India India will sideswipe you with its size, clamor and diversity - but if you enjoy delving into convoluted cosmologies and thrive on sensual overload, then it is one of the most intricate and rewarding dramas unfolding on earth, and you'll quickly develop an abiding passion for it.
When to go / Weather Generally, India's climate is defined by three seasons - winter, summer and monsoon, each of which can vary in duration from north to south. The summer starts to build up on India's northern plain at the beginning of May and starts receding by the end of June. During this period the day time temperature in North India can get rather warm but the evenings are usually pleasant. The beginning of June witnesses the first signs of the monsoon in some areas of the country- The monsoons bring with them rain, strong winds and sometimes stormy conditions and are much awaited throughout the country as they cool down the climate and bring about a breath of freshness in the air. They are also crucial to the agrarian economy of India and play a vital role in the agricultural output.Around October the monsoon ends for most of the country. This is traditionally the high tourist season in the country, although it maybe too late to visit Ladakh (May to October is the optimum period). The periods of October, November and February to April are the most moderate where the daytime and night time temperatures are both very pleasant. In the thick of winter (around mid-December to mid-January), Delhi and other northern cities can become relatively cold, especially at night - In the far south the temperatures remains very moderate through the winter as well. It maybe a good idea to check the dates of particular festivals that you may like to include in your trip to India. While the wedding season falls between November and March, and this is when you are likely to see at least one lively procession through the streets of most cities of India.Visas Overview
Foreign Nationals
desirous of coming into India are required to possess a valid passport of their
There is no provision of 'Visa on Arrival' in India and no fee is charged for immigration facilities at the airports. Foreign passengers should ensure that they are in possession of valid Indian Visa before they start their journey to India except nationals of Nepal and Bhutan who do not require visa to enter India and nationals of Maldives who do not require visa for entry in India for a period up to 90 days (a separate Visa regime exists for diplomatic/official passport holders). The Consular Passport and Visa (CPV) Division of the Ministry of External Affairs is responsible for issuance of Indian visas to the foreign nationals for their visit for various purposes. This facility is granted through various Indian missions abroad. Visa fees are non-refundable and subject to change without notice. The High Commission reserves the right on granting and deciding type/duration of visa irrespective of the fees tendered at the time of making application. Granting of Visa does not confer the right of entry to India and is subject to the discretion of the Immigration Authorities. Specific Visas are granted for a variety of purposes. Listed below in a tabular form are the types of visa; categorised on the basis of purpose of staying in India.
Visa application form is available at the office of Indian Embassy in the country where the NRI/PIO resides. Visa form for nationals of Pakistan and Bangladesh are generally different. All NRIs/PIOs, including children (who don't possess OCI or PIO card) need to apply for Visa in separate visa forms Visas can be applied for in person or by post at the High Commission of India based in the country from where the candidate intends to depart for India. Specific visas are granted for a variety of purposes that are aforementioned. Generally the following documents are required for obtaining Indian Visa. However, the requirement may vary from country to country.
Persons of Indian Origins and Non-Resident Indians who possess either OCI (Overseas Indian Citizenship) or PIO card don't need Indian Visa. OCI and PIO give them the freedom to visit India without visa. OCI and PIO cards are multi-purpose life long visa for visiting India. However, those NRIs and PIOs who don't have OCI or PIO card can apply for and get Indian visa through the procedure mentioned above.Customs Overview The export from India of any object more than 100 years old is prohibited, making the required export clearance certificate difficult to obtain. The Indian Wildlife Protection Act bans any form of wildlife trade. Please don't buy any products that further endanger threatened species and habitats - doing so can result in heavy fines and even imprisonment. We recommend you use bottled mineral water during the tour through out India. India is blessed with a huge number of spectacular festivals. The festival calendar starts with the Republic Day parade in Delhi on 26th January each year. The parade includes a procession, plenty of military might, Indian princely splendour as well as decorated elephants, camels and horses. March, holds one of the most exuberant Hindu festivals in the north of India, HOLI. The day marks the beginning of spring and involves throwing coloured powder and water over as many people as you can in one day. The massive KUMBH MELA is a festival that commemorates an ancient battle between gods and demons for a pitcher () containing the nectar of immortality. During the fight for possession, four drops of nectar fell from the pitcher and landed in Allahabad, Haridwar, Nasik and Ujjain. The mela is held every three years rotating through these four cities. Don't mistake the great 'Car Festival' for a rally race. This spectacle in Puri in June/July involves the gigantic temple car of Lord Jagannath making its annual journey, pulled by thousands of eager devotees. One of the big events of the year in Kerala is the on the backwaters at Alappuzha (Alleppey), which take place on the second Saturday of August. The festival of GANESH CHATURTHI in August/September is dedicated to the popular elephant-headed god, Ganesh. It's celebrated widely, but with particular enthusiasm in Mumbai and Pune. Shrines are erected, firecrackers let off, clay idols are immersed in rivers or the sea, and everyone tries to avoid looking at the moon. October/November is the time for the huge and colourful fair at Pushkar in Rajasthan. DIWALI or DEEPAVALI is the happiest festival of the Hindu calendar and is celebrated over five days in October/November. Sweets, oil lamps and firecrackers all play a major part in this celebration in honour of a number of gods. Please Visit our section on FAIRS AND FESTIVALS OF INDIA for details information. List of National Holidays
Trekking, whether on foot in the wondrous mountains of the north or by camel in the deserts of Rajasthan, is the most popular activity in India but there's also less-thought of options like skiing, white-water rafting and (down south) swimming and snorkeling. Getting here and away | Overview India's major international airports are Mumbai (Bombay), Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta) and Chennai (Madras); there are other international airports at Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore and Kochi, although these service far fewer international flights. Delhi is one of the cheapest places to buy air tickets in India, as are Kolkata and Mumbai. International flights to neighbouring countries are available at reasonable costs, especially between Kolkata and Dhaka (Bangladesh), Delhi and Karachi (Pakistan) and Tiruchirappalli and Colombo (Sri Lanka). Departure tax is included in 99% of all tickets. Getting around | Overview The invaders brought their own gods and cattle-raising and meat-eating traditions, but were absorbed to such a degree that by the 8th century BC the priestly caste had reasserted its supremacy. This became consolidated in the caste system, a hierarchy maintained by strict rules that secured the position of the Brahmin priests. Buddhism arose around 500 BC, condemning caste; it drove a radical swathe through Hinduism in the 3rd century BC when it was embraced by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, who controlled huge tracts of India. A number of empires, including the Guptas, rose and fell in the north after the collapse of the Mauryas. Hinduism underwent a revival from 40 to 600 AD, and Buddhism began to decline. The north of India broke into a number of separate Hindu kingdoms after the Huns' invasion; it was not really unified again until the coming of the Muslims in the 10th and 11th centuries. The far south, whose prosperity was based on trading links with the Egyptians, Romans and southeast Asia, was unaffected by the turmoil in the north, and Hinduism's hold on the region was never threatened. In 1192 the Muslims arrived from Afghanistan. Within 20 years the entire Ganges basin was under Islamic control, though Islam failed to penetrate the south. Two great kingdoms developed in what is now Karnataka: the mighty Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar, and the fragmented Bahmani Islamic kingdom. Mughal emperors marched into Punjab from Afghanistan, defeated the Sultan of Delhi in 1525, and ushered in another artistic golden age. The Maratha Empire grew during the 17th century and gradually took over more of the Mughals' domain. The Marathas consolidated control of central India until they fell to the last great imperial power, the British. The British were not, however, the only European power in India: the Portuguese had controlled Goa since 1510 and the French, Danes and Dutch also had trading posts. By 1803, when the British overwhelmed the Marathas, most of the country was under the control of the British East India Company, which had established its trading post at Surat in Gujarat in 1612. The company treated India as a place to make money, and its culture, beliefs and religions were left strictly alone. Britain expanded iron and coal mining, developed tea, coffee and cotton plantations, and began construction of India's vast rail network. They encouraged absentee landlords because they eased the burden of administration and tax collection, creating an impoverished landless peasantry - a problem which is still chronic in Bihar and West Bengal. The Uprising (also known as the War of Independence) in northern India in 1857 led to the demise of the East India Company, and administration of the country was handed over to the British government. Opposition to British rule began in earnest at the turn of the 20th century. The 'Congress' which had been established to give India a degree of self-rule, now began to push for the real thing. In 1915, Gandhi returned from South Africa, where he had practised as a lawyer, and turned his abilities to independence, adopting a policy of passive resistance and non violence . WWII dealt a deathblow to colonialism and Indian independence became inevitable. Within India, however, the large Muslim minority realised that an independent India would be Hindu-dominated. Communalism grew, with the Muslim League, led by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, speaking for the overwhelming majority of Muslims, and the Congress Party, led by Jawaharlal Nehru, representing the Hindu population. The bid for a separate Islamic nation was the biggest stumbling block to Britain granting independence. Faced with a political stand-off and rising tension, Viceroy Mountbatten reluctantly decided to divide the country and set a rapid timetable for independence. Unfortunately, the two overwhelmingly Muslim regions were on opposite sides of the country - meaning the new nation of Pakistan would be divided by a hostile India. When the dividing line was announced, the greatest exodus in human history took place as Muslims moved to Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs relocated to India. Over 10 million people changed sides and even the most conservative estimates calculate that 250,000 people were killed. Gandhi was deeply disheartened by Partition and the subsequent bloodshed. On 30 January 1948 he was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic. Following the trauma of Partition, India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru championed a secular constitution, socialist central planning and a strict policy of nonalignment. India elected to join the Commonwealth, but also increased ties with the USSR - partly because of conflicts with China and partly because of US support for arch-enemy Pakistan, which was particularly hostile to India because of its claim on Muslim-dominated Kashmir. There were clashes with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 with the creation of Bangladesh (Formally East Pakistan) India's next prime minister of stature was Nehru's daughter Indira Gandhi, who was elected in 1966. She is still held in relatively high esteem, but is remembered by many for meddling with India's democratic foundations by declaring a state of emergency in 1975. Mrs Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984 as a reprisal for controversially using the Indian Army to flush out armed Sikh radicals from the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Gandhis' dynastic grip on Indian politics continued when her son, Rajiv was swept into power. Despite his reputation being tarnished by widely-publicised corruption scandals, Rajiv brought new and pragmatic policies to the country. Foreign investment and the use of modern technology were encouraged, import restrictions were eased and many new industries were set up. These measures projected India into the 1990s and out of isolationism, but did little to stimulate India's mammoth rural sector. Rajiv was assassinated on an election tour by a supporter of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers. In 1998 India tested its nuclear weapons. Despite international outrage, the nuclear tests were met with widespread jubilation and support for the BJP. But by April 1999 PM Vajpayee had lost his majority and was forced into a vote of confidence, which he lost by one vote. Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi's widow, was expected to lead the Congress Party to victory, but she was unable to secure a coalition and India was forced to the polls for the third time in as many years. The BJP was returned to government with a slimmer lead. The Kashmir situation threatened to escalate from border sabre-rattling to all out war in 2002 with both India and Pakistan testing nuclear-capable warheads in the region and taking the moral high ground over Kashmir. The US and UK urged their citizens to leave India and Pakistan as diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis stuttered in the background. Fortunately, by late 2003 both countries had declared ceasefires and resumed direct air links and the Indian government had historic talks with Kashmir separatists. In 2004, with fresh elections called, the BJP were expected to win re-election. The Congress party was again led by Sonia Gandhi and gained surprising support through an exhausting grassroots campaign. So successful was she that the dominant BJP were ousted for the first time in almost 10 years. Concerned for her wellbeing, and also aware of the controversy her non-Indian origin could cause, Sonia Gandhi declined the Prime Ministerial role, sending shockwaves through her party. Instead she nominated India's first Sikh leader, an anti-corruption stalwart and economic reformist, Manmohan Singh, to lead the parliament. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed over 15,000 people and caused large scale damage along the southeastern coast of the country. The central coast of Tamil Nadu suffered the worst of the devastation with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Pondicherry and Kerala states also hit hard. Basic aid and temporary housing made possible by the Indian government (and reinforced by a half-billion $US World Bank pledge) ensured a swift recovery. In recent years Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has gone to great lengths to firm up India's diplomatic and trade relations, particularly with former sparring partners such as Pakistan, China and the US. In July 2006 the worst terrorist bombing in over a decade killed nearly 200 people on several Mumbai commuter trains. In February 2007 a similar attack killed over 60 on the Samjauta express which runs between Delhi and Lahore. Although the attacks were linked to Pakistan-based militants, India continued to pursue a positive relationship with its neighbour including the opening of a cross-border bus service. Though leftist Naxalite insurgents in the northeast and central south have grown more brazen in their attacks, the national economy continues to flourish and the world's largest democracy is taking a larger role on the global stage.The entire India went on Election spree this year and the same Congress and allies (United Progressive Alliance) returned to power under the able leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh  |
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India Information Guide
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India Travel Themes
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