India - Indie

	India;
	Flag
	location
	Information
Capital city	New Delhi
System	republic
Currency	Indian rupee (INR)
Time zone	UTC 5:30
Surface	3 287 590 km²
Population	1 326 093 247
Official language	Hindi and English as auxiliary
Dominant religion	Hindus (81.3%), Muslims (12%), Christians (2.3%), Sikhs (1.9%)
Telephone code	91
Car code	INDIUM
Internet domain	.in

India - a country in South Asia, occupying most of the Indian subcontinent.

Characteristic

The country is stunning with its vastness, noise and diversity. This is a kind of test for many travelers. Some will gladly return home after their experiences, for others, delving into the colorful and diverse world of the subcontinent will be a great opportunity to get to know this intricate and interesting culture, different from ours. To cool down after sightseeing and take a break from the sheer volume of colorful pictures, a great place to relax will be the Goa region with its beautiful beaches on the Arabian Sea.

Geography

India is located in South Asia and borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma and Bangladesh. The northern border is marked by Himalayasbelow which the Hindustan Plain stretches southwards, consisting on the eastern side of the Ganges Plain, the Assam Valley and the Indus Plain (eastern part) with the Thar Desert. Almost the entire Indian Peninsula is covered by the Deccan Highlands. The highest points of India are: K2 (8,611 m above sea level - the second highest peak in the world) and Kanchendzonga (8,598 m above sea level - the third highest peak in the world).

fauna and Flora

About 19% of India's territory is covered by forests - humid equatorial and monsoon forests. They are mainly found on coasts and in river valleys. In the west of the Hindustan Plain there is a vast desert area - the Thar Desert. In the areas of the southern slopes of the Himalayas, a very diverse plant cover grows. Tropical forests, along with palm trees, bamboo, clove and sandal trees, grow at altitudes of seven hundred meters to fifteen hundred meters above sea level. They can also be observed on the southwestern coast, the eastern part of the Ganges valley and in the Brahmaputra valley. However, the greatest amounts of vegetation, and more precisely savannah vegetation, exist in the areas of the central decan highlands. The monsoon forest, which lacks leaves during the dry season, covers the vast majority of the peninsula.

The animal world of India is very rich. You can meet lions, tigers, leopards, black panthers, elephants, rhinoceros, wild buffaloes, jackals and hyenas here. There are also many species of reptiles, such as cobras, pythons, crocodiles, turtles and lizards. In addition, there is a great variety of birds.

Climate

India is located in the tropical monsoon climate zone. Only in the western part of the Hindustan Plain there is a tropical desert climate, and in the Himalayas and Karakoram, a cool, subtropical mountain climate.

The average air temperature in May ranges from 25 ° C in the north to 30 ° C in the south, and in January from 15 ° C in the foothills of the Himalayas to 28 ° C in the south.

History

Trade routes from Europe and Africa used to come here. Numerous war conflicts made the supply of raw materials difficult. One of the main routes was the route through Sharm el-Sheikh.

India later became a British colony.

Culture and art

Hindus are eager to see tourists participate in religious ceremonies. However, please note that access to some temples may be restricted. In places frequented by tourists, you should expect a small fee for posing for photos. A conflict situation may arise in the event of a road accident, especially when the victim is a man or a cow.

Policy

India is a federal republic with the head of state in the person of the president. Legislative power is vested in the parliament - Sansad. Each state has its own government, headed by a governor.

Economy

The backbone of India's economy is agriculture. In recent years, however, there has been a dynamic development of modern sectors of the economy. Although the country's economic growth continues, more than 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. India's economy is dependent on agriculture. However, agricultural production is not sufficient for the huge number of people living in the country. Some of the farmland is irrigated, but most of it depends on the summer monsoons, which do not always come regularly. There are also frequent natural disasters such as cyclones and droughts that destroy crops. Moreover, cultivation methods are outdated, non-mechanized, and no fertilization is used, hence agriculture is very inefficient. The country has the largest cattle population in the world, but due to its religion it is not used at all (sacred cows of Hinduism).

Society

India is the second most populous country in the world (over 1 billion). They are also one of the most densely populated countries in Asia. Most of the population is concentrated in the Ganges River valley and the Hindustan Plain.

India is a very ethnically diverse country: about 40% of the population are Hindus, 8% - Bengalis, 8% - Telugas, 7% - Marathas, 7% - Tamils. Gujaratas, Kannadas, Kerals and others also live here.

Traditions

Tipping is a custom only in larger cities and tourist resorts, but bakshish is valid everywhere. Drivers and guides should be tipped at the end of the tour / sightseeing tour. During the tour, many times you will meet hustlers and pushy traders - if you are not interested in the service / product, you should ignore it and walk away calmly, otherwise it is advisable to haggle hard.

Preparations

Travel time selection

Visas

A visa is required to enter India. You can apply for: residence visas (for 6 months, 1 year or up to 5 years), tourist (for 6 months, without the right to extend it on site), transit (up to 15 days). Residence and tourist visas are issued with the right to single, double or multiple border crossings. Entry without a valid Indian visa is possible in urgent and justified cases, for 72 hours or up to 15 days, upon presentation of a letter of guarantee from institutions, important persons or representatives of diplomatic missions. A passport validity period of 12 months is required (counted from the date of obtaining the visa). Entry to India should be made within 6 months from the date of issuing the visa. With a transit visa, it is required to present a ticket for onward travel or return to the country. Visas are issued for a fee at the Indian Embassy in Warsaw.

NOTE - The Embassy itself does not issue visas. All formalities are handled by the company that organizes everything. The given time limit of 3 to 4 days for obtaining a visa is nonsense. It almost always takes over a week and sometimes even longer.

Legal and customs regulations

It is forbidden to bring in and export drugs. People trying to smuggle drugs are subject to a prison sentence of 10 to 20 years. VAT has recently been introduced in India.

There is no limit to the amount of money transported. Amounts in excess of PLN 10,000 should be reported. USD, but even lower amounts are recommended. Up to USD 2,500 can be exported without a permit without prior declaration of importation. The applicable customs regulations are within generally accepted limits. You can import duty-free: personal belongings, gifts worth up to USD 100 per person, 200 cigarettes and 1 liter of strong alcohol. The import of cameras, computers, audiovisual equipment and mobile phones is recorded in the passports by the customs office. It is strictly forbidden to import weapons and ammunition. It is not allowed to bring gold and silver, except for personal use. It is forbidden to export from India: antiques (items over 100 years old), ivory products, animal skins (especially reptiles), turtle shells.

Currency exchange

Currency can be exchanged at airports, hotels, authorized banks and authorized dealers. The average daily cost of accommodation can be as low as $ 10.

Insurance

It is absolutely necessary to have the so-called Carnet de Passage. Insurance policies are recognized in accordance with internationally accepted principles. It is advisable to purchase an individual insurance package, especially against accidents and treatment costs.

Equipment

It is worth taking antimalarial drugs, some antibiotics, a padlock, pens for the children you encounter.

Drive

By plane

The country's main airports are in Calcutta, Mumbai, Delhi and Madras. You can fly to them from many cities around the world.

By train

From Nepal and Pakistan you can get by train, in addition, buses run daily from Nepal.

By car

By bus

Border crossings

An administrative division

India is divided into 29 states, 6 union territories and 1 capital territory:

Union territories:

National Capital Territory:

Delhi

Cities

According to official data from 2013, India had over 200 cities with a population of over 250,000. residents. The largest city of Mumbai (Bombay) and the former capital of the country of Delhi have over 10 million inhabitants; 44 cities with a population of 1 ÷ 10 million; 55 cities with a population of 500,000 ÷ 1,000,000 and the rest of the cities below 500,000 In India, cities can be divided into 3 categories:

with a population of over 5,000,000 inhabitants - Megacity
with population from 1,000,000 to 4,999,999 - Metropolis
with a population of 500,000 to 999,999 - Sub-Metropolis

The largest agglomeration in the west is Mumbai, in the north - Delhi, in the east - Kolkata, and in the south - Bengaluru and Chennai.

Interesting places

India is a huge and diverse country. Lots of places have great architecture. Many of them are related to religions that either originated there or came to India.

Bodh Gaya - the place where the Buddha got enlightenment. The most sacred pilgrimage destination of Buddhists from around the world.
Golden Temple - the main attraction of Amritsar in Punjaba. The most important gurudwara. Number 1 for another Indian religion - Sikhism.
Delhi - the capital of India and the great polluted city of Asia. Lots of monuments related primarily to Islam.
Khajuraho - wonderfully carved temples with a shocking Kamasutra.
Udaipur - Venice of the East, Lake Palace known from James Bond.
Ranakpur - a magnificent Jain marble temple in the south Rajasthan
Jaipur - vital capital of Rajasthan Nearby Amber where tourists enter the maharaja's palace on elephants.
Jodhpur - Blue City. The fort in this city is unmatched in terms of viewpoints in the whole of India.
Pushkar - another holy city. The largest camel market in the world is held in this city.
Varanasi - City of Death on the riverside Ganges The oldest city in the world continuously inhabited by people, famous, among others, for ghats on which corpses are cremated.
Taj Mahal - one of the most magnificent buildings in the world in the city Agra
Dharamsala - little Tibet in India, the first step into the Himalayas.

Objects from the UNESCO World Heritage List

Red Fort in Agra
Taj Mahal in Agra
Mountain railroads in India: railroads in Darjeeling and in the Nilgiri Mountains in the state Tamil Nadu
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway Station in Bombay
Grottoes in Ajant
Grottoes in Elephant
Grottoes in Elura
The historic complex in Mahabalipuram
Humayun's tomb in Delhi
The Red Fort complex in Delhi
Qutub Minar and the Historic Complex near Delhi
Fatehpur Sikri
Churches and monasteries Goa
Sundarban mangroves (incl Bangladesh)
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park
Kaziranga National Park
Manas National Park
Keoladeo National Park
Nanda Devi National Park and Flower Valley National Park
Bhimbetka rock shelters
Bryhadiswara Temple of Tanjavur
Temple of the Sun in Konarak
Buddhist monuments in Sańći
Mahabodhi temple complex in Bodh Gaya
Historic complex in Khajuraho
Historic complex in Hampi
Historic complex in Pattadakal

Transport

Rail - quite cheap and fast way of getting around India. Rail travel is also one of the country's greatest attractions. It is worth using agents to book tickets, especially during the Diwali holiday.

Taxi - more expensive, but extremely convenient way to travel around India. Unfortunately, due to the condition of the roads in many places, the way of driving many Indians, as well as all kinds of surprises that may arise while driving, camels, cows, elephants, monkeys, etc., it is not the safest form of traveling.

Bus - usually a sluggish means of transport (there are exceptions: for example buses on the Delhi-Dharamsala route). The journey often takes place in conditions to which canned sardines are used to.

Plane - you can, if you can afford it.

Bicycle rickshaw - a means of transport for distances up to a few kilometers, although the distances may be shorter, which is influenced by the following factors: the age of the rickshaw driver, the degree of road gradient and weight, including luggage of potential passengers.

Auto-rickshaw - a great means of transport for getting around the city. Unfortunately, it is associated with the increased and involuntary intake of exhaust gases into the body.

On foot - you can everywhere, it requires concentration (better not to fall anywhere and not step into some obstacles) and patience, which is necessary to effectively fend off the so-called. curious.

Trip

Tongue

The languages spoken by the inhabitants of India belong to two main language families: Indo-Aryan and Dravidian. About 74% of the population speak the first languages, and the second - 24%. The official language of the country is Hindi, spoken by the most people (approx. 337 million), while Bengali is spoken by approx. 207 million. English is widely used in business and administration.

Shopping

Gastronomy

Indian cuisine certainly offers some of the best vegetarian dishes in the world. Eating out in India is cheap, and eating out in restaurants is a common practice among tourists visiting the country. It is worth avoiding spicy spices in meals and informing the waiter about it each time when placing the order. Indian dishes are usually very spicy, which for visitors from Europe, especially their stomachs, can turn out to be a big problem.

In India, it is eaten with the right hand, often dipping bread (chapati, roti) in sauces-like dishes. Indian tea is Masala Tea, served with milk and spices. Alcohol is expensive, often in restaurants it is not even on the menu (although you can order it). There is prohibition in "holy cities", although it is not strictly enforced. Mainly beer and different varieties of whiskey are available. Many Hindus believe that beer is alcohol intended for women.

Accommodation

There is usually an abundance of hotels in places attractive to tourists or pilgrims. Worth haggling at most hotels unless they have "fixed prices". It is worth checking the room before choosing it for cleanliness, insects, firmness of the bed and the solidity of the locks (own padlock is useful). It is worth remembering that the noise level from the outside, as well as the lack of windows or a faulty fan, may be an additional discomfort for many.

Science

work

Security

It is generally very safe. Obviously, one should not provoke the Indians by some scandalous behavior or disrespect. There is a risk of theft, but the biggest and visible problem are all kinds of scammers who want to help and wait for tourists on every street corner.

Health

In India, people become convinced that you don't die of dirt. It is worth protecting yourself against mosquitoes (malaria) and in case of stomach ailments. There is ayurvedi medicine in place, which turns out to be effective, although for many it is certainly too exotic.

There are no particular threats of epidemics, although an increase in the incidence of malaria and dengue can be expected in the period immediately after the monsoon. No vaccinations are required, but vaccinations against hepatitis A and B and tetanus are recommended. In some areas, such as Mumbai, it is legitimate to take anti-malaria medication. It is recommended to follow personal hygiene, drink only boiled water or factory-sealed drinks. Access to medical care depends on where you are. In large cities, there are no problems with obtaining professional help. The cost of a medical visit ranges from USD 10 to USD 20, a day in hospital costs USD 30 to USD 120 (without treatments and tests). In smaller cities, the prices of these services are correspondingly lower.

contact

Telephone

Internet

post

Tourist information

Despite information in several reputable guides, it is currently not possible to change from train to bus to Khajuraho at the station in Jhansi. For this purpose, the best motorized rickshaw is to move to the other side of the city, where the bus station is located.