Visa
Visitors must possess a valid Indian Visa. Tourist visas are valid for six months, from the date of the issuance of the visa, not the date you enter India. Tourist visas are usually multiple entry, but it is worth specifically requesting this if you intend traveling across to Nepal.
Insurance
Travelers should be adequately insured before commencing their journey to India.
Customs
The usual duty free regulations apply for India; i.e. one bottle of whisky and two hundred cigarettes. You are allowed to bring in all sorts of electronic gadgets, but big items like video cameras are supposed to be declared and endorsed on your passport upon arrival. It is not necessary to declare still cameras even if you have more than one.
Currency & Exchange Regulations
There is no limit on the amount of foreign currency and Traveler Cheques that can brought into the country (USD 10,000 and over must be declared at the airport). The current exchange rate is approximately USD 1 = Indian Rupees 45 and Euro 1 = Indian Rupees 55. You are not allowed to bring in or take out Indian currency from the country.

All money is supposed to be changed at official banks or money- changers, and you are supposed to be given an encashment- certificate for each transaction. Generally all good hotels have this facility at their front office.

Hotel bills can be paid with Credit Cards, Traveler Cheque and Indian Rupees. International credit cards are widely accepted.

How to get to India
India has six International airports located at Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Varanasi and Trivandrum. It is connected by all major international airlines. Charter flights can land at any major Indian airport including Goa & Trivandrum with prior permission and clearances.
Airport Tax
The Airport Tax upon departure is Rs 500/- (USD 12) per person.
Time Difference
GMT + 4 and half hours from October to March.
GMT + 3 and half hours from April to September.
Electricity
The electric current is 220-240 Volts, 50 Cycles.
Language
India has 18 National languages. However, Hindi and English are widely spoken. In Goa, the local language is Konkani and the elderly also speaks fluent Portuguese. In Kerala, the local language in Malayalam though English is spoken & understood widely.
Religion
There are various religions practiced in India. Few important ones are Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity and Jainism.
Festivals
Thousands of festivals fill the Indian calendar annually. Indians of all creed with equal zeal celebrate these. Most of these festivals are colourful and are fascinating spectacle for the overseas traveler. To name a few important ones; Buddhist festivals in Ladakh, Onam in Kerala, Cattle fair in Pushkar, Carnivals in Goa, Durga Puja, Diwali and Holi all over north India.
Health
Visitors coming to India via Africa, South America and other yellow fever areas must have relevant vaccination certificates. There are no compulsory vaccinations for travel to India.
Eating & Drinking
To avoid health problems, which usually occur simply due to the change of diet, outlined below are a few basic guidelines:
  • Do not launch straight into a hot curry but pace yourself with milder dishes first.
  • Never eat food off the streets, which may have been sitting there for some time.
  • To begin with, avoid eating salads or food that has been washed in water.
  • Avoid eating raw vegetables and fish on any kind (unless by a coastal area).
  • Always peel your fruit.
  • Where possible, ensure the food is hot and has been recently prepared.
  • Drink only bottled water and ensure that the seal is intact before opening it.
  • Avoid ice in your drinks (unless the hotel has its own water purification system).
Climate
India has three major seasons - winter - summer and the monsoon. Winter months (November-March) are bright and pleasant, with snowfall in the northern hills. Summer time (April-June) is hot in most parts of India, and it is then that the numerous hill resorts provide cool retreat. During the monsoon, rainfall is heavy along the West Coast between June and September, and along the East Coast between mid-October and December.

Weather Chart For Major Indian Cities
[ R=Rainfall (mm) ]
City   Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Agra T. Max 23 26 32 38 42 41 35 33 34 34 29 24
min. 7 10 16 22 27 29 27 26 25 19 12 8
R avg. 16 9 11 5 10 60 2 10 26 31 51 23
Amritsar T.max. 19 23 28 34 39 40 36 34 34 32 27 21
min. 5 7 12 16 21 25 26 25 23 17 9 5
R.avg. 38 11 26 9 11 32 169 168 106 54 10 15
Aurangabad T. max. 29 32 36 38 40 35 29 29 30 31 30 29
min. 14 16 20 24 25 23 22 21 21> 20 16 14
R.avg. 3 3 4 7 17 141 189 146 179 62 32 9
Bangalore T. max. 28 31 33 34 33 30 28 29 28 28 27 27
min. 15 16 19 21 21 20 19 19 19 19 17 15
R.avg. 4 14 63 71 19 65 93 95 129 195 46 16
Calcutta T. max. 26 29 34 36 36 34 32 32 32 31 29 27
min. 12 15 20 24 26 26 26 26 26 24 18 13
R.avg. 13 22 30 50 135 263 320 318 253 134 29 4
Chennai T. max. 29 31 33 35 38 37 35 35 34 32 29 28
min. 20 21 23 26 28 28 26 26 25 24 23 21
R.avg. 24 7 15 25 52 53 83 124 118 267 309 139
Chandigarh T. max. 20 23 29 32 38 39 34 33 32 32 31 27
min. 7 8 14 19 23 26 24 23 22 17 10 8
R.avg. 52 9 26 10 11 71 269 253 188 52 8 24
Cochin T. max. 31 31 31 31 31 29 28 28 28 29 30 30
min. 23 24 26 26 26 24 24 24 24 24 24 23
R.avg. 9 34 50 139 364 756 572 386 235 333 184 37
Darjeeling T. max. 9 1 15 18 19 19 20 20 20 19 15 12
min. 3 4 8 11 13 15 15 15 15 11 7 4
R.avg. 22 27 52 109 167 522 713 573 419 116 14 5
Delhi T. max. 21 24 30 36 41 40 35 34 34 35 29 23
min. 7 10 15 21 27 29 27 26 25 19 12 8
R.avg. 25 22 17 7 8 65 211 173 150 31 1 5
Gangtok T. max. 14 15 19 22 22 23 23 23 23 22 19 15
min. 4 5 9 12 14 16 17 17 16 12 9 6
R.avg. 44 56 142 222 493 644 63 588 476 152 35 15
Goa T. max. 31 31 31 32 32 30 28 29 29 31 32 32
min. 19 16 23 25 27 24 23 24 23 24 23 21
R.avg. 2 0 4 11 18 180 190 185 276 122 20 37
Gwalior T. max. 23 27 33 39 43 41 34 32 32 33 29 25
min. 7 10 16 22 28 30 27 25 34 18 11 7
R.avg. 18 7 8 3 9 83 274 259 192 35 2 8
Hyderabad T. max. 30 32 36 38 40 35 31 30 3 031 29 29
min. 15 17 20 24 25 24 22 22 22 20 16 14
R.avg. 8 9 12 30 28 112 152 134 164 62 29 8
Jaipur T. max. 22 25 31 37 41 39 34 32 33 33 29 24
min. 8 11 15 21 26 27 26 24 23 18 12 9
R.avg. 14 8 9 4 10 54 193 239 90 19 3 4
Jaisalmer T. max. 24 28 33 38 42 41 38 36 36 36 31 25
min. 8 11 17 21 25 27 27 25 25 20 13 9
R.avg. 2 1 3 1 5 7 89 86 14 1 5 2
Jodhpur T. max. 25 28 33 38 42 40 36 33 35 36 31 27
min. 9 12 17 22 27 29 27 25 24 20 14 11
R.avg. 7 5 2 2 6 31 122 145 47 7 3 1
Lucknow T. max. 23 22 33 39 41 38 34 32 33 33 29 24
min. 8 11 16 22 26 28 26 25 25 19 12 8
R.avg. 19 19 19 6 20 113 305 292 185 32 6 8
Madurai T. max. 30 32 35 36 37 37 36 35 35 33 31 30
min. 21 22 23 25 26 26 26 25 25 24 23 22
R.avg. 26 16 21 81 59 31 48 117 123 179 161 43
Mumbai T. max. 31 32 33 33 33 32 30 29 30 32 33 32
min. 16 17 20 24 26 26 26 26 26 24 18 13
R.avg. 0 1 0 0 20 647 945 660 309 117 7 1
Patna T. max. 24 26 33 38 39 37 33 32 32 32 29 25
min. 11 13 19 23 26 27 27 27 26 23 16 12
R.avg. 2 20 7 8 28 139 266 307 243 63 6 2
Srinagar T. max. 5 7 14 19 25 30 31 30 29 23 17 9
min. 4 1 3 7 10 14 18 17 12 5 1 2
R.avg. 74 72 93 92 16 36 59 61 39 30 11 33
Trivandrum T. max. 31 32 33 32 31 29 29 29 30 30 30 31
min. 22 23 24 25 25 24 23 22 23 23 23 23
R.avg. 20 20 33 122 249 331 215 164 123 271 207 73
Udaipur T. max. 24 28 32 36 38 36 31 29 31 32 29 26
min. 8 10 15 20 25 25 24 23 22 19 11 8
R.avg. 9 4 3 3