Activities in India

Trekking
India is the ideal destination for a trekking holiday, offering everything from short and easy excursions to the long challenges of the snowy peaks. The highest mountain range on earth - the Himalayas - forms 3500km (2200 miles) of India’s northern and eastern frontiers.

The spectacle of the snow-capped peaks, glaciers, pine-forested slopes, rivers and lush meadows of wild flowers cannot be equaled. Peninsular India offers natural beauty of another kind, clothed in green woodland and fragrant orchards. (For further details on the main trekking areas, see Trekking in the Where to Go section.) No system of issuing trekking permits exists in India. Trekkers are, however, reminded that it is forbidden to enter Restricted and Protected Areas without the correct documentation.

Consult Incredible India before departure or local tourist offices on arrival in India to ascertain what restrictions may apply and what documentation may be required. The trekking season varies from region to region; check with Incredible India for further information (see General Info section). In general, it runs from April to June and September to November. It is possible to undertake treks in the valleys of Lahaul, Pangi and Zanskar and in Ladakh during the rainy season (June to August), as these areas receive minimal precipitation.

Board and lodging accommodation is available on all trekking routes. Essential equipment includes a tent, sleeping bag, foam/inflatable mattress, rucksack, umbrella (doubles as a walking stick), sun-hat, dark glasses, toilet requirements.

The best clothing is a windproof jacket, trousers, shirts, woolen pullover, woolen underwear (for high altitudes), and gloves. Be sure to take a light, flexible and comfortable pair of trekking boots (two pairs should be taken for longer treks) and at least three pairs of woolen socks. Use talc to keep feet dry. A first aid kit is recommended, as are anti-sunburn cream, morphia salt tablets to avoid cramps, a torch, thermos/water bottle, insect repellent, mirror, cold cream, lip-salve, walking stick, spare boot laces, sewing kit, tinned and dehydrated food.

Tourist Attractions of India

India has a rich history and the palaces, temples and great cities of its ancient cultures cannot fail to grip the imagination. In the spring particularly, the big cities come alive with concerts, plays, parties and exhibitions.

Among the most spectacular hill stations (mountain resorts which make ideal destinations in summer) are Shimla (once the Imperial summer capital), Mussoorie, Ranikhet and Nainital (within reach of Delhi), and West Bengal’s magnificent resort, Darjeeling, which offers a breathtaking view of the whole Kanchenjunga range. Along the fabled coasts of Malabar and Coromandel, unspoiled sandy beaches stretch for miles. Skiing is possible in the silent snowbound heights of Gulmarg and Kufri in the Himalayas.

The North

Delhi

Delhi has two parts: New Delhi, India’s capital and the seat of government, is a modern city, offering wide tree-lined boulevards, spacious parks and the distinctive style of Lutyens’ architectural design; ‘Old’ Delhi, on the other hand, is a city several centuries old, teeming with narrow winding streets, temples, mosques and bazaars. Must sees include the Red Fort and the nearby Jama Masjid (India’s largest mosque) both built in the mid-17th century at the height of the Moghul Empire.

Also of note is the Qutab Minar’s soaring tower built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din immediately after the defeat of Delhi’s last Hindu kingdom. At the base of the tower is the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque built in the same period using stone from demolished Hindu temples. Delhi attracts the finest musicians and dancers offering an ideal opportunity to hear the sitar, sarod and the subtle rhythm of the tabla, and to see an enthralling variety of dance forms, each with its own costumes and elaborate language of gestures. Theaters and cinemas show films from all over India, and the city has some of the country’s finest restaurants offering many styles of regional cuisine.

Uttar Pradesh
To the east of Delhi is the state of Uttar Pradesh, through which flows the sacred River Ganges. Built along its bank is the wondrous city of Varanasi, India’s holiest Hindu location. The town itself is a maze of winding streets, dotted with temples and shrines. Lining the river are a series of ghats which, at dawn, are thronged with pilgrims and holy men performing ritual ablutions and prayers.
Delhi lies at the apex of the ‘Golden Triangle’ - an area filled with ancient sites and monuments. In the southeast lies Agra, city of the fabled Taj Mahal.

This magnificent mausoleum was built by Shah Jahan as a monument to his love for his wife, Mumtaz, who died in childbirth in 1631. Shah Jehan was later imprisoned by his own son in the nearby Red Fort, another major attraction whose massive red sandstone walls rise over 65 feet and measure 1.5 miles in circumference.

Other important landmarks are Akbar’s Palace, the Jahangir Mahal, the octagonal tower Mussumman Burj and the Pearl Mosque. An hour outside Agra is Fatehpur Sikri, the town Akbar built as his new capital but abandoned after only a few years. This town is now no more than a ghost town but is definitely worth seeing if you have time.

Rajasthan
The southwestern pivot of the triangle is Jaipur, gateway to the desert state of Rajasthan. Known as the ‘Pink City’ because of the distinctive color of its buildings painted in preparation for the visit of Britain’s Prince of Wales in 1853, Jaipur is a town of broad, open avenues and many palaces. The Amber Palace, just outside the city is spectacular and the facade of the Palace of the Winds within the city walls is an essential photo stop. Also worth seeing is Jai Singh’s City Palace and the Jantar Mantar Observatory.

To the southwest is the most romantic city in Rajasthan, Udaipur, built around the lovely Lake Pichola and famed for its Lake Palace Hotel, it has been dubbed the ‘Venice of the East’. To the north, in the center of the Rajasthan desert, is Jodhpur, with its colorful, winding lanes and towering fortress.

Near Ajmer is the small lakeside town of Pushkar. It is a site of religious importance for Hindus and it is here that every November the fascinating Camel Fair is held. Jaisalmer is a charming oasis town, once a resting place on the old caravan route to Persia. Among its attractions are the camel treks out into the surrounding desert.

Madhya Pradesh
To the south of the ‘Golden Triangle’ is the huge state of Madhya Pradesh. Its greatest attractions lie close to the northern frontier. Less than 160km (100 miles) from Agra is the great ruined fortress at Gwalior. To the east lies Khajuraho with its famous temples and friezes of sensuously depicted figures - a must for any visitor.

Himachal Pradesh
Less than 320km (200 miles) to the north of Delhi is Shimla, the greatest of all hill stations, surrounded by finely scented pine forests and the rich beauty of the Kulu Valley.

Jammu and Kashmir
In the far north, reaching into Central Asia, is the extensive mountain region of Kashmir, formerly a popular summer resort (visitors are now advised to consult government advice before visiting this area), and the valley of the River Jhelum. The gateway to the region is Jammu, a town surrounded by lakes and hills. The temples of Rambireshwar and Raghunath number among its most impressive sights. Jammu is the railhead for Srinagar, the ancient capital of Kashmir, and favorite resort of the Mughal emperors.

It was they who built the many waterways and gardens around Lake Dal, complementing the natural beauty of the area. Among the attractions are the houseboats where visitors can live on the lakes surrounded by scenery so beautiful it is known as ‘paradise on earth’. Srinagar is also a convenient base for trips to Gulmarg and Pahalgam.

Gulmarg offers fine trout fishing, and enjoys the distinction of having the highest golf course in the world. From here there are good views of Nanga Parbat, one of the highest mountains in the world. It is well placed as a starting point for treks into the hills and mountains. Pahalgam is another popular hill resort and base for pilgrimages to the sacred cave of Amarnath.

Visa for India

Passport and Visa: Citizens of all countries need to have a valid passport and an entry, transit or tourist visa obtained from the Indian Mission in their country. Tourist visa is normally valid for 120 days.

Applying to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Lok Nayak Bhavan, Khan Market, New Delhi can get visa extensions. The letter should then be handed over at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office at Hans Bhavan, Tilak Bridge, near ITO. Delhi. Those wishing to visit neighboring country like Sri Lanka or Nepal, and then coming back to India, should obtain a double/multiple entry visa.

Registration: All foreigners are required to get themselves registered with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office which is situated in Hans Bhavan, Tilak Road, Near ITO Delhi.

Income-Tax Clearance: If the stay exceeds 120 days, an income-tax clearance certificate, issued by the Foreign Section of the Income-Tax Office is required.

Health Regulations: Yellow fever inoculation certificate is compulsory for those who have travelled across Africa, or Papua New Guinea in the last six days. The certificate becomes valid 10 days after the inoculation. No immunization against small pox or cholera is required. Those without the yellow certificate are liable to be quarantined for up to six days.

Shopping in India

In India you are expected to negotiate the price. If not, you risk overpaying many times - which can be okay if you think “well, it’s cheaper than home”. Recently (2004), in most of the big cities and even smaller towns, retail chain stores are popping up - where the shopping experience is essentially identical to similar stores in the West.

There are also some government-run stores like the Cottage Emporium in New Delhi, where you can sample wares from all across the country in air-conditioned comfort. Although you will pay a little more at these stores, you can be sure that what you are getting is not a cheap knockoff. Even in government-run stores, bargaining is expected.

Often, the more time you spend in a store, the better deals you will get. It is worth spending time getting to know the owner, asking questions, and getting him to show you other products (if you have an interest). Once the owner feels that he is making a sufficient profit from you, he will often give you additional goods at a rate close to his cost, rather than the common “foreigner rate”. You will get better prices and service by buying many items in one store than by bargaining in multiple stores individually.

Also, very often you will meet a “friend” in the street offering you to visit his or his family’s shop. In about 9 of 10 cases this will simply mean that you pay twice as much as when you had been in the shop without your newly found friend.

Baksheesh — the giving of small bribes — is a very common phenomenon. While it is a big problem in India, indulging in it can ease certain problems and clear some hurdles. Baksheesh is also the term used by beggars, who can be found throughout India, if they want money from you. Baksheesh is as ancient a part of Middle Eastern and Asian culture as anything else. It derives from the Arabic meaning a small gift. It refers as much to charity as to bribes.

Get around in India

By plane

Airlines

At one time, domestic flights were the monopoly of the government-owned Indian Airlines (now known as “Indian”). Jet Airways and Air Sahara challenged this monopoly with better service and competitive fares. In 2004, Air Deccan launched its no-frills airline, heralding the low-cost revolution. Now there are quite a few competitors and prices are a traveller’s delight. Here is a list of airlines in India, but there’s one starting almost every month.
Kingfisher Airlines [12], full service, but with low fares, most flights are between Bombay and Bangalore though it is launching new flights.
SpiceJet Airlines [13], low cost airline
Indian , full service government owned airline, substandard service, but probably the best coverage of India.
Alliance Air -Feeder airline for Indian. Has a spotty safety record.
Jet Airways , full service airline with very good coverage.
Air Sahara , full service airline with decent coverage.
Air India , though this is an international carrier, you can often get good rates on the domestic leg of its international flights
Air Deccan , low cost carrier connecting various metros and small towns.
Go Air low cost
Visa Airways - feeder airline, service mostly in South India.
Paramount Airways [21] - feeder airline, service mostly in South India.
Jagson Airlines [22] service mostly in North India.

Keep in mind, however, that outside of big cities coverage is poor. If you need to get to a small town, low-cost airlines won’t help you. You may have to rely on Indian Airlines or Jet. Flying low-cost to a metro and taking a train is not a bad idea either.

Fares

The earlier you book, the lower you pay. You will hear a lot about air tickets at Rs. 500 (USD 12), but those are promotional rates. Seats are extremely limited and get sold out within hours. But nonetheless, you do get good rates from the budget airlines. Tickets for small cities will cost more than those for the metros, because of the spotty coverage noted above. Many airlines have higher fares for foreigners than for Indians.

Get in India

Citizens of most countries with a few exceptions like Bhutan and Nepal need a visa to get in. Depending on your purpose of visit, you can get a tourist visa (six months normally), a business visa (one year or more, multiple entries) or a student visa (up to 5 years).

There are other categories for specialised purposes . Of particular importance is the missionary visa that is mandatory for anyone who is visiting India “primarily to take part in religious activities”. This rule is meant to combat religious conversion, particularly of Hindus to Christianity.

There have been cases where preachers have been deported for addressing religious congregations while on a tourist visa. You don’t need to be worried if you are just on a religious tour of churches in India.

Rules and validity of visas will differ based on citizenship. Check the website of the Indian embassy, consulate or high commission in your country or contact the local office .

If you are on a Student, Employment, Research or Missionary visa, you need to register within 14 days of arrival with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office where you will be staying. If the place you are staying at doesn’t have one, you need to register at the local police station [5]. All visitors who intend to stay more than 180 days also need to be registered. Addresses and telephone numbers of the FRROs can be found here .

Climate in India

In India, it rains only during a specific time of the year. The season as well as the phenomenon that causes it is called the monsoon. There are two of them, the Southwest and the Northeast, both named after the directions the winds come from. The Southwest monsoon is the more important one, as it causes rains over most parts of the country, and is the crucial variable that decides how the crops (and therefore the economy) will do.

It lasts from June to September. It hits the west coast the most, as crossing the western ghats and reaching the rest of India is an uphill task for the winds. The western coastline is therefore much greener than the interior.

The Northeast monsoon hits the east coast between October and February, mostly in the form of occasional cyclones which cause much devastation every year. The only region that gets rains from both monsoons is Northeastern India, which consequently experiences the highest rainfall in the world.

India experiences at least three seasons a year, Summer, Rainy Season (or “Monsoon”) and Winter, though in the tropical South calling the 25 C weather “Winter” would be stretching the concept. The North experiences some extremes of heat in Summer and cold in Winter, but except in the Himalayan regions, snow is almost unheard of. November to January is the winter season and April and May are the hot months when everyone eagerly awaits the rains. There is also a brief spring in February and March, especially in North India.

Opinions are divided on whether any part of India actually experiences an Autumn, but the ancients had certainly identified such a season among the six seasons ( or ritus - Vasanta - Spring, Greeshma - Summer, Varsha - Rainy, Sharat - Autumn, Shishira - Winter, Hemanta - “Mild Winter”) they had divided the year into.

Cities in India

India has many large and famous cities. Below is a list of the most well-known. Other cities are listed under their specific regional section.

Large cities

New Delhi, the Capital of Ancient Bharat (then called “Indraprastha”) and Modern India - The political capital of India
Ahmedabad, a City known as Textile Capital of India, is located in Gujarat, a state in the western part of India.
Bangalore - The Garden City, Pub City, Silicon Valley of India, Land of Silk, Gold, Sandal Wood, Incense etc.
Bombay (Mumbai) - The financial capital of India, “Bollywood” (Indian Film Industry’s hub)
Calcutta (Kolkata) - Known as City of Joy.
Hyderabad - Pearl city of India, and part of the Silicon Plateau with Bangalore
Madras (Chennai) - City of Temples, Home of famous Marina Beach, Automobile Capital of India
Pune - Pune is located in the Western India and is Maharashtra’s cultural capital.

Tourist destinations
Agra - Home of the Taj Mahal
Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Maharashtra State - complexes of caves representing some of the best of early Buddhist art.
Goa is a state with some of the most beautiful beaches and sunsets on earth. It has everything from super-chilled out beaches, to all night (and day) techno/dance/drug parties.
Kerala Also know as “God’s own Country”, is a state with green natural beauty, nice and warm beaches and hill stations. Contains popular destinations like Kovalam beach, Munnar, Thekkady, Thiruvananthapuram (aka Trivandrum) and Cochin
Konark temple on the East coast with erotic sculpture
Nalanda, Bihar State - Site of an early Buddhist University/monastic center
Rajasthan The desert state with palaces of former princes converted to heritage hotels. Contains popular destinations like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur and Pushkar
Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh is the site of a great Buddhist stupa.
Shimla - The summer capital of former British India is a small jewel in the lush Himalayan foothills.
Srinagar - Famous for Dal lake, located in the picturesque Himalayas

Sacred sites

As the birth place of several world religions, India is home to many sacred and holy sites:
Amritsar - The Golden Temple, Sikh holy city
Bodh Gaya, Bihar State - the place where the Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment.
Madurai, Tamil Nadu - Temple of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sri Sundareswara(Shiva).
Mathura- Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh - Birth Place of Lord Krishna
Sarnath,Uttar Pradesh - located 10 km away from Varanasi it is the site of the deer park where the Buddha Shakyamuni first taught the Buddha Dharma.
Tirupati and Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh - Kaliyuga Vaikuntam, abode of Lord Sri Venkateswara
Varanasi - A sacred Hindu city located on the banks of the Ganges.

Other destinations
National reserves and sanctuaries Corbett National Park, Sariska National Park, Mudumalai National Park, Ranthambore National Park, Sundarban National Park, Periyar National Park
Kerala backwaters
The Malshej Ghats

New Delhi: India

New Delhi an urban area within the metropolis of Delhi, is the seat of the Government of India. It is one of the three municipal corporations of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Delhi is an independent State (province) of India.

Capital of the Raj

Calcutta was the historic centre of the British presence in India, and effectively the capital of the British East India Company. However, Delhi had been the historic capital of much of the subcontinent for long historic periods. In particular, it had been the most recent capital of the Mughals. There remained an association with Imperial grandeur that the British Raj tried to use by holding several durbars for the Viceroy and visiting Royalty. In 1911, at one of the Durbars, the announcement was made that the capital of the Raj was to be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.

New Delhi was laid out to the south of the older city constructed by Shah Jahan, which is now often referred to as Old Delhi. However, New Delhi overlays many of the previous cities constructed there; hence it includes many monuments of previous cities, and constructions.

Much of New Delhi was planned by Sir Edwin Lutyens, who laid out a grandiose central administrative area as a testament to British imperial pretensions. Rajpath - then Kingsway- stretched from the War Memorial - now India Gate to the Viceregal Palace- Rashtrapati Bhavan atop Raisina Hill.

Festivals in India

India has three National Holidays. Other sets of holidays, varying between nine to twelve, pertains to festivals, religious holidays and births of leaders which are legislated by the individual states.

The following is a List of Festivals in India:

Hindu

Diwali - Festival of Lights
Bhaubeej
Dussehra or Daserra
Ganesh Chaturathi (Arrival of Lord Ganesha, a.k.a.Elephant God)
Kumar Purnima
Chhath
Holi
Makar Sankranti
Pongal
Raksha Bandhan
Mahashivratri
Ugadi
Gudi Padwa
Ramanavami
Baisakhi
Onam
Raja Shankranti
Puri Jaganath Ratha yatra
Ganesh Puja
Saraswati Puja
PrathamAstami
Krishna Janmastami
Margasira Guruvaara : Laxmi puja

Islamic
Bakri Id, (Id-Ul-Zuha)
Moharrum
Ramzan Id, (Id-Ul-Fitar)

Sikhism
Guru Nanak’s Birthday Jayanti (Sikhism)
Guru Govind Singh’s Birthday Jayanti (Sikhism)
Guru Teg Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day (Sikhism)
Vaisakhi (Sikhism)