New_Delhi	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rain (mm)	23	18	13	8	13	74	180	173	117	10	3	10
Sun (hrs)	7	9	8	9	8	6	6	6	7	9	10	9
Temp (Max)	21	24	31	36	41	39	36	34	34	34	29	23
Temp (Min)	7	9	14	20	26	28	27	26	24	18	11	8
Days of Rain*	2	3	3	2	3	6	13	12	6	2	1	2
Hum (%)	41	35	23	19	20	36	59	64	51	32	31	42
Kolkata	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rain (mm)	10	31	36	43	140	297	325	328	252	114	20	5
Sun (hrs)	8	9	9	9	8	5	4	4	5	7	8	8
Temp (Max)	27	29	34	36	36	33	32	32	32	32	29	26
Temp (Min)	13	15	21	24	25	26	26	26	26	24	18	13
Days of Rain*	1	2	3	5	9	15	21	20	16	8	2	1
Hum (%)	52	45	46	56	62	75	80	82	81	72	63	55
Mumbai	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rain (mm)	3	3	3	0	18	485	617	340	264	64	13	3
Sun (hrs)	9	10	9	10	10	5	2	3	5	8	9	9
Temp (Max)	28	28	30	32	33	32	29	29	29	32	32	31
Temp (Min)	19	19	22	24	27	26	25	24	24	24	23	21
Days of Rain*	0	0	0	1	1	17	25	25	15	5	2	1
Hum (%)	61	62	65	67	68	77	83	81	81	71	64	62
Chennai	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rain (mm)	36	10	8	15	25	48	91	117	119	305	356	140
Sun (hrs)	9	10	10	10	9	7	5	6	7	7	7	7
Temp (Max)	29	31	33	35	38	38	36	35	34	32	29	29
Temp (Min)	19	20	22	26	28	27	26	26	25	24	22	21
Days of Rain*	2	1	0	1	2	8	10	11	10	12	12	7
Hum (%)	67	66	67	72	67	61	62	66	70	75	75	72

Currency

Indian rupee (Rs)

1 US$ = 45 Rs

1 UK£ = 81 Rs

 

Common coins

• 1 Rs
• 2 Rs
• 5 Rs

Common notes

• 1 Rs
• 2 Rs
• 5 Rs
• 10 Rs
• 20 Rs
• 50 Rs
• 100 Rs
• 500 Rs

NB changing larger notes can sometimes be difficult in small villages.

 

Money can be changed at any bank, exchange kiosk or hotel (lowest rate). Banks are open from 10am to 2pm on weekdays, but special foreign exchange sections may be open outside normal banking hours. Traveller’s cheques are widely accepted but will entail a service charge, usually per cheque. ATM’s are common and accept all major credit/debit cards. Credit cards are also widely accepted, with Visa and MasterCard being the most popular. Cash advances are also available at banks and exchange kiosks. No black market exists in India.

Holidays

New Year's Day	-	1 st January
Republic Day	-	26 th January
Eid ul Zuha or Adha*	-	2 nd February (2004)
Maha Shivaratri	-	February/March
Holi (coloured water and powder festival)	-	Februray/March
Sri Rama Navami	-	March/April
Good Friday	-	March/April
Milad un Nabi (The Prophet's Birthday)*	-	2 nd May (2004)
Buddha Jayanti	-	May/June
Independence Day	-	15 th August
Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday	-	2 nd October
Dassera	-	September/October
Diwali (Deepavali)	-	October/November
Eid ul Fitr (end of Ramadan)*	-	14 th November (2004)
Guru Nanak's Birthday	-	November/December
Christmas Day	-	25 th December

 

For exact dates of holidays and festivals for the coming year please click here

 

*These Muslim festivals have no fixed dates and generally fall about 11 days earlier each year

 

NB Banks and government offices are closed during public holidays.

 

Most Hindu festivals follow the Indian lunar calendar and therefore change from year to year when using the Gregorian calendar.

 

There are also numerous regional holidays, festivals and fairs throughout the year.

Religion

Hindu 80%, Muslim 14%, Christian 2.4%, Sikh 2%, Buddhist 0.7%, Jains 0.5%, other 0.4%.

Vaccinations

Recommended vaccinations and other health protection measures vary and are subject to change. You must consult your GP on current vaccinations needed for your destination. You can also visit our travel health website at:

 

TravelHealthZone

 

This has links to up-to-date information on vaccination requirements as well as much more general travel health information and advice.

 

For direct, up-to-date information on vaccination requirements for India please click here

Customs

• Always take your shoes off before entering a temple and remember to dress conservatively, shorts are not allowed, and never touch carvings or statues of deities. You may also be required to remove leather items such as belts and bags. When visiting Buddhist temples always walk around them in a clockwise direction.
• Indian women are generally conservative and should not be touch without their consent. Public shows of intimacy are considered inappropriate and, except on the beach, you should try to dress conservatively wherever possible.
• The feet are considered as unclean and should not be used to point to things or to touch someone with. Try not to touch the head, as this is also considered rude.
• Always use your right hand for communal eating and other social interaction as the left hand is reserved for toilet duties. If you have been invited into a local's house to dine, always remove your shoes before entering and wash your hands before eating.
• Tipping is usually expected in restaurants and should be around 5-10% of the meal. Tipping for services is dependant on the service provided, and how well it is performed - 20Rs or less is normally fine. Remember; if you are not happy with the service don't tip.
• Haggling is an integral part of Indian life. You should expect to haggle for just about everything, but for the best results do so with a smile and a light-hearted approach. Always be wary of street sellers, as what they sell may not always be what you think it is.
• Be considerate when taking photographs. Avoid taking photos of religious ceremonies, funerals, and people bathing as this is most likely to cause offence. Always ask permission before taking pictures of people and try to avoid flash photography inside temples and around light-sensitive paintings or artwork.

Security

Over 400,000 British tourists visit India every year and the vast majority of these visits are trouble-free. The most common form of crime against tourists is theft, usually by stealth rather than violence, so visitors should take care to secure their personal possessions at all times. In more remote areas the risk of muggings and robberies does exist but again is very low.

 

Most of India is safe to visit with the following exceptions: - Jammu and Kashmir, the line of control between India and Pakistan (not Jaisalmer & Amritsar), and northern West Bengal and Assam bordering Bhutan (including the Manas Wildlife Reserve) - it is advised against travelling to these areas due to the unstable military situation there.

 

There is a small ongoing risk of terrorism. Though not aimed at tourists you should remain vigilant around government buildings, main tourist destinations and at public events.

 

For more specific, up-to-date security information and how this may affect your tour, please visit our regional security page.

Visas

Most foreign nationals require a visa, which must be obtained from an Indian embassy prior to departure. The visa is usually valid for up to 6 months before entry into the country and for a stay of up to 6 months. The cost is UK£30for a multi-entry visa.

 

You cannot extend your visa whilst still in India or whilst it is still valid.

Flights (from the UK)

Return - UK£300to UK£350using the cheapest air carriers (usually the Gulf airlines and with a short stopover).