INDIA

Where is India?The country of India is inSouthern Asia. It borders theArabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan.

Why choose India?

• India is famous for its geographic and cultural diversity from snow-dusted mountains to sun-washed

beaches, tranquil temples to feisty festivals, lantern-lit villages to software-supremo cities, it's hardly surprising that this country has been

dubbed the world's most multidimensional.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-c52qLFiOw

How to get to India?

• Ethidad is the only airline which provides direct flights from Dublin to New Delhi. The duration is twelve hours and fourty five minutes. It costs 379 euro for a one way flight.

Visa/Vaccinations

• Irish citizens need a visa in order to travel to India.If you arrive in India without a visa you will be refused entry.

• To be completely safe in India, you are recommended to be up to date in the following vaccines..

• Chlorea, diphtheria, hepatitis a and b, polio, rabies, tubercolosis, tetanus, typhoid fever and yellow fever.

Accommodation Options

• If you’re staying in the capital city of New Delhi, there’s many places to stay during your trip in India. Such as..

• The Metropolitan Spa and Hotel which is a highly recommended five star hotel. Prices are 85 euro per person.

• Shangri-La Hotel which is also five stars. Prices are up to 90 euro per person per night.

• There are also hostels for a cheaper price, such a Mystique Moments which is eight euro per night

Places to Visit1.The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is recognised by everyone around the world and is a fine example of architecture. Craftsmen started to build it in

1632 and it was finished around 1953. The architect was Ustad Ahmad Lahauri and it is Mughal architecture. A reason to visit the Taj Mahal is the beauty of it. To see the detail of all the architecture and experience it first hand. Another reason to visit

the Taj Mahal is because it is an emblem of India. It will show you what it is like to be in India as you take it all in.

2. The Lotus TempleThe Lotus Temple is in New Delhi, the capital of India. It is a house of worship and was completed on the 13th November 1986. The architect is Fariborz Sahba and the structural engineers were Flint & Neill. A reason to visit the Lotus Temple is because it is the main temple in India to represent the youngest of all the independent religions in the world and is at the top of the list of places to visit in

India. Another reason to visit the Lotus Temple is the Temple structure is in the form of a half-opened lotus which is a symbol of peace and serenity, and the national flower of India.

Food in India•India has a wide variety of foods native to its country depending on the soil type, climate and occupations.•Spices, herbs, vegetables and fruit make a big difference in India and are used in nearly all foods.•Food in India is also influenced by religion. Hindu beliefs have been involved in the development of food and vegetarianism is popular in India.•Historical incidents has also influenced food in India for example when the potato was brought to India by the Portuguese, it is now a staple food in North India.•Spices have played a big role in India since Europe’s Age of Discovery as many countries continue to trade products with India for spices.•A normal diet in India consists of fruit, vegetable, dairy, grain, honey and meat.•Staple foods of Indian cuisine include pearl millet (bajra), rice, whole-wheat flour (atta), and a variety of lentils.

The top 5 most popular dishes of India:1. Butter Chicken2. Tandoori Chicken

3. Chicken Tikka Masala4. Rogan Josh5. Malai Kofta

The top 5 most popular spice in India:1. Saffron

2. Black Cardamom3. Green Cardamom

4. Cinnamon5. Ginger

Cultural Norms1.Arranged Marriage:

Arranged marriage is very common in India and mainly in Southern-India. A girl may be ready to marry in her early twenties or when she graduates and a boy seemingly will be able to marry when he has a decent job and consistent earnings. The girl/boy may approach a parent or relative and say they would like to be married and it is the parent/relatives responsibility to find a match. The process of arranged marriage is firstly finding a matchmaker, then making a match criteria, exchanging photos and information, meeting prospective spouse and engagement.

2.Festival’s:Festivals in India are very popular and states or regions have local festivals depending on religion. There are many festivals in the Hindu religion and Islamic religion. A popular Hindu festival is Diwali and a popular Islamic festival is Eid ul-Fitr.

3.Clothing: Traditional clothing in India varies across different parts of the country and is influenced by culture, geography, climate & setting. In public and religious places the Indians do not expose their skin and do not dress in tight clothes. Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as sari for women and dhoti or lungi or panche for men. The majority of people wear sandals because of the hot weather. Indian women perfect their sense of charm and fashion with make-up and ornaments.

Currency in India•The Indian Rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India.•The currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India.

•The Reserve Bank got its role in currency management on the basis of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

•Banknotes are available in values of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rupees. Rupee coins are available in values of 1, 2, 5, 10, 100

and 1000.•The Indian Rupee Symbol is

•The symbol is a mixture of a Devanagari letter and a Latin letter.•The first series of coins with the rupee symbol was launched on 8

July 2011.•The word "rupee" was got from the Sanskrit word raupya, meaning

"silver".•1.00 rupee=€0.014, which means it is very cheap there!