India is a colorful country with a centuries-old culture and an interesting history. She is known in the world for her colorful films, incendiary dances, famous Indian sweets, bright holidays.
Indian culture is interesting and unusual. Family values, respect and honor for elders are in the foreground here. This is the foundation of Indian society. Indian women proudly wear the national dress, the sari. And they do it not on holidays, but every day.
Tours to India are organized all year round. Moreover, you can buy such a tour quite inexpensively if you refer to the link https://cheaptravell.ru/. But you need to know that from June to October it is the rainy season. It is on the territory of India that the wettest place on earth is located - it is Cherrapunji.
This country is also famous for its national cuisine. The main national dish is rice, which is seasoned with various spices, peppers, and kitchen roots. This dish is served both in expensive restaurants and on street counters.
Tourists can get acquainted in India with a variety of exotic fauna. The largest and most famous of its representatives are the Indian elephant and the Bengal tiger.
The city of Varanasi is one of the most visited. It is located on the sacred river Ganges and, according to the legend of the Indians, was built by the Gods themselves. It is the oldest city in the country that embodies Indian culture. It is a bustling and bustling city with uncontrolled traffic. But this does not prevent the sacred Indian animals - cows, from resting in the middle of any street. Varanasi is a city where life and death meet. Thousands of Indians come here to find their last refuge. Locals consider their city to be the oldest and most sacred city on earth.
Varanasi is full of legends, myths and, at the same time, interesting sights. There are several hundred temples, which are many hundreds of years old.
Silk products are usually brought home from India. Scarves, shawls and other products made by the hands of craftswomen will be the best present brought from India.
Facts about India.
As a gesture of "yes" (instead of nodding their heads like we do), the Indians shake their heads to the sides, like our "ah-ay-ay". At first, subconsciously, there was a feeling that they were shaking their heads reproachfully in response to the question, they say, "Well, you have questions, whites." Likewise, when they meet - they often begin to swing their heads from side to side, like tumblers, very funny))
The movement here is left-hand, such a concept as traffic rules, if it exists, is very conditional, the main rule on the road is a horn. Moreover, unlike, for example, a turn signal indicator, the beep is more of a warning character, i.e. beep and immediately begins to turn, and if you did not give in - your problems, you were warned =) Especially the frantic movement in large cities - Delhi, Chennai, Calcutta, aggravated by an incredible number of tuk-tuk scurrying here and there - the buzz of signals does not stop there not for a minute.
Close friendships are common among men, to the point where you can often find them walking hand in hand or hugging. At first we were surprised, but then we read that it was just such a friendship, without sexual connotation.
Indian cuisine, especially southern, is very spicy, with a lot of spices. Requests "no spicy", "no chilly" rarely lead to the expected result, despite the waiter's zealous nods. There is a certain set of dishes, initially not very spicy - you can eat them with a complete rejection of spicy food.
In most cases, the word Hotel is used to designate a place to eat. At the same time, most of the hotels are called Lodge, but some, especially large ones, also use Hotel in their name.
The most common fruits are papayas, pineapples, tangerines and bananas, with the latter a huge number of varieties - large and small, thick and thin, yellow, red and green. Apples are often sold as well, but incredibly expensive.
Many products are labeled MRP (maximum retail price) - the maximum retail price at which this product can be sold. This is especially noticeable in bottled water, which is sold on every corner and costs almost everywhere 15 rupees per 1 liter both in stores and in cafes.
Many small local restaurants do not have a menu - people come and order dishes they have known for a long time.
Dishes for different meals are usually clearly divided into breakfast (until 11), lunch (from 12 to 15) and dinner (from 19 to 21). The time, however, is rather arbitrary and can vary, but ordering something from the breakfast menu in the afternoon, and in the afternoon from dinner most often will not work. Moreover, from 15 to 18-19 some of the cafes are generally closed.
The most common lunch among less well-to-do residents is "meals": a mountain of rice, usually on a banana leaf (very convenient, free disposable tableware, and even profitable in waste disposal) with several sauces and seasonings in bowls. Most often, this dish is without restrictions - sauces are almost always added, sometimes rice is added, cheap and cheerful. Meals are more popular in the south of India.
Tipping in cafes is customary to leave at will from 3-10%, but most often it is 10-20 rupees.
There is no alcohol on the free market. those. it is not prohibited, but it is not particularly welcome - you can buy it only in specially designated places. In most cafes, it is also not officially available (sometimes it is sold "under the counter"), it is only available in restaurants.
The staff in guesthouses and cafes, especially the inexpensive ones, are rarely friendly. They are not aggressive, but they talk as if they have this job in their livers, perhaps this is how it is. Moreover, the locals are often very smiling and friendly.
Rickshaws and other "assistants" usually receive a fixed amount for bringing a client to a hotel, and for each night the client spends at this hotel. So from a room for 250 rupees the rickshaw will receive 50 rupees, and for 300 already 75 and so on. Each city has its own taxes. The owner of the guesthouse in Allepie shared this with us in secret =)
There is no central hot water supply anywhere. In the cheapest guesthouses, there is no hot water, in principle, in some it is brought in the morning in a tank (sometimes for extra money), in more advanced ones there are boilers.
Hindus do not use toilet paper; instead, in advanced places next to the toilet there is a small shower, and in simpler places there is a faucet with water and a ladle.
Hindu temples start working at 5 in the morning and this, as a rule, is accompanied by loud howls (prayers) into the microphone all over the area, huge speakers are exposed on the street)) It's especially fun if such a temple turns out to be under the windows of the guesthouse =)
Most of the Hindus are very devout believers. There are queues everywhere in the temples, there are many pilgrims everywhere and, as a result, the business of selling offerings is widely developed - as a rule, it is a set of flowers and fruits (bananas, coconuts). Some even have a small prayer room at home with an altar and deities, while visiting one of the couchsurfers they witnessed the evening prayer of his daughter - she rang the bell and waved incense sticks.
In most Hindu temples or in some of their prayer parts, only Hindi are allowed to enter, while Europeans can also bless the Indian "priest" (put a dot on the forehead, wash with holy water), if only the money is paid)
Apparently due to the heat, most people get up here at 5-6 in the morning. So at 7 am on an ordinary weekday, we witnessed a crowd on the beach - the locals played football, volleyball and just sat in groups or walked, the same thing in the evening - after 5 hours.
Indians for the most part do not like to swim in the sea, prefer lakes with fresh water and without waves. Women never bathe at all, at least in public places.
Often locals, mostly young people from non-tourist areas, ask to be photographed with us. Children just say hello and wave their hands or ask to photograph them. Older people also willingly pose in front of the lens, and then ask for "mani-mani" with innocent eyes.
A typical local dating procedure consists of two questions "hiv country ?, name?". Sometimes they just ask "name?" and being satisfied go on.
Children, seeing us, often ask for "skulpen". At first they did not understand, and then they took it apart - school pen (school pen), apparently tourists often give them.
The most common clothing among women is saris, young men wear jeans and T-shirts, and the older generation often prefers lungi - a rag wrapped around their legs, wrapped around their naked bodies.
On trains, in general carriages (general class), if there are no empty seats, people calmly ride on luggage racks. Tested on our own experience - up to 3 people can be accommodated in the luggage rack + luggage =)
Sleeper class cars can accommodate up to 5 people on two side bins - two on the top, 3 on the bottom, and in the reserved seat where we have four in Russia, there are 6 shelves, but they sleep and not six, but 9-10 people are sitting on them , and they sleep in a bunch, they also sleep in the aisles right on the floor and in the vestibules near toilets and entrances. Each carriage has 2 types of toilets - Western style (toilet bowl) and Indian style (hole in the floor).
Prices for visiting various parks, palaces, reserves often differ for local and foreign tourists, usually by 10 and sometimes 15 times, for example, 10 and 150 rupees.
Yoga and Ayurveda are two big myths about India. In Russia, many believe that in India all Indians without exception practice yoga and are treated with Ayurveda, but both are more common outside India, and even here they are popular mainly among tourists.
Currency- Indian rupee
Timezone — +5:30
Telephone code — +91
Republic of India, whose name in Hindi sounds like "Bharat", is a state of southern Asia located on the Indian subcontinent, which is washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean. India is the seventh country in the world in terms of area (3,287,590 sq. Km.), Includes 28 states and 6 union territories, which include the Nicorab Islands, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Chandigarh, Pondicherry, Lakshadweep ...
India - video
The state language is Hindi, the second state language is English, each state has its own official language. In total, the inhabitants of India speak 17 languages and 844 dialects.
India holds the second place in the world in terms of population (second only to China). According to data for 2013, the population was 1.22 billion. This country is very multinational, its races and peoples differ significantly from each other, both externally and spiritually. Despite the fact that more than 80% of the population profess Hinduism, other religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and others are quite developed.
Since India occupies a very large territory, the climate is very diverse here. Therefore, you should choose the right time for travel depending on which part of the country you are going to. IN India monsoon climate, which is divided into 3 seasons - humid hot (July-September), dry cold (October-March) and dry hot (April-June).
Sights of india
The main attraction and symbol of India can be safely called. He was glorified by a love story, love in the name of which he was erected. The Taj Mahal is called one of the most beautiful structures in the world, but not everyone knows that it is a mausoleum. A wonderful creation of dazzling white marble, became the tomb of the Queen of India Muntas Mahal, who died giving birth to Emperor Shah Jahan, the fourteenth child. In memory of his beloved wife, the emperor ordered the construction of a mausoleum-mosque, which became famous all over the world and pleases the eyes of tourists from all over the world.
Another attraction of India are Ellora cave temples... This amazing cave complex includes 34 temples, 17 of which are Hindu, 12 - Buddhist, 5 - Jain. Despite the significant difference between the temples (Buddhist ones fill with a sense of peace, tranquility and harmony, and Hindu ones, on the contrary, impress with the dynamism of the plot, liveliness and energy), they are united by the beauty of the carved stone. They have been carved into the rock for more than 500 years. The highlight of the Buddhist complex is the Buddhist temple, in the large hall of which there is a majestic 5-meter statue of Buddha. The main Hindu temple Kailash personifies the sacred mountain of Tibet, it amazes with the subtlety and grace of fine carving. Numerous Indian deities look from the walls of all Hindu temples, dynamic mythical stories are presented to the gaze.
Worthy of attention Harmandir Sahib, or as he is known in the world - Golden Temple... It has such a name for a reason, because in reality the temple is covered with real gold. There is a legend that the dome is covered with 750 kilograms of gold. The main shrine of the Sikhs is located in the middle of the sacred lake Amrit Sarovar ("the lake of divine nectar"), whose name gave the name to the city -. To get to the temple is possible only by walking along a narrow marble bridge. The Golden Temple embodies the essence of the Sikh's beliefs - the equality of all religions, here all people are equal, regardless of religion and social status. The temple has a canteen that feeds 30,000 people daily, and the canteen is staffed by volunteers. Also, there are sleeping rooms in which you can stay overnight. They sleep there just on the floor, side by side, pilgrims and tourists from all over the world.
Temple of Goddess Meenakshi- a symbol of love between Meenakshi and Shiva. There are 14 towers around the main temple, the height of which reaches 50 meters. All the towers and columns of the temple are dotted with brightly painted sculptures, none of which is repeated twice. The heart of the temple is the hall of a thousand columns, in the center of which there is a pool of holy water. Despite the fact that the Meenakshi temple is more than a thousand years old, it does not lose its brilliance, because it is regularly and thoroughly updated.
Jama Masjid Mosque is one of the main mosques of Muslims. It was built at the behest of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the middle of the 17th century. This is his last architectural creation and the pride of the Mughals. 5 thousand workers worked on the construction of the Jama Masjid mosque for 6 years. The mosque stands on a hill in Old Delhi - in Shahjahanabad (one of the most ancient Mughal cities). Initially, the mosque was called Masjid-i-Jahan-Numa, which means "the mosque that rules the world." It is the largest and most exquisitely decorated mosque in India. It is built of red sandstone and decorated with white marble.
Numerous national parks and reserves are an important attraction in India. Due to the fact that the country occupies such a vast territory, there are a huge number of them. One of the most popular nature reserves - " Periyar". This reserve covers an area of almost 800 square kilometers. It specializes in the protection and protection of tigers (there are 16 such reserves in the country). In addition to tigers and other representatives of the cat family, animals such as elephants, macaques, antelopes live on the territory of the reserve. , wild boars, a large number of species of tropical birds and reptiles (even crocodiles).
Another significant national park " Ranthambore". It is located in central India, covers an area of about 50 thousand hectares. Mango groves, complexes of tropical forests and swamps are protected here. In this park you can meet such animals as Bengal tiger, sloth bear, sambar deer, langur monkey, Indian The fruit bat is a very large bat (wingspan up to 1.7 m), which is also called the flying fox.Among the birds, it is worth highlighting the green carnivorous pigeons, paradise flycatchers and crested snake-eaters (a rare species of eagles).
Other national parks are also noteworthy, such as "Keoladeo", "Kaziranga", "Corbett Park", "Dadva", "Flower Valley", "Soriska", "Shivpuri", "Bandipur", "Dagicham", bird sanctuary "Govind Sagar" and many others.
1. One of the most serious problems in India is the sanitary and epidemiological situation. Moreover, this applies not only to food and water, but also to the situation on the street. Take care of your health - you shouldn't drink or brush your teeth with tap water (even though hotels and restaurants disinfect it).
2. Before traveling to India it is worth stocking up on sunscreens, as you can get sunburn here even in cloudy weather.
3. Tipping is accepted only in expensive establishments; in hotels and restaurants, this fee is often included in the bill.
4. At the bazaar, where prices are not fixed, it is customary to bargain. When buying vegetables or fruits at the bazaar, do not let the seller cut them with his knife.
5. Never give money to street beggars! Having shown generosity once, you can no longer get rid of annoying and annoying groups of beggars.
6. It is worth knowing that the voltage of the electricity network in India is 230-240V, and the sockets differ from the standard European ones.
7. Do not forget that India is a colorful and specific country. It is customary here to add all sorts of spices to every dish, and if you are worried about your digestive tract, it is better to ask the waiter to reduce the amount of spices.
India on the map
India is a colorful country with a centuries-old culture and an interesting history. She is known in the world for her colorful films, incendiary dances, famous Indian sweets, bright holidays.
Indian culture is interesting and unusual. Family values, respect and honor for elders are in the foreground here. This is the foundation of Indian society. Indian women proudly wear the national dress, the sari. And they do it not on holidays, but every day.
Tours to India are organized all year round. But you need to know that from June to October it is the rainy season. It is on the territory of India that the wettest place on earth is located - it is Cherrapunji.
This country is also famous for its national cuisine. The main national dish is rice, which is seasoned with various spices, peppers, and kitchen roots. This dish is served both in expensive restaurants and on street counters.
Tourists can get acquainted in India with a variety of exotic fauna. The largest and most famous of its representatives are the Indian elephant and the Bengal tiger.
The city of Varanasi is one of the most visited. It is located on the sacred river Ganges and, according to the legend of the Indians, was built by the Gods themselves. It is the oldest city in the country that embodies Indian culture. It is a bustling and bustling city with uncontrolled traffic. But this does not prevent the sacred Indian animals - cows, from resting in the middle of any street. Varanasi is a city where life and death meet. Thousands of Indians come here to find their last refuge. Locals consider their city to be the oldest and most sacred city on earth.
Varanasi is full of legends, myths and, at the same time, interesting sights. There are several hundred temples, which are many hundreds of years old.
