of Grandmother
By R. K. Narayan
a mixture of fiction and stories heard by the author in his childhood. For all ages.

To bring back home

Silk
Kashmir
Sari
Jewelry
Objects made of copper, bronze or sandalwood
Beauty products, ayurvedic products
Spices bought on the local market...

Glossary

English  - Hindi
Yes – ham
No – nahim
Hello – namaste
Good by – namaste
Thank You - dhanyavād, shukriyā
Help – meri madad kījiye