India Travel
Visas and red tape
Gone are the days when Commonwealth nationals could stroll visa-less into India and stay for as long as they pleased: now everybody needs a visa, except citizens of Nepal and Bhutan.
If you’re going to India on business or to study, you’ll need to apply for a special student or business visa, otherwise a standard tourist visa will suffice. These are valid for six months from the date of issue (not of departure from your home country or entry into India), and cost e30/US$60/ CDN$62/A$55/NZ$55. As you’re asked to specify whether you need a single-entry or a multiple-entry visa, and the same rates apply to both, it makes sense to ask for the latter, just in case you decide to make a side trip to Nepal or another neighbouring country.
Much the best place to get a visa is in your country of residence, from the embassies and high commissions listed on pp.23-24;you should be able to download forms from the embassy and consulate. In Britain and North America, you’ll need a passport valid for at least six months, two passport photographs and an application form, obtainable in advance by post or on the day; address applications to the Postal Visa Section of the consulate in question. In Australia and New Zealand, one pass port-sized photo and your flight/travel itinerary are required, together with the visa application form. As a rule, visas are issued in a matter of hours, although embassies in India’s neighbouring countries often drag their feet, demand letters of recommendation from your embassy (expensive if you are, forexample, British), or make you wait and pay for them to send your application to Delhi. In the US, postal applications take a month as opposed to a same-day service if you do it in ! person - check with your nearest embassy, high commission or consulate. Make sure that your visa is signed by someone at the embassy, as you may be refused entry into the country otherwise.
It’s also possible in many countries to pay a visa agency to process the visa on your I behalf, which in the UK costs from around £25 (plus the price of the visa). In Britain, try The Visa Service, 2 Northdown St, Kings Cross, London N1 © 0990/343638 premium rate calls) who offer a 48hr service; you could also try Visa Express, 31 Corsham St, London N1 (020/7251 4822). In the US, try Express Visa Service, 2150 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 20, Washington DC 202/337-2442) who charge $45 and normally take six days or charge $120 for a next-day service.
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Visa extensions
It is no longer possible to extend a visa in India, though exceptions may be made in special circumstances. Most people whose standard six-month tourist visas are about to expire head for Colombo, capital of neighbouring Sri Lanka, or the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu. Or Bangkok, and apply for a new one. However, in recent years this has been something of a hit-and-miss business, with some tourists having their requests turned down for no apparent reason. The Indian High Commission in Kathmandu is particularly notorious for this; you can telephone them to check their current policy, but don't expect the story
From Calcutta to Bangladesh
Calcutta is the main gateway to Bangladesh from India; you can reach Bangladesh by air, train or road. The Bangladesh Consulate is at 9 Circus Ave; visas must be obtained in advance. There are at least two flights daily from Calcutta to Dhaka and a return ticket costs around $100. Biman flies daily to Calcutta and twice weekly to Chittagong. Indian Airlines have five flights a week to Dhaka and two to Chittagong. Although there is no direct line from Calcutta into Bangladesh, trains from Sealdah take you as far as Bongaon. From here you can take an auto-rickshaw to Haridaspur, 5km
Thirumalai Nayak Palace in Central Tamil Nadu
Roughly a quarter survives of the seventeenth-century Thirumalai Nayak Palace (daily 9am-lpm & 2-5pm), 1.5km southeast of the Meenakshi Temple. Much of it was dismantled by Thirumalai's grandson, Chockkanatha Nayak, and used for a new palace at Tiruchirapalli. What remains today, was renovated in 1858 by the governor of Chennai, Lord Napier, and again in 1971 for the Tamil World Conference. The palace originally consisted of two residential sections, plus a theatre, private temple, harem, royal bandstand, armoury and gardens. The surviving building, the Swargavilasa ("Heavenly Pavilion"), is a rectangular courtyard, flanked by 18m-tall colonnades. As well as occasional live performances
Dilwara temples of Mount Abu in Rajasthan
Jains consider temple building to be an act of devotion, and without fail their houses of worship are lovingly adorned and embellished, But even by Jain standards, the Dilwara temples. 3km northeast of Mount Abu (daily noon-6pm; free; no leather, cameras, transistors, tape recorders, or menstruating women), are some of the most beautiful in India. All five are made purely from marble, and the carving, especially in the two main structures, is breathtakingly intricate, unparalleled in its lightness and delicacy. Each litde section stands on its own as a work of art, inspiring a stunned response from even the most
Cheruthuruthy in Kerala
The village of CHERUTHURUTHY is an easy day-trip 32km north of Thrissur through gently undulating green country. It consists of a few lanes and one main street, which runs south from the bank of Kerala's longest river, the Bharatapuzha (pronounced Bharatapura). Considered holy by Hindus, the great river has declined in recent years, leaving a vast expanse of sand. Although of little consolation to locals, who have to deal with the problems of a depleted water supply, it has produced a landscape of incomparable beauty. Cheruthuruthy is famous as the home of Kerala Kalamandalam, the states flagship training school for Kathakali
Travel, trek and tour operators in North Bengal
Clubside Tours and Travels jp Sharma Road. Established and reliable company dealing with airline tickets, tours and trekking. DGHC Tourism Silver Fir Building. Arranges transport, manages trekking huts and organizes white-water rafting on the River Teesta. Diamond Travels 37B Old Super Market, Trekking, transport to Kathmandu, Calcutta and Guwahati. Greenland Tours & Travels 21 Beechwood, Laden La Road. Low-key, friendly travel, tour and trek operator, with a book exchange, up the steps above the post office. Himalayan Adventures Das Studios, 15 Nehru Rd. Established Indo-Australian company which runs upmarket treks and tours. Himalayan Travels 18/1 Gandhi Rd. A major trek operator in
Fabrics and clothes in Delhi
In Delhi you can buy anything from high-quality silks, homespun cottons and Kashmiri jackets and shawls to traditional everyday wear and multicoloured tie-dyed Western-style outfits. Buyers are expected to bargain in most street-side stalls, which can make shopping all the more fun - start at fifty percent of the quoted price and slowly increase. Be wary of high prices - the same item is often available in different shops at varying rates. Shops with fixed prices should have a sign to prove it. For Western-style trousers, skirts and shirts, try Paharganj. the Tibetan Market at the north end of Janpath,
Listings in Mumbai
Banks and currency exchange The logical place to change money when you arrive in Mumbai is at the State Bank of India's 24hr counter in Sahar airport. Rates here are standard but you'll have to pay for an encashment certificate - essential if you intend to buy tourist-quota train tickets or an Indrail pass at the special counters in Churchgate or VT stations. All the major state banks downtown change foreign currency (Mon-Fri 10.30am-2.30pm, Sat 10.30am-12,30pm); some also handle credit cards and cash advances. Several 24hrATMs handle international transactions, usually Visa, Delta and Mastercard - it's best to check with