India is a very large country with a varying climatic conditions in different parts of the country. The travelers to India can always find a suitable place as per their choice of climate. If one is travelling during the summer months, the Northern India is considered to be pleasant. Besides this, the Southern India has a number of hill stations and most certainly the mountains of Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, North Uttar Pradesh are ideal to escape from the scorching heat of the summers. The famous hill resorts of the South like Kodai Kanal, Ootacamund and Croog, beside Darjeeling, Sikkim are recommended in summer.

India is characterised by three major seasons namely winter, summer and the monsoon. Winter season falls between the months of November and March and are bright and pleasant, with snowfall in the northern hills. Summer season lies between the months of April and June in most regions of the country, and it is during this time that one can escape from the severe summer heat and go the various summer resorts in the country. During the monsoon, rainfall is heavy along the west coast between June and September, and along the east coast between mid-October and December.

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India's currency is the Rupee whose abbreviated form is Rs.

One Rupee is equal to hundred paise. Notes are in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. 9Although denominations less than Rs. 10 are rare.)

Coins start at 10, 20, (not used so much these days) 25, 50, paise

Coins are also available for 1, 2, and 5 rupees.

Do not accept torn or disfigured notes. In case you do get torn notes you can change them at the Reserve Bank of India or large branches of other big banks.

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The working hours in the Indian organizations is generally between 9 a:m and 6 p:m.


Public holidays in India
January
01 Saturday New Year's Day
21 Friday Eid Al Adha
26 Wednesday Republic Day

February
10 Thursday Islamic New Year

March
18 Friday "Holi, Festival of Colors, and Phagwah"
25 Friday Good Friday

August
15 Monday Independence Day

October
02 Sunday Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
04 Tuesday Start of Ramadan

November
01 Tuesday Deepavali
03 Thursday End of Ramadan

December
25 Sunday Christmas Day

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With the computerization and the entry of private and international banks, the Indian banks have come at par with the international standards. The services offered by the banks in India are excellent and are in fact becoming better by the day except for the fact that the smaller cities still lack the banking options available in the metros like on-line banking and ATMs.

It will be worthwhile to remember that banking hours are usually from 10 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon from Monday to Friday and from 10 am to 12 noon on Saturdays. Bank holidays vary though it is unlikely that a bank will be closed for longer than two days in a row.

Most private and international banks have made “changing money process” in India a less tedious process today when it can be done in few minutes now. Since banks in small tourist destinations are wary of travelers' cheques, try to change as much of your money as possible from moneychangers at the airport or authorized places. There is an advice fir the travelers to preserve all your exchange receipts (encashment certificates) since they would be required for visa extensions and other formalities, as well as when you want to convert Indian rupees to US dollars, the Euro, or British Pound sterling at the end of your trip. An authorized moneychanger is the right choice to ensure the safety of your transaction.

All the major banks in the country provide the ATM or Anytime Money facility. This further adds to the convenience of the travelers to India who can withdraw a desirable amount of money anytime and anywhere. Some of the important banks in the country are Standard Chartered, HDFC, ICICI, UTI and many more.

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Indian shopping areas have always been attracting the shoppers from all around the world. You can find almost all types of items from pin to ship building items in the markets of India. Go to any part of this vast and vibrant country and you will be offered with varied types of items reflecting the culture and tradition of that region.

In India the best buying items are - textiles, handicraft items, handloom items, stone carved items, marble made items, jewellery, both precious and semi precious stones, stone jewellery, bamboo & cane made items and furnitures, leather products, etc.

The major metropolises are the best places to search for your choice of items, as they showcases almost all types of items in their state emporiums