STATE ORDER

India is a Constitutional Republic made up of 28 sovereign states, 8 Union Territories plus the district of Delhi. Its Constitution entered into force on January 26, 1950. The highest office of the Union is the President of the Republic. The Union of States

Independently headed by the State Assemblies, The Central Parliament is headed by two chambers: the lower house Lok Sabha, the people's chamber, and the upper house, Rajya Sabha, the council of states. The Lok Sabha has 545 members and elections are held every 5 years. The Rajya Sabha is made up of 250 members elected every 2 years, and 125 members elected every 6. Each individual state has its own independent government, a State Head and a Chief Minister, and elects its representatives in the Delhi Parliament. The Indian states are divided into districts and in the villages the administrative system is still oriented towards the traditional method of panchayat run by the five leaders of the community.

CAPITAL

The capital of India is New Delhi, formerly the capital of the British Raj since 1911, an ancient city of art and home to all the embassies in the world.

THE FLAG OF INDIA

The Indian national flag is made up of three horizontal stripes: orange at the top, white at the center and green at the bottom. In the central strip is inserted the wheel of the chariot of Ashoka, the greatest Indian emperor who lived in the third century BC.

Population

The population of India amounts to about 1 billion and 250 million people. Population density: 300 inhabitants per sq. Km.

Language

India has 23 official languages. Hindi is mainly spoken in the northern regions. In the southern states the local languages are spoken. English is spoken in all metropolises and large cities.

Religion

India is the cradle of Eastern religions. The most widespread religions are Hinduism (80%), Islam (12%), Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism and Catholicism.

Documents for expatriation

Passport: required, with residual validity of at least six (6) months upon arrival. Entry visa: required. Since last April 2017, the Indian government has extended the possibility to obtain an online visa (E-Visa) for trips of less than 60 days. The E-Visa must be requested online directly by the customer and paid for by credit card. The cost is about 50 Dollars, the payment is to be made online by credit card. Before proceeding with the online application for the E-Visa it is necessary to verify that you are in possession of: -

PASSPORT valid for at least six (6) months from the date of arrival in India, with at least 3 blank pages. - COLOR SCAN OF A 5cm x 5cm size PHOTO CARD, frontal and with white background (jpeg format, minimum 10 KB maximum 1 MB). - COLOR SCAN OF THE PASSPORT PAGE containing personal data (pdf format, minimum 10 KB maximum 300 KB). To apply for the E-Visa you need to connect to the site

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/registration, click on the “E-Visa Application” box and proceed with completing the online form in its entirety. At the end of the compilation, the payment of 50 USD will be required and the upload of the two scans (passport photo and passport). The visa in electronic format will be sent within 72 hours to the e-mail address you indicated when completing the form, it must be printed, brought with you to the airport together with the passport and kept for the entire duration of the trip. The E-Visa can be requested: - from 30 days from the date of departure of the trip and is valid for a period of stay of up to 60 days from the date of arrival in India. – and can be asked only twice a year. – also valid only if you enter India from one of the following airports: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengalore, Calicut, Chennai, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Varanasi, Cochin, Goa and Mangalore.

Health Provisions

No vaccination is required in India. However, we recommend that you consult your doctor and your Municipality's Health Office. It is always necessary to follow some preventive indications and to maintain proper personal hygiene. The first advice is not to drink water if not bottled, even better if it is added with carbon dioxide (always making sure that the cap is closed) and avoid consuming raw vegetables and unpeeled fruit.

Air Transport and airports

Intercontinental flights are operated with numerous IATA carriers. The international airport in New Delhi, the Indira Gandhi International airport, is about 20 Km (45 minutes) from the city center and is connected by a taxi and bus service. Mumbai International Airport is 15 km from the city and can be reached in approximately 1 hour, which extends during peak hours. Domestic flights in India may be subject to delays or variations due to adverse weather conditions or other causes. The Internal Air Trafiic is handled by national and private companies covering the whole national territory. Airline tickets for any domestic flights scheduled for your tour will be delivered by our correspondent upon arrival in India.

Airport Taxes

There are currently no airport taxes to be paid out of India with the exception of Bangalore airport (1100 rupees). The legislation in India is subject to sudden changes.

Currency Import regulations:

1. Local currency (Indian Rupee-INR): up to max. INR 25,000.-.

a. not allowed for nationals of Bangladesh or Pakistan residing outside India;

b. if arriving from Bhutan or Nepal, only currency notes in denominations of max. INR 100, - are allowed.

2. Foreign Currencies: unlimited. However, amounts exceeding USD 5,000. - (or equivalent) in cash, or USD 10,000.- (or equivalent) in traveler's cheques must be declared.

Foreign currencies include currency notes, traveler's cheques, cheques, drafts etc. (Re)exchange only through banks and authorized money exchange points.

Customs regulations

The entry of foreign currency is unlimited. All valuables and high-tech items must be declared at the entrance, withholding the receipt. It is allowed to import 200 cigarettes, 25 cigars, 2 liters of alcoholic beverages, 4 perfume bottles for personal use. There are some restrictions on the export of antiques.

Baggage

See international standards.

Indian Currency

The official monetary unit in India is the Indian Rupee (INR), divided into 100 Paisa. There are banknotes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 2000 Rupees and coins of 1, 2 and 5, 10, 20 Rupees. The most easily convertible currency is the USD but the Euros is also normally accepted. It is advisable to exchange money at hotels that charge a fee or at banks and exchange offices in major Indian cities. Credit cards are accepted in shops, hotels and major tourist centers. 1 Euro = 75 Indian Rupees 1 US Dollar = 67 Indian Rupees NB: The above exchange rates are to be considered indicative.

Time zonetime

Official Timezone of India is +530. Indian Standard time is the time zone observed throughout India, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time or other seasonal adjustments.

Climate

Given the vastness of the territory, India has all types of climate. Monsoon period (from July to August): hot-humid climate with abundant rain, at various times of the day, and humidity around 90%. Temperatures range from 30-32 degrees during the day to 20-22 degrees at night. Autumn-winter period (from September to April): warm dry climate generally sunny, without particularly intense rains, with temperatures ranging between 22-26 degrees during the day and 14-16 degrees at night. This is the best time to visit India. Tropical hot period (May to June): hot dry climate with temperatures hovering around 40 degrees during the day. To visit the Himalayan regions of Ladakh, Kashmir and Sikkim, the ideal period is from April to September, with dry weather and sporadic nighttime rainfall. During these months the temperatures in the Himalayas, even at altitudes above 3000 meters, are pleasant: 18-22 degrees during the day and 8-12 degrees at night. Above 4000 meters, night temperatures around zero are recorded.

Clothing

The choice of clothing must generally respond to criteria of practicality, comfort, compliance with the climate and the environment. It is therefore advisable to opt for very comfortable sports clothing and footwear, excluding garments in synthetic fibers that prevent body transpiration, especially in hot climates. Personal equipment recommended for the trip We provide below an indicative list of material to undertake the trip, which everyone must adapt to their habits and needs. - Sun hat, scarf - long sleeve cotton dresses and shirts - t-shirt type t-shirts - long cotton canvas pants, jeans - short shorts (not above the knee for women) - Wool sweater or sweatshirt for evening - waterproof or light waxed cape - Cotton underwear - a pair of comfortable sneakers - a pair of sandals - light windproof jacket - handkerchiefs and refreshing wipes - moisturizer - sunscreen with high protection factor - Cocoa Butter for Lips - insect repellent - sunglasses - multipurpose knife - electric socket with universal connection - backpack for daily needs

Personal pharmacy

In addition to any medicines for personal use, it is advisable to bring basic medicines with you such as: antibiotics (a broad spectrum and one specific for the pulmonary tract), diuretics, antinevralgics, antidiarrheals (Imodium), intestinal disinfectants (Bimixin, Normix), dietary supplements intestinal (Enterogermina), aspirins, antipyretics, eye drops, insect repellent, water disinfectant, plasters, gauze and bandages for small wounds, penicillin-based ointment, antihistamine ointment. We also recommend the use of saline supplements to avoid dehydration of the body, very fast in these environmental conditions.

Offices

Banks are open from 10.00 to 14.00 from Monday to Saturday. The shops are open from 10.30 to 20.00 from Monday to Saturday.

Electricity

It is preferable to have a universal type adapter. Electricity runs at 220 volts and has standard sockets in almost all hotels. The plugs with the ground socket (center pin) do not work.

Telephone

To make an International call by a Fix line or Mobile you must add International Country Code, followed by the prefix of the city with the leading zero and finally the number of the subscriber. In all Indian cities there are public telephones (called STD and ISD) with operator, counting and payment in cash. Telephone cards for public telephones are not used. A minute of conversation from India to Europe could costs around 20 rupees (less than 1 euro). Calling from hotels can cost up to 4 or 5 times more. To call from Italy to India you must select 0091 followed by the city code (New Delhi 11, Mumbai 22, Kolkata 33) and dial the subscriber number. Mobile phones: throughout the country, mobile phones work regularly. Coverage is not complete in desert regions and the more remote Himalayan valleys.

Hotel accommodation

In India, the official category of hotels does not guarantee international standards and does not always guarantee customer expectations. All facilities, from luxury hotels to heritage residences (former homes of the Maharajas), are periodically supervised by our staff. Heritage hotels (3/4/5 stars) guarantee a comfortable standard and a traditional atmosphere able to immerse visitors in the time of the Maharajas. In the main cities, where the accommodation offer is wider, hotels have been selected that guarantee an accurate service, a welcoming environment and a privileged location. In the Himalayan areas and along the off-road itineraries, the best existing structures (3 stars) and fixed tented camps with limited comfort are provided, where a good spirit of adaptation is required.

Means of transport

The roads connecting the major cities of India are generally paved. The means of transport are private and of Indian standard, with air conditioning and highly experienced English speaking drivers. The traffic of the Cities considerably slow down the transfer times allowing an average of about 50 km per hour. For travelers who wish it is possible to provide vehicles of superior category.

Food and Drink

Indian cuisine is very rich and tasty. Each state has its own culinary traditions and is distinguished by its elaborate preparations. Spices (Masala) are used with almost all foods. In general, Indians are very fond of vegetables, rice, lentils, yogurt, tropical fruit, vegetables but also chicken, mutton and lamb. Beef and pork are excluded from the table for religious reasons. Excellent chapati, roti and paratha bread which is prepared in different ways depending on the region. Curry, cumin, coriander, black pepper, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, anise, cardamom are present in many vegetarian or meat or fish dishes; often the dishes are associated with "daal" (lentils) with white yogurt. In general, the cuisine is spicy even if the hotels that host Western travelers try to "limit" the use of spices. Do not miss the Tandoori chicken (typically Indian chicken), fruit (coconuts, mangoes, papaya, bananas) and of course the "chai": tea with milk and spices. The Indians produce excellent beer and different qualities of rum.

Holidays

Magha- January / February 26 January: Indian Republic Day Makar Sankranti, Hindu festival Mahashivaratri, Shiva, Kumbh Mela festival (rotating): - Haridwar 2021 (Uttaranchal) - Allahabad 2024 (Uttar Pradesh) - Nasik 2027 (Maharashtra) - Ujjain 2030 (Madhya Pradesh), Phalguna - February / March Holi, festival of colors Thar Desert Festival (Rajasthan) Chaitra - March / April Hanuman Jayanti, birth of Hanuman Ramnavami, birth of Rama Pooram, Thrissur (Kerala) Vaishaka - April / May Buddha Purnima, birth of Buddha Jyaistha - May / June Id-E-MÌIad, birth of Mohammed Asadha - June / July Rath Yatra, festival of chariots, Puri (Orissa) Hemis, Buddhist festival (Ladakh) Sravana - July / August Lamayuru , Buddhist festival (Ladakh) Phyang, Buddhist festival (Ladakh) Janmashthami, birth of Krishna Bhadra - August / September Ganesh Chaturthi, birth of Ganesh (Mumbai and Pune) August 15: Independence Day Nerhu Trophy, Aleppey (Kerala) Ashwin - September/ October Dusserha, Hindu festival, Mysore (Karnataka) Gandhi Jayanti, birth of Mahatma Gandhi Navratri, Hindu festival Kartika - October / November Diwali, festival of lights Pushkar Festival (Rajasthan) Guru Nanak Jayanti, Sikh Aghan festival - November / December Ramadan, Muslim festival Break - December / January Dance and Music Festival, Chennai International Film Festival, Trivandrum

Photographic material

It is advisable to obtain all the necessary material in advance: films, micro-Films, flashes, memory cards are not always easily available or very expensive. It will be useful to carry a simple plastic bag with you to protect objects from dust or humidity.

Shopping

In India it is possible to buy many handicrafts and each state has its own particular local art. From carpets to precious stones, from silk fabrics to silver objects, from spices to multiple objects inlaid in wood or marble, from pashmina shawls to bedspreads embroidered with gold thread and mirrors. Traveling with local guides or Indian escorts you will have many opportunities to shop. At the end of the planned visits, it is customary for the guides and companions to recommend some shops where to shop and where the objects offered are of authentic value. Sometimes the local guides can be too insistent in taking you to the shops they know: in these cases, you do not feel obliged to go but if you follow their advice do not doubt the quality of the goods that are offered to you. Treat your prices with tenacity: it is the local custom. In any case, by going to the shops on your own, unless you have very precise indications, you would most likely stumble into "little scams": do not delude yourself otherwise!

Tipping

In India it is good practice to leave service tips in hotels, restaurants, guides and drivers following your journey. For a tip for normal room service or porterage we recommend 50-100 Rupees. For the one-day service of a local guide (as long as you are satisfied) we recommend around 10 dollars. Same treatment for a