Over the past 10,000 years, India has not captured a single country.

Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism originated in India.

The name “India” comes from the ancient Persian “Hindu” (which comes from the Sanskrit “Sindhu” – the historical name of the Indus River). The ancient Greeks called the Indians “Indoi” – “people of the Indus”. The Constitution of India also recognizes the second name – “Bharat” (from the Sanskrit name of the ancient Indian king). The third unofficial name is Hindustan.

According to eShaoxing Definitions, India has been inhabited by humans for 500,000 years.

The national sport is field hockey,

Visa processing for India can take about 10 days.

Hugging and kissing is not accepted in public in India. They greet each other by joining their fingers at forehead level. Do not try to shake hands first and even more so kiss her. It will be considered at least as an insult.

All buildings, especially religious ones, must be bypassed on the left side.

If you are served tea, wait until you are invited to a tea party.
If you leave, empty the cup and leave it.

Tips for women: legs should be covered with clothes, but not tight. Shoes must be removed in temples. Do not give to the poor in places where they gather – it is fraught with the fact that there will be too many who want to receive alms. Keep an eye on luggage while loading and unloading and more.
According to Indian traditions, a woman whose legs and shoulders are open is considered a woman of easy virtue.

Air tickets to India can be bought from 17,000 to 26,000 rubles, depending on the availability of discounts, charters and promotions. If you buy tickets in advance, it will always be cheaper. But it’s best to look for cheap flights on promotions.

India is a country of holidays. Festivals and fairs take place here all year round, and some religious or social event is celebrated almost every day. The dates of most holidays are calculated according to the lunar calendar and therefore change from year to year.

India is an amazing country, where on the same territory wealth coexists with desperate poverty, magnificent palaces with dilapidated quarters.

Drink bottled water or other beverages whenever possible and check the anti-counterfeiting signs. Even when brushing your teeth, rinse your mouth with bottled water. If bottled water is not available, drink only boiled or filtered water. As a last resort, carry your own water purification tablets and a plastic cup. Eat only well-done meat and peeled, boiled or washed vegetables and fruits in a solution of potassium permanganate.

Wear rubber slippers in the shower, in the bathroom and in the kitchen, maybe. due to problems with wiring and plumbing, you may be electrocuted.

There are many petty criminals in India, especially pickpockets. Be careful in public transport, crowds, airports, train stations and bus stops. If you give money to a beggar, you will immediately become a target and a crowd of other beggars will surround you. Some of them are professionals. Try not to be rude if possible, try to show indifference.

A person may come up on the street, as if he wants to shake hands – he will try to put an amulet on you, and then demand money.

Spiritual tourism
One of the options for a spiritual pilgrimage to India is the numerous ashrams located in various parts of this amazing country.

Ashram, translated from Sanskrit – “effort”, this is a conditional place where a person is left alone with himself and has the opportunity to pray, meditate or perform rituals. In the case when there is a guru-teacher in the ashram, you can communicate with him, moreover, in a variety of forms.

The first way to communicate with a spiritual mentor is darshan, when the guru simply appears in front of the devotees.

The second is satsanga, translated as “sharing the truth” – a conversation or alternation of questions and answers.

In the end, you can communicate in the form of a regular interview. An ashram can look different: a cave, a chic resort with a bar and a swimming pool, a cabin in the Himalayas, or a city block.

An ashram may have a stipulated training structure or no structure at all, some ashrams have special housing for pilgrims and others do not, in some you will be “sentenced” to community service, and in others no one will touch you at all. Some ashrams observe religious ceremonies, while others reject them as imposed by society – in general, there is plenty to choose from. It is worth mentioning the basic rules of conduct in the ashram.

The food here is always vegetarian. By the way, the local food is considered the cleanest in India, even the water here is filtered. Naturally, meals are held in the Indian manner: you sit on a rug or on the floor and eat from a plate or from a banana leaf. Do not forget that you can only eat with your right hand, the left is considered unclean. As for clothes, forget about shorts and tight blouses.

A shawl or handkerchief is recommended to cover the arms and shoulders.

In addition, clothing should be comfortable and practical so that you can work in the kitchen or garden. Working in ashrams is regarded as a spiritual practice. Participation in the work is expected even from guests.

Please note that in the schedule work is referred to as “seva” (service) or “karma yoga”. However, in some ashrams such work is not available and one of the guests who asked about “seva” was told: “The Guru prefers that you work on yourself.”