2007-04-10 10:23:30 · 5 answers · asked by Cyrus Vance 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
Laws, cant say. Guidlines follow:
Respect for senoirs and elders come into picture.
Addressing an elderly person/superiors by name may not be appropriate all the times. Though you may be exempted , as a "Forienger" most of the times.
greetings in office - Handshake
greetings to someone you visited @ their home - handshake or Folded hands - Namaste
You may find people asking questions as invasion to privacy. most often thay areintrested in the other-side-world-knowledge. You may show discomfort or signal your collegue/friend or just laugh away.
Conservative clothing is expected of the female sex.
Short skirts may not be appropriate @ all places.
Public display of affection (read kissing) may not be appropriate all times/ places.
Watch out for temples / places of worship. you may have to take off your footwear/shoes - socks are fine.
Honking the person to clear the way for you is "Norm" - but i guess you wont be driving -soon.
Summer's gonna be Hot - you may or may not have A/c - Fans and Air-coolers may be the norm.
Stick to bottle water - or the sources you trust for drinking water. Be extra careful in august- oct period (rainy season)
Prepare to carry antacids- Foods may be spicy for your taste.
Public Places - restrooms /loos are best to avoid. Finish off @ Home/hotel.
Internet in Office is typically restricted/ NIL . And speeds may be pretty slow - (Most servers are in US)
Lots of collegues may offer you help , most dont mind going the extra mile. you can ask for help for most matters.
Most of them regard A guest is divine ,(Atithi Devo bhava )
and expect to serve - to satisfy the gods.
Namaste = Bow to the god in you
Hinduism is not the only religion - since there is diversity. so the habits and "rules/ guidelines too change"
Oh , and dont forget to visit the Taj !
2007-04-10 11:27:49 · answer #1 · answered by StupendousMan 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well I don't know of any unusual laws. But I'd just like to say in general....that keep an open mind (that's very important - our attitude) and be safe always. Be ready to be in close proximity to a large population of people...learn a few words in Hindi...and always be kind (but not naive) and smile, even if some people don't. Have a nice indian comrade for a guide, and they'd love to help you understand. And enjoy. The cultures there are diverse, the history is fascinating, and everything is colorful. U will love the food, I am hoping! There will be inconveniences you will face, but always look for the good in things and stay open-minded. Take care!
PS: Oh I just read the answer above mine...and whatever she has mentioned isn't right really :). It also depends on where you are going in India - if it's a big city... you will find many things to be quite similar to how things are in the US.
2007-04-10 10:49:30 · answer #2 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
When I was in India I fell in love with the people there.
They are extremely friendly. White ppl are considerd special and some ppl might approach you to just touch you.
Honking is a normal part of traffic in india and might go on your nerves first time. Traffic is different and you got to get used before you can drive a car there.
People eat with their right hand, since the left hand is considerd unsanitary.
You find toiletpaper only in hotels. Otherwise you use water.
It is hard to explain India - you got to smell, taste, see and feel it.
Culture there is totally different to culture in western countries. You might get a culture-shock first .
For me it was very bad to see the poverty. Hungry children living in streets - the views will follow me all my life
They are begging for money and you should give them only small Indian bills.
I was told to be careful because of criminals, but we were lucky and never did face this problem.
I love the country and people a lot and will go back to India as soon as I can.
I just read the answer above- I was in a state where there are not a lot of tourists and things were quiet different.
And also in Delhi I could find what is written in second answer.
2007-04-10 11:01:32 · answer #3 · answered by Charly 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
a friend of mine visited india and has good friend there, there is several things that are very diffrent there. virginity is a MUST both for unmarried males and females!!! no kissing or holding hands in public. do not adress ANY women , in india everything has to be adressed to the men. there is no toiletpaper except for in hotels. there is probably a lot more, she will give the URl to her friends son who is in college in germany and he can tell u more bout it..........gl......she absolutely LOVES india
2007-04-10 10:42:10 · answer #4 · answered by germanygirl_us 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buon voyage.
2007-04-10 10:37:32 · answer #5 · answered by Hot Coco Puff 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋