What to wear
- Light cottons and linens for most of the year. Loose trousers, long skirts, kurtas and shirts.
- A scarf or shawl: covers your head at gurdwaras and some mosques, and shoulders at temples.
- Slip-on shoes: you’ll remove them often.
- Warm layers for north India in winter (December to February nights are cold) and for the mountains year-round.
- Rain gear in the monsoon (June to September).
- Beachwear is fine at Goa, Kerala and Andaman beaches, but cover up away from the sand.
At temples, mosques and gurdwaras
- Remove shoes (and sometimes socks).
- Cover your head at gurdwaras and many mosques.
- Some temples don’t allow non-Hindus into the inner sanctum, and some ban leather items: follow signs and staff.
- Walk clockwise around shrines and stupas.
Everyday etiquette
- A “Namaste” with palms together is a warm greeting anywhere.
- Use your right hand for eating and passing things.
- Public displays of affection are frowned on outside big cities.
- Ask before photographing people, and never photograph cremations.
- Dining in someone’s home: it’s polite to accept food and to remove shoes if your hosts do.
Bargaining
Expected in markets, not in malls or fixed-price shops. Start at about half the asking price and smile.
Free printable: 16 Hindi phrases with the Hindi script, to say or point at, as a PDF or image. More cheat sheets.
