Namaste India !!!!

Survival of the fittest

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3xaTlF_8lY

India in 90 seconds…..

Let us begin by knowing Indians

Dharamshala - a hill station in northern India

What is it famous for?

Mini Tibet in India centered around the Dalai Lama; Upper Dharamshala (or McLeod Ganj)

World’s highest and most picturesque cricket stadium; home for international matches (IPL)

Weather in Dharamshala

March is cooler in Dharamshala as compared to the planes (Delhi). So DO NOT FORGET to

pack in some warm clothing.

Famous destinations in and around Dharamshala

• Tsuglagkhang Complex - Houses 3m high, gilded bronze image of Buddha

• Kotwali Bazaar – Small town traditional marketplace

• Bhagsunag Temple – 2km from McLeod Ganj

• Dal Lake - 2 km walk from McLeod Ganj market; bound by deodars and juniper forests

• Naddi – 5km from McLeod Ganj; popular destination for nature lovers

http://himachaltourism.gov.in/post/dharamshala.aspx

New Delhi – The Capital of India• The locals call it ‘Dilli’.

• Temperatures in March- an average high & low of 82 F and 59 F.

• Delhi is the home of the President and Prime Minister of India.

• Main language spoken in Delhi is Hindi – the national language.

• Key tourist destinations include:

o India Gate

o Qutub Minar

o Lotus Temple

o Gurdwara Bangla Sahib

o Red Fort

o Chandni Chowk (the traditional old Delhi shopping area)

o Connaught Place (the central Delhi shopping area)

• Delhi is a great place to shop and enjoy some special traditional

street food.

Agra…where the Taj symbolizes love

• Located 124 miles south from New Delhi on banks of River

Yamuna.

• Taj Mahal is the most famous attractions of Agra built by the

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz

Mahal.

• Made from white marble, the top of its gate has 22 small domes,

signifying the number of years the monument took to build.

• This perfectly symmetrical monument was built by 20,000

workers, masons and jewelers.

• Other key tourist attractions include: Fatehpur Sikri & Agra Fort

• Agra is very famous for the famous dessert called ‘petha’.

• Gwalior is another famous town situated 76 miles south of Agra

and has a history attached to it. The Gwalior fort is worth a visit.

The Indian RupeeUseful conversions

$ 1 = 45.33 Indian Rupee

0.5 Indian Rupee = 50 Indian Paisa

Other available notes: 1000 Rupee, 5 Rupee, 2 Rupee, 1 Rupee

Other available coins: 25 Paisa, 50 Paisa, 10 Rupee

Religions in India

• India is secular and you will see that people from all religions co-exist.

• Every religion has its own God(s) and rituals that are very important to the follower.

• Indians are very welcoming towards helping others understand their religion and culture.

• But, every Indian is very sensitive about his/her religion. It is generally not appreciated if you

confuse someone’s religion.

Hindus Temple Muslims Mosque Christians ChurchSikhs Gurudwara

Indian food - Breakfast

Paranthas

• Parantha is a kind of Indian

bread made from wheat flour

& cooked on a flat pan.

• Tastes delicious with butter

or Indian pickle.

• Comes with various stuffing

– potato, onion, cauliflower,

cottage cheese etc.

Chole Poori

• Poori is a kind of Indian

bread made from wheat and

deep fried in hot oil.

• Tastes delicious with a curry

of chick peas called chole.

• This dish is often enjoyed

with finely chopped fresh

onions and lemon.

Idli with Chutney

• Idli is made from a well

ground mixture of lentils

and rice that is steam

cooked in a closed

vessel.

• Tastes delicious with

coconut paste called

chutney.

Indian food – Lunch / Dinner

Matar Paneer

• Matar Paneer is an Indian

gravy made of green peas

and cottage cheese cooked

in Indian spices.

• Usually served with either

Indian bread or white rice.

• Cottage cheese also tastes

great when cooked with

spinach.

Dal & Roti

• Dal is Indian lentils cooked

in spices and garnished

with fresh coriander.

• Usually served with a kind

of hot Indian bread called

roti.

• Also tasted delicious with

white rice and a bowl of

salad.

Rajma & Rice

• Rajma is black-eyed beans

cooked with Indian spices

and a gravy of tomato and

onions.

• Usually served with hot

white rice and salad.

Indian food – Drinks & desserts

Lassi

• Lassi is prepared by

churning yoghurt and then

liquefying it with water.

• It is served both salted and

sweet as preferred.

• Very similar to butter milk

served in Indian restaurants

in US.

Kulfi

• Kulfi is a milk based Indian

dessert (similar to ice

cream candy).

• Available in several

traditional flavors –

Almonds, Pistache etc.

Jalebi

• Jalebi is an Indian dessert

made from flour mix deep

fried in oil and then dipped in

sugar syrup.

• It tastes great when eaten

along with another milk

based Indian dessert called

rabdi.

Festivals in India

• Festival of Colors – HOLI – 20th March 2011

• Festival of lights – DIWALI

• Christmas

• Id

• Baisakhi

• Dussehra

• Durga Puja

• Rakshbandhan

• Ganesh Chaturthi

• Onam

• Pongal

Modes of local transport

Cycle Rickshaw Auto Rickshaw Local bus Metro

• Travelling within any Indian city can be challenging because of the streets being very

crowded and noisy.

• However, it will be a great experience as a tourist to try out a cycle rickshaw or an auto

rickshaw.

• We would still recommend using a private vehicle (car) to move around within any Indian

city.

Bollywood• Bollywood is formally referred to as Hindi cinema.

• ‘Bollywood’ is derived from The name "Bollywood" is derived from Bombay (the former

name for Mumbai) and Hollywood.

• The term "Bollywood“ originated in the 1970s, when India overtook America as the world's

largest film producer.

• The Filmfare Awards ceremony is one of the most prominent film events for Hindi films in

India and is an equivalent of the Oscars.

• Some recommended must watch from Bollywood:

o 3Idiots : Genre – Comedy

o Taare Zameen Par: Genre – Drama (based on dyslexia)

o Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge: Genre – Romance

o Lagaan: Genre – Drama (based on Britishers and cricket)

o Jodhaa Akbar: Genre – History (based on the Mughal rule in India)

o Munnabhai MBBS: Genre – Inspirational & comedy

Travel tips (1)

• Remember to bargain when you buy items from street sellers.

• Always carry a bottle of mineral bottled water with you.

• The heat in India can be very dry – so carry your skin accessories at all times.

• It is uncommon to get beef, pork, turkey in India when you step out to eat. Chicken is easy

to get but it will normally be served as a curry. Be sure to let the server know if you do not

prefer too much spice.

• Commuting from one place to another in India can be challenge. So, do plan in advance.

• India is a very populated country and hence streets can be very noisy and busy.

• Please be careful of your belongings at all times.

• If you happen to visit an Indian family, don’t be surprised to see that people remove their

shoes outside the house.

• Due to cultural norms, Hindus, Muslims & Sikhs do not put on footwear inside their

respective places of worship.

Travel tips (2)

• As a sign of respect, you will observe most Indians touching the feet of elders on special

occasions.

• It is usually not considered polite if you do not consume all the food served on your dish.

You will often also see traditional Indians sitting on the floor and having their food without

spoons and forks.

• The Hindu religion worships several animals & trees as epitomes of Gods like Cow.

• The time zone in India is called as IST (Indian Standard Time). New Delhi is 10.5 hours

ahead of Indianapolis. That means when it is 6:00 am in Indianapolis, it is 4:30 pm in New

Delhi

• Indian textiles are great both in terms of quality and price. It is a perfect idea to shop for

textiles from India. We would recommend Fab India (in Delhi) to buy the best cottons.

• Some other useful shopping stores: Westside, Shoppers Stop, Fab India.

Feel free to reach out to us….

• Khushboo Garg

kgarg@indiana.edu

• Sumit Behl

sbehl@indiana.edu

• Medha Hazari

mhazari@indiana.edu

• Nisarg Shah

shahnid@indiana.edu

Have a safe trip and

enjoy India

We wish you all the best…..

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