India: Etiquette

The etiquette in India differs quite a bit from etiquette in the United States. The Indian culture is much more humble and modest. Read below to check out some of the important tips you should know before traveling to India. These tips were provided by a good friend, Mayur Aras, who has frequented India and has been kind enough to share his experiences and his culture with all of us:

Keep in mind that India is a huge country; both in population and area, so many cultural customs change from region to region or state to state. Since the country is so diverse, the religion, education, and social class all influence the etiquette and food in the country.

Etiquette:

When meeting new people:

• Indians respect their elders, so greeting the eldest or most senior person first is encouraged.
• Shaking hands: this is hit or miss. Some traditional Indians still don’t shake hands, and will clasp both of their own hands together in a praying motion in front of them and greet you with “Namaste,” with a slight bow of the head – this has religious meaning in Hinduism, but in some areas, this greeting is used for everyone and not just Hindus.
• If people are shaking hands, usually men shake hands with other men and women shake hands with other women; but rarely do men and women shake hands – again, this is religious in nature.
• The theme with shaking hands might be to usually wait for the person you are meeting to offer a greeting, whether it’s an extension of their hand or the “Namaste” and then just replicate that.
• When leaving a group of people, the common practice is to say goodbye to everyone individually and not just a quick goodbye to the group – make sure you take enough time to say goodbye – you will be offered more food or an opportunity to make further plans continuously.

More etiquette:

• Take off your shoes before entering a home – most people will wash their hands and their feet (yes, feet) upon entering a home – it’s a country that’s highly polluted and has a lot of poverty/animals on the streets.
• Dress conservatively; the culture is very non-skin showing. This is really tough to do considering it is very, very hot. Drink lots of water (Bottled water or properly filtered/bioled water ONLY) and look for places with air conditioning.
• As a guest, you should be punctual – but don’t expect the hosts to be, Indians are notoriously late.
• If you are invited to a home for a meal, you can bring a gift, but it isn’t necessary. People don’t usually open gifts right away. In Hinduism, cows are highly regarded – don’t give them gifts that have leather. Don’t give Muslim gifts of alcohol – they don’t drink.
  
• Only eat with your right hand. The left hand is considered unsanitary. (Toilet paper is not often offered in public rest rooms… in this case the left hand is generally used. The sewer system is not equipped to handle excessive paper products. This does not mean that all restrooms do not offer toilet paper but it still might be a good idea to keep spare napkins or tissues on hand.)
  

Thank you, Mayur, for your excellent advice!

Did we miss something regarding India’s etiquette? Let us know, first hand travel advice is especially helpful!