India

Best time to go: October through to March for the majority of India, but high in the Himalayas in Ladakh the best time is from June to September. The Foohills in the North and East are at their peak in April, May and June.

In a country where topography varies so much, climatic conditions are only bound to vary too. Classified as a hot tropical country by many, that is a definition that holds true for most of but not all of India. Exceptions include the northern states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir in the north and Sikkim in the north-eastern hills.

Between October and March it’s the peak season for tourists in India as the weather is favourable and the country celebrates many colourful festivals. Dussehra is celebrated in October and is followed 20 days later by the festival of lights, Diwali. Come March, it is time for Holi with coloured powder and water fights.

The plains in the north and even the barren countryside of Rajasthan reel under a cold wave every year in December-January. Minimum temperatures could dip below 4° C but maximum temperatures usually do not fall lower than 12° C.

India’s extensive coastline lies almost entirely below the Tropic of Cancer. The coast is usually warm and moist, prone to heavy rains in the monsoons and high summer temperatures.

Indian Visa

Most nationalities require a visa to enter India and this must be obtained before departure. The current cost for UK national to obtain an Indian Visa is £42.20 each. For more information about the requirements to obtain a visa please visit the official website of VFS Global. http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/

Indian Visa Handling Services

Mystic India recomends a company called Visa Handling Services Ltd as a cost effective service to lodge and collect your application. Their Visa handling service starts from £15 per person plus p&p. This saves you valuable time and effort, instead of spending hours waiting to lodge your application and making a second visit to collect your passport when it's done, they do it all all for you and send it back in the post. For more information please visit their website www.visahandlingservices.co.uk

Health Information for Travelers to India: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/india.htm

Capital: New Delhi

Government: Central Government governs 28 states and 7 union territories.

Population: as of 2010 1.15 billion

Language: Official language is Hindi, while English is the secondary official language. Other languages spoken in the various states are Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. There are also many tribal dialects.

Religion: Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam & Christianity

Electricity: 220 – 240 V

Dialling Code: +91

Time Zone: GMT + 4.5

Currency: Indian Rupee

National Day: Republic Day 26^th January + Independence 15^th August

National Anthem: “Thou Art the Ruler of all Minds”

National Motto: “Truth Alone Triumphs”

National Animal: Tiger

National Bird: Peacock

National Flower: Lotus

National Tree: Banyan