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            INDIA
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India is a vast country in
South Asia, which is dominated
in the extreme north by the
world's youngest and highest
mountains, the Himalayas. At
their foot, a huge plain,
drained by the Indus and
Ganges rivers, is one of the
most fertile areas in the
world and the most densely
populated part of India.
Further south, the Deccan
plateau extends to the
southern tip of the country.
India generally has four
seasons, the cool, the hot,
the rainy, and the dry.
Rainfall varies from 100mm in
the northwest desert to
10,000mm in Assam. About 70%
of the population depend on
agriculture for their living.
Much rice, sugar cane, tea and
wheat are grown.

Area (Sq. Km.): 3,280,466

Population: 853,532,000

Capital: Delhi

Language:
Hindi
English

Religion:
Hindu 83%
Moslem 11%
Christian 3%
Sikh 2%

Government Type:
Federal republic

Currency: Rupee

Embassy:
India House
Aldwych
London
WC2B 4NA
0171-836-8484

India is often referred to as
the "Sub-continent" and that
is an apt description. It's
sheer complexity and size make
it almost too big to be one
country.
First time visitors to India
are struck by the vast variety
of colours, traditions,
peoples and customs and it
would need a long visit to do
more than sample the Indian
travel experience.

India is featured by many
British tour operators and
there are quite a combination
of types of holiday from the
very popular beach holiday in
the Goa area to walking in
northern India (usually
coupled with a trip to Nepal)
as well as rail and air tours.
The islands of the Indian
Ocean which belong to India
are also attractive
destinations.

With the nearest airport in
India only nine hours from
London, even short seven day
holidays are a practical
proposition. Even skiing is
possible in the heights of
Gulmarg and Kufri in the
Himalayas.

The standard of hotels in
India range from the
indescribable to the top of
the range. City hotels are
often of international class
and serve a great variety of
foods. India can also be done
quite cheaply as a
'backpacking' trip with small
town and country hotels
available for a few pounds a
night.

The Indian railway system
originally built up during the
British raj is remarkably
extensive and is a great
method of seeing the country.
The Indrail Pass can be bought
by tourists and is a really
economical way of using
India's rail network.

Places of interest are
numerous but include:
Delhi (city tour)
Golden Triangle
Agra (Taj Mahal)
Jaipur
Varanasi
Kashmir (mountains)
Simia
Bombay (city tour)
Ellora caves
Panaji (architecture)
Calcutta (city tour)
Darjeeling
Assam (for wildlife reserves)
Madras (city tour)
Bangalore (city tour)
Goa (for the beaches)
Puri (Holy city)

Sports:
Cricket (all over India)
Skiing (Gulmarg and Kufri)
Water sports (Goa, Andaman
islands)
Fishing (Simia and Kanga
Valley)
Golf (throughout India -
especially the Calcutta
Amateur Golf Championship)
also
Riding
Polo
Hockey
Tennis
Squash
Football

Nightlife:
As understood in the west,
India has very little
nightlife (and nothing a la
Bangkok!), although in some of
the larger cities some is
developing. The Indian film
industry is however the
largest in the world and
cinemas abound.

Good buys:
Carpets
Fabrics
Clothes
Jewellery
Leatherwork
Woodwork

Travellers cheques and all
major credit cards are readily
accepted.

Health risks:
Precautions are advised
against - Yellow fever,
malaria, Typhoid/Polio,
Cholera.

Air travel:
India's national airline is
AIR INDIA with daily flights
into London.

Main airports are:

BOMBAY
CALCUTTA
DELHI
MADRAS

Domestic airlines are
Vayudoot
Indian Airlines

UK tour operators:
Hayes and Jarvis
Bales
Inspirations
Cosmos Distant Dreams

Ports:
Bombay
Calcutta
Cochin
Madras
Calcutta
Panaji(Goa)

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Foreign Office Advice:

Generally calm and major
tourist destinations quiet.
There have been violent
demonstrations in hill
districts of northern Uttar
Pradesh resulting in curfews
being imposed.

Travel to the area may be
difficult and travel to Assam
and the north east is
restricted and permits must be
obtained from the Home
Ministry in New Delhi.

Except for the Ladakh area
which is quiet, visitors are
strongly advised to avoid the
state of Jammu and Kashmir.
There are frequent clashes
between militants and security
forces in the Kashmir Valley
and surrounding areas. Some
militant activity including
robbery, kidnapping and murder
has involved foreigners.
Recently three Britons were
kidnapped in Delhi by Kashmiri
militants after being
befriended by one of them.
Visitors should bear this in
mind and be wary of approaches
by strangers.

For more information ring:

 Foreign Office Travel Unit

       0171-270-4129