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 In front of the Palace by SirRichard
The rest of the palace is surrounded by a tall wall with no windows... Leave a Comment
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A first time visitor to India may become confused by the Indian head-wobble. Its a sort of up and down and sideways wobble/shake of the head. To westerners- this may seem to be a negative sign. After all, we shake our heads from side to side meaning "NO".
But in India, the opposite is meant. So, the sideways head wobble means "YES"
It is used by almost all Indians, and is quite endearing, once one gets the hang of it.After many trips to India, I automatically find myself doing it while talking to locals. They find it hysterically funny. Leave a Comment
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Women, foreign and Indian, often have to face unwanted attention.When travelling alone looking, staring and/or harrasment often happens in crowded places such as on public transport or in queues.
Where possible, use "ladies only" queues and sitting areas on transport. Trains have separate coaches for ladies. Some buses have sitting areas for ladies only.
Avoid eye contact, and ignore unwanted attention.
Also avoid walking alone in quiet and rougher parts of any city. This, of course, is a common sense practice in any country.
When booking a taxi- use your hotel to make the booking. Note the numberplate. Do not hitch-hike under any circumstance.
Dressing modestly is a good idea. Leave a Comment
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A common sight in India is to see men and boys holding hands while walking. This has NOTHING to do with their sexual preferance. I have no idea how,when and where this habit originated from- but after much discussion with many friends in India, I am positive that it is just a display of friendship.
NBI have just been informed by my friend Jagdish (jethanand) of the origins of hand-holding in India-
'Hand-holding is a sign of trust, togetherness, protection, a promise of inter-reliance. In India, olden times if there was danger and risk of separation, the older sibling would clutch the hands of a young one' THANK YOU JAGDISH!! Leave a Comment
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 BAREFOOT HOSTESS by lynnehamman
The head, however , is believed to be the spiritual centre of the body. Older people bless someone younger by touching their head.
Living in close quarters, as Indians do, with families and neighbors, Indians have a different perspective of "personal space" to what Westerners are used to. While travelling, if you are jostled or crowded in a queue, as often happens, be as tolerant as possible. Space is a premium, and precious commodity in India. Leave a Comment
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 Traditional Dress, near
Jodhpur by Canadienne
I had the opportunity to try a traditional outfit on, but have to admit I'm still partial to the salwar kameez for comfort and ease of use.
Today, you’ll see women in this dress, in saris, in salwar kameez and, in larger cities, occasionally in jeans or other “western” clothes. Leave a Comment
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Be respectful of local customs, and religion. Don't be rude, especially to people less fortunate. ALWAYS keep a sense of humour...try and see the funny side(and there are many) Treat taxi-drivers well, and they will not take you on the "wrong ride"
Do not exhibit public display of affection. eg kissing in public or cuddling. Holding hands is ok.
And in India, what to us is a head-shake meaning no.........is a sort of sideways wobble, which means yes. A bit confusing! Do not expose bare legs or bare stomach.Indians dress modestly, and so should anyone visiting their country.
Indians eat with their right hand. For obvious reasons. So, when passing something to anyone, use your right hand only.
I have found that it is always a good idea to carry a scarf, in case of an unexpected visit to any temple. Heads should be covered, for women. (arms also).
Staying in Guest Houses is always a great way to get to know a family, who in turn will pass on their knowledge of the culture, history and interesting places to see. I have met many wonderful people in this way, and have maintained lasting friendships with them. Leave a Comment
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 Romance at Humayun's Tomb,
Delhi by Canadienne
The grounds of some of the most popular tourist sites have developed into romantic escapes. Sitting on newspapered grounds, leaning on trees, you'll find numerous couples enjoying some intimate time together, safe from prying eyes. Leave a Comment
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 A Ravenous Fruit eating Beach
Cow. Pic: AD Irving by Hmmmm
India has 30 per cent of the world's cattle. There are 26 distinctive breeds of cow in India. The hump, long ears and bushy tail distinguish the Indian cow.
In India cows are everywhere! Because the cow is respected as a sacred animal, it's allowed to roam unharmed, and they are pretty used to the traffic and the rhythm of the city. So, you can see them roaming the streets in towns and cities, grazing unmindfully on the roadside grass verges and munching away vegetables thrown out by street sellers. Stray and homeless cows are also supported by temples, especially in southern India. In my country (New Zealand) sometimes dogs get into the Trash, in South Korea its cats, on the sub continent its Cows. I saw a ravenous cow chasing after a man on the beach who carrying fruit. The cow bit the bag of fruit and tore it open like a doberman pinscher and devoured the fruit.
Cows form the core of religious sacrifices, for without ghee or butter, which is produced from cow's milk, no sacrifice can be performed.
In the Mahabharata, we have Bhishma saying: "Cows represent sacrifice. Without them, there can be no sacrifice…Cows are guileless in their behaviour and from them flow sacrifices…and milk and curds and butter. Hence cows are sacred..."
Bhishma also observes that the cow acts as a surrogate mother by providing milk to human beings for the whole life. So the cow is truly the mother of the world.
Since the cow is thought to be God's useful gift to mankind, consuming beef or veal is considered sacrilegious for Hindus. Selling beef is banned in many Indian cities, and few Hindus would be ready to even taste cattle meat, for socio-cultural reasons. If beef is eaten, its water buffalo (Buff- Bufala) Leave a Comment
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 A goat having a good stretch.
Pic: Aaron irving by Hmmmm
Well it seems that our friend the goat is a pretty hardy and handy chap.
India's livestock is comfortable with 206 million cows, 123 million Goats, 88 million buffaloes, and 51 million sheep. Goats constitute a very important species of livestock in India, mainly on account of their short generation intervals, higher rates of prolificacy, and the ease with which the goats as also their products can be marketed.
Goats are the main meat animals in India; their meat is the most preferred and hence the costliest of all meats and represented almost 37 percent of total meat produced in the country. Goat milk constitutes a little of all milk produced in India; the majority of milk coming from buffaloes. The skins produced by Indian goats are considered of very high quality on account of their relatively larger sizes, minimal blemishes, and perhaps high quality processing. The production of pashmina and shatoosh shawls from goats is already a very lucrative and exports oriented industry.
This is why goats are ubiquitous. By the way, before I do sign off on India's Goats. A wee tidbit about pashmina and shatoosh shawls.
Pashmina is cheap, and lovely. And produced from domestic goats. people love it, and thus should buy it. SHATOOSH on the other hand should be boycotted. It is expensive (so only for foreign buyers) and is made from a Gaot endemic to the Himalaya called the chiru.
Actually I heard its against the law to sell shatoosh now. So if you see it on sale, Report it. Don't buy it. Leave a Comment
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