The shops
Shops are open on weekdays from 09.00 (10.00) to 17.00, in tourist centers until late at night. Shops in high-level hotels sell really high-quality goods. India is a true shopper’s paradise. With the existing cheapness in India, it is possible and necessary to bargain – this will allow you to purchase goods at the best price. Be sure to bargain in the markets, the price can be reduced by 2-3 times. In India, high-quality and inexpensive fabrics: silk (in Varanasi), cotton (in Rajasthan, Chenai), wool, brocade, cashmere, chiffon. Carpets are the cheapest and most common commodity in India. It is inexpensive to buy silver jewelry, precious stones: diamond, ruby, sapphire, pearl (in Hyderabad), aquamarine and moonstone.
Purchases
According to photionary.com, India has a rich selection of fabrics, silver, carpets, leather goods and, of course, spices. It is customary to bargain at the bazaar, then the goods can be bought at a price 2-3 times lower than that which was named at the beginning. Indian fabrics – silk, cotton and wool – are valued all over the world. Silk is produced in Varanasi, Patna, Murshidabad, Kanchipuram and Surat. Very popular Rajasthani cotton, which can be recognized by its characteristic pattern and bright color. Across the country, one can find a fabric – khimra – made from a mixture of silk and cotton, often decorated with a pattern. Kashmir is famous for its excellent quality wool, which is used to make shawls, clothes and carpets. Most of the jewelry is brought from the state of Rajasthan. Fine gifts are shawls of different textures, figurines made of sandalwood from Karnataka, rosewood from Kerala and Madras, Indian walnut from Kashmir, items made of copper, brass, bronze and gunmetal with and without inlays, enamel. And, of course, the best gift from India is excellent tea of various types and varieties.
Prices
If you are comfortable with a cheap room ($3-10 for two), rice ($1) and a second class train, you can get by on $10 a day. If you want to have a room with a bathroom ($15-25 – for two), eat a variety of meals ($2-5) and travel in comfort, then prepare at least $25-$30 per day. Delhi has cheap flights for domestic flights (especially Calcutta and Bombay).
Tips
Leave a tip only in expensive establishments. In hotels and restaurants, a service charge (10%) is often included in the bill. In more modest places you can give a few rupees. Doormen and porters need 5-10 rupees. In India, baksheesh is common – an advance payment for services. For a small fee, the hotel will find the letter you need, give you the necessary information, etc.
Mode of stay and movement
Visa-free transit is prohibited. Required documents for obtaining a transit visa:
– Passport (valid for 6 months);
– declaration filled in and signed by the applicant in two copies;
– visa of the country of destination;
– air tickets for the entire route;
– 2 questionnaires (filled in English);
– 2 color photographs, size 3*4.
The medicine
Strictly observe all sanitary and hygienic rules if you do not want your stay in India to be overshadowed by various infectious diseases. Drink only bottled water. It is strongly not recommended to drink milkshakes, juices, drinks with ice (because ice is the same local water). Don’t eat outside. Avoid eating unpeeled vegetables and fruits. In India, the risk of contracting hepatitis A is very high. Pre-vaccination against malaria, typhoid, meningitis, hepatitis A is highly recommended.
Kitchen
Indian national cuisine has many striking features, thanks to which it cannot be confused with any other cuisine in the world. Many are confused by the conventional wisdom that all Indian dishes are very spicy. It is true in Muslim areas where the population uses large amounts of garlic and pepper. In the north, temperate cuisine prevails. Arab-Persian influences also make themselves felt in it – for example, the common custom of using yogurt for cooking hot dishes. Vegetable food is the basis on which the cuisine of the peoples of India is based. Rice, corn, dal, peas, lentils and other legumes, as well as flatbreads made from lower grades of flour (chapati) and vegetables are an integral part of Indian cuisine. Most Indians do not eat meat. The exception is Muslims who eat dishes from lamb, goat, poultry. It is strictly forbidden by various religious laws and ancient customs to eat the meat of a cow and, in general, the meat of cattle. Preference is given to fish dishes (especially freshwater), as well as squid, lobster, shrimp and oyster dishes.
India is the birthplace of a huge number of spices, which in ancient times were sold worth their weight in gold. It was for the sake of them, spices that Christopher Columbus set out to look for a new way to India, and, as you know, discovered America. It is the spices that give Indian cuisine its unique flavor. The most popular condiment in India is curry, which is added to many sauces. They also include red and black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nuts, mint, mustard, mayonnaise, parsley, dill, garlic, saffron, onions, tomatoes, etc. Sauces such as anchar spicy sauce, cooked from fruits, are also common. with spices, red hot masala sauce.
Indians are very fond of pilaf, boiled with legumes, and sometimes with vegetables, with the addition of a small amount of vegetable oil. An important place in the diet is occupied by fruits: melons, dried and fresh mulberries, apricots, apples, etc.
Just like here, in Uzbekistan, tea is very popular in India. It is drunk with hot milk, and milk is served separately. Drinks such as coffee, nimbu panch made from lemon juice and water, kanji made from pickled carrot juice and mustard seed, and mango juice are no less sympathetic.
Meals in India are served on a large, round tray, either copper or stainless steel. Katori are placed on the tray – metal cups for each dish, which are located along the edges of the waist, and in the center of the katori with a mandatory attribute – boiled rice. Alcoholic beverages in India are not usually served at dinner. Food is usually washed down with cold water, which is poured into metal glasses and must be placed to the left of the waist. At every meal, fruits or fruit juices, spices are always put on the table.
