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Customs On Arrival
There are two customs clearance channels. The green channel
is for travellers carrying non-dutiable items while the red
channel is for travellers carrying dutiable items.
Duty-free items which you may bring to India include
personal effects like clothing and other articles but not if
this is commercial merchandise. All expensive electronic
equipment/s must be declared at the Customs on arrival -
which will be re-checked on departure. Take care to obtain
an Export Certificate for these items if you are travelling
to neighbouring countries and intend a multiple entry.
You can not bring in gold coins, gold or silver bullion into
the country. Weapons brought into the country should be
licensed and declared. Any cash or travellers cheques over
US$ 10,000 or equivalent must be declared. Possession of
narcotics is strictly prohibited. Personal effects which are
not used during your stay must be carried back to you. Gift
worth Rs. 4,000 for tourists of foreign origin and Rs.
12,000 for tourists of Indian origin 200 cigarettes or 50
cigars or 250 gm of tobacco, one litre each of wine and
spirits is allowed free of duty.
Documents & Formalities
All travelers to India must possess a valid Visa (single/Multy
entry) depending upon the number of visit/s. It is advisable
to carry your passport during your travel while in India for
possible identification requirements.
Export of Antiquities
Antiquities, which include sculpture, painting or other
works of art and crafts, illustrative of science, art,
crafts, religion of bygone ages and of historical interest
which have been in existence for not less than 100 years may
not be exported out of India.
Manuscripts or other documents of scientific, historical,
literary or aesthetic value in existence for not less than
75 years; art treasures, not necessarily antiquities but
having regard to the artistic and aesthetic value cannot be
exported out of India.
For further clarification on the antiquity of an artefact,
the tourists can contact the authorities and get information
on the Acts and Rules governing Antiquities and Art
Treasures Act, 1972.
Guides and Escorts in Rajasthan and India
Trained English speaking guides are available at fixed
charges at all important tourist centres. French, Italian,
Spanish, German, Russian and Japanese speaking guides are
available at most of the important cities. Since the
Language speaking guides are limited in numbers, enough
notice should be given to your travel agent to block them
for assignments.
Unapproved guides are not permitted to enter protected
monuments and tourists are, therefore, advised to ask for
the services of guides who carry a certificate issued by the
Department of Tourism/Archaeological Survey of India.
Healthcare in India
If a foreign tourist originates from or has transited
through endemic Yellow Fever countries (Africa, South
America, Papua New Guinea), he/she must possess a Yellow
Fever Vaccination certificate.
No other vaccination certificate is mandatory though you may
like to consult your doctor for innoculation against
typhoid, hepatitis A and meningitis. If you are a health
fanatic, you may like to consider innoculation against
polio, measles, mumps, cholera etc. However a few careful
precautions will make sure that even if you do not take the
innoculations, you are protected.
Restrictions, Restricted and Protected Areas In India
Military installations and areas, defence organisations and
research organisations are considered protected areas, where
permits are generally not given to foreigners.
Photography Restrictions in India: Photography is
prohibited in places of military importance, railway
stations, bridges, airports and other military
installations.
For photography at some of the monuments by Video cameras
specially for commercial purposes, a special permission is
to be obtained from the Archaeological Survey of India.
Restrictions to Export of Articles Made From Animals :
Govt. of India is concerned about the conservation of its
endangered and rare fauna. With this view, export of all
wild animals indigenous to the country and articles made
from such listed animals like skin, pelts, furs, ivory,
rhino horns, trophies etc have been totally banned.
Tourists are also advised to acquaint themselves with the
provisions of Convention on International Trade of
endangered species of wild fauna and flora. All the member
countries of the convention allow import of the articles
covered by convention on the strength of a certificate of
export from the country of origin.
The Indian Seasons
India has three major seasons: winter, summer and the
monsoon. The winter months (November-February) have bright,
sunny days and are pleasant throughout India. The summer
months (April-June) are hot in most parts of India. During
this period, hill stations such as Shimla, Mussoorie,
Nainital, Kullu and the Kashmir valley (North), Darjeeling,
Shillong (North-East), Ootacamund, Kodaikanal (South),
Pachmarhi (Central India) and Mount Abu (Rajasthan) provide
cool retreats. The monsoon is an amazing phenomenon of
nature. Sometime in June, the clouds break in the coast of
southern India and are pushed up northwards by July -
immersing the entire Indian sub-continent in torrents.
Except for the south-eastern region, India receives its
major share of rain between June and September. The
south-eastern areas receive most rainfall from the
northeasterly monsoon between mid-October and December-end.
However, the only area which remains dry is the highest
desert in the world - the fascinating moonscape of Ladakh.
This is the time to trek up here.
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