India

Indian Culture

India – Brief IntroductionCapital: New DelhiLargest City: MumbaiOfficial Language: Hindi, EnglishArea: 3,287,240‡ km2 Population: 2009 estimate 1,198,003,000GDP 2008 (nominal): Total $1.206 trillionCurrency: Indian rupeeReligions: Hinduism, Muslim, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism

Symbols of India

The National Flag

The National Emblem(An adaptation of the Sarnath

Lion Capital of Ashoka) The National Flower - Lotus

Map

Geography

Seventh largest country in the world Largest population in the world

India is also a popular tropical tourist attraction with many resort hotels scattered across the coastal areas and islands

Politics, Wars and Fears

Politics

Democratic Republic It gives tourists a sense of safety and familiarity and is seen to be an Asian destination that balances modernization and globalization with exotic elements and Asian culture (like HK)Some cities and areas of India are considered “Easy Asia” for tourists.

India states by political parties

Wars

Indo-Pakistani Wars Both India and Pakistan gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947 and almost immediately plunged into war concerning the Jammu-Kashmir region.Hospitality and Service industries need to be sensitive to Indo-Pakistani tensions and take it into consideration when rooming guests

Fears

Fears of humiliationStemming from humiliation brought upon by British rule, Indians fear their great culture and Bollywood being ignored by the WestHospitality and service industries can be careful to be respectful and admire, not insult Indian culture and Bollywood

Holidays, Festivals and Ceremonies

Holidays/Festivals

Diwali A 5-day festival occurring between the end of September to the beginning of October Known as the Festival of LightsFestivities: family get-togethers, decorating homes with lights etc

Holidays/Festivals

Gandhi JayantiTo celebrate the birth anniversary of Gandhi - “The father of the nation”The man who led India to independence from the British EmpireDifferent religions gather for a prayer meeting in New Delhi

Holidays/Festivals

Hospitality and service industries must be aware of the times of these festivals and properly acknowledge

Ceremonies

Based on religion & culture Provide a reason for relatives

and friends to get togetherCeremonies include wedding,

naming, house-warming ceremonies etc

Dressing

Dhoti, Kurta and Sherwani

Male attire in most of the western and central regions

Consists of the dhoti and kurta

Dhoti is considered formal wear all over the country

Sherwani is typically worn for special occasions

dhoti

kurta

sherwani

Saree

Worn by women ‘Saree’ comes from a Sanskrit

word 'sati', which means strip of cloth

The Indian Saree (or Sari) boasts of oldest existence in the sartorial world

It is more than 5000 years old

Saree

Religion

Hinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinentMuslim community is one of the world’s largestAs the majority of Indian associate themselves with a religion, religion tolerance is established in both law and custom

The Hindu God

Religion

Religion Millions % of PopulationHinduism 827.6 80.5Muslim 138.2 13.4Christianity 24.1 2.3Sikhism 19.2 1.9Buddhism 7.9 0.8Jainism 4.2 0.4Other 6.6 0.6Total 1.028.6 100

Religions in India (ca.2001)

Indian FoodCharacterized with the use of

spices, herbs and vegetables grown in India

Curry, a general variety of spiced dishes, is famous in Asian cuisine

MusicCan be traced back to the

Vedic PeriodThe oldest form of music was

used as sacred hymnsNowadays, the Indian music is

known to be performed through three modes – vocal music, instrumental music and dance.

SportsField Hockey

Field hockey is the National Game of India

Cricket Cricket is the most popular sport in India

International arrival International tourist arrivals to India of 2009 will exceed 5.5

million. And international arrivals to India will grow to over 5.9 million in 2010 and cross 6.3 million by 2011.

It also predicts that the average annual growth rate in international arrivals to India will be 5.85 per cent in the 2007-2011 period and 7.46 per cent for 2009-10.

Travelling tips*

Mid-June to mid-August is the rainy season of India. Transportation may be disrupted due to the rainstorm. Try to avoid the rainy season when you travel to India!

It is very common to see flight delay or even flight cancellation in India, be prepared!

Travelling tips*

Remember to take off your shoes in temples!

Wearing shorts or skirts is prohibited in the Muslim temples. Also, don’t enter those private areas of the temple, it would be disrespectful to do so!

Don’t use your left hands when dealing with Indians as left hands are sacred for them!

Dining tips*

Indians view cows as god or mother, never order beef in restaurants as this shows disrespectful of their culture!

Eating uncooked food is prohibited in Indian culture and also dangerous in the poor sanitation conditions. Don’t buy food from hawkers!

Indian food mostly contains curry. If you are not a fan of it, remember to specify that when you order!

Let’s start our tour in India!

Day Breakfast Lunch Dinner Location of accommodation

Hotel

1 Hong Kong -->MumbaiMansingh

2 Buffet in hotel

Buffet in hotel

Buffet in hotel

Jaipur

3 Buffet in hotel

Buffet in hotel

Buffet in hotel

Agra Hotel Clark Shiraz

4 Buffet in hotel

Buffet in hotel

Local restaurant

In the flight

5 Arrive in Hong Kong

Itinerary

ItineraryDay 1: Delhi

Day 2: Delhi/Jaipur

Day 3: Jaipur

Day 4: Agra/Delhi

Day 5: Hong Kong

Jet Airways

Jet Airways is an airline based in Mumbai, India

The yellow uniform symbolizes enthusiasm

Special service Guests can call or send SMS to

friends or families in the same flight free of charge.

Indian place high importance in the relationship of family

Let’s get started!

Mumbai

Gateway of India

Gateway of India

The structure of Gateway of India boasts a fascinating design, mixing a fully colonial sense of scale—bigger is better

It was made from a mixture of reinforced concrete and yellow basalt

Impact on the local tourism

The history caused impact on the tourism industry in India and this also affect the society nowadays

You can find food vendors, balloon sellers, photographers, and beggars trying to make the most of the heavy tourist presence

Mansingh Group of HotelsLocations:

Mansingh Palace, AgreMansingh Palace, AjmerHotel Mansingh, JaipurMansingh Towers, Jaipur

Rating:5-star

Decoration:Traditional Indian style

Royal WeddingsBeach WeddingsCruise Weddings

New feature – Theme weddings

Royal WeddingsThe ceremonies perform in traditional Rajputana

style of marriageBut unique and different palace wedding venues In Udaipur, Devigarh, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Orchcha

and AgraWedding carnival is just like a fairy tale

Beach Weddings

Cruise Weddings

Jaipur—The Pink City

Amber Fort

Best hilltop forts in India

Shows the lives of gallant Rajputs – militant, adventurous, temperamental and self-indulgent

Elephant and lotus – perfect blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture

Symbolic meaning of elephant in India

extremely important in Indian culture

the carrier (vahana) of Indra, the King of the Gods

transport soldiers, ammunition and supplies over extremely rough terrain where men could not go alone

status symbols in some temples, in circuses, and by the forest and tourism department of the government

beautifully-dressed elephants carry visitors to the fort usually two-seated give fresh and adventurous journey

Impact on service industryProtection of elephants is important as it contribute a lot

to the tourism industryA short ride with elephants to Amber Fort is always

included in the tour package as it is a special kind of transportation in India

As the ride is only available when going up the hill, so other transportation like jeeps are provided when tourists leave

Although elephants are well trained, accidents may still occur. Therefore, there should be enough safety precautions to protect tourists

Hawa Mahal (The Palace of Winds)

Famous for reddish-pink building made of red sandstone looks like a light, airy structure which might blow away with the slightest wind

With numerous arches, spires and a mind-boggling 953 latticed casements and small windows

Agra

Agra

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

UNESCO World Heritage Site“The jewel of Muslim art in India and

one of the universally admired masterpieces of world’s heritage”

Located on the right bank of the river Yamuna

Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal

Floor plan of Taj Mahal

Mumtaz Mahal was born in 1593 and died in 1631

It took 17 years for the monument complex to complete

Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural style

Portrait of Mumtaz Mahal

Fatehpur Silkri

Fatehpur Silkri A UNESCO World Heritage Site Constructed by Mughal emperor Akbar

beginning in 1570 and served as the empire’s capital from 1571 until 1585

Sikri has been mentioned in the Mahabharata as ”Saik”

All these palaces were built of red sandstone

It is prolific and versatile Indo-Muslim composite style, which is a fussion of the composite cultures of indigenous and foreign origins

Rashtrapati Bhavan

Rashtrapati Bhavan

The official residence of the President of India

Delhi Rashtrapati Bhavan comprises of four floors and 340 rooms

It took 18 years to construct this building and on the 18th year of its completion, India became independent

Rashtrapati Bhavan

The design of the building is grandly classical overall, with colors and details inspired by Indian architecture

These included several circular stone basins on the top of the palace, as water features are an important part of Indian architecture

There were also statues of elephants and fountain sculptures of cobras in the gardens

The dome is inspired by the Pantheon of Rome.There is also the presence of Mughal and European colonial architectural elements

A Eco-friendly Tour in India

Rashtrapati Bhavan Indian like to coexistent with

nature, this characteristic enables them to sets trend for eco-friendly township

A Nature Trail was opened in the President's estate on Saturday. It aims at promoting education about natural and environmental awareness amongst students and visitors

Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate here will soon have its own sewerage treatment plant that will generate all the water needed for the huge gardens on the sprawling complex

Making organic manure from bio-degradable waste to be used

in the President’s gardens

Street performance

Snakes follow the music and “dance” “Snake person” usually collect tips

Impact on tourism

Some Indians earn a living by performing in the street. This become a special feature in India

Such performance is forbidden in some countries due to safety reason which increase its uniqueness

Tourists had perception of this performance from film, cartoon and television

Usually, tourists are welcome to give tips to them because they know it is kind of India’s custom

This is the end of our trip!

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< http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/india/politics.htm>8. Lee, R. (16th January 2009). “Indo-Pakistani Wars and Conflicts”. The History Guy. Retrieved 23rd October,

2009. < http://www.historyguy.com/indo_pakistani-wars.html>9. Zuljan, R. (16th December 2000). “Sino Indian War 1962-1963”. Wars of the World. Retrieved 19th October 10. 2009. < http://www.onwar.com/aced/nation/ink/india/findiachina1962.htm>11. Hotels Retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://www.mansinghhotels.com/

12. Wedding themes Retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://weddings.travelmasti.com/index.html

13. About Clarks Shiraz Retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://www.hotelclarksshiraz.com/

14. Hawa Mahal Jaipur Retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://www.indiasite.com/rajasthan/jaipur/hawamahal.html

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16. Jaipur, India Retrieved October 11, 2009 from http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-485429-jaipur_vacations-i