Useful
Links:
Business hours
Government office are open from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Saturday, and
are closed every second Saturday. Banks are open from 10 am to 2 pm
Monday to Friday, and 10 am to 12 noon on Saturday. There are some banks
with evening branches also. Travellers cheque transactions usually cease
30 minutes before the official bank closing time. In some tourist center
there may be foreign exchange offices that stay open longer (eg Thomas
Cook is open Monday to Saturday 9.30 am to 6 pm). In most of the state
capitals, the main post office (usually called GPO) is open until around
7 pm daily.
Shops and markets opens around 10 (it varies with city) and closes at 8
PM, markets are usually closed on Sunday and public holidays. But you
will find some shops to remain open on Sundays also.
Public holidays and national holidays
National Holidays
These are the days when you will find all the government and private
establishment closed including banks and tourist spots. Following are
the days:
Republic Day - 26th January of every year- It was on this day in
1950, the constitution of Independent India became applicable to the
country and so the republic became a legal entity.
Ambedkar Jayanti - 14th April of every year - The birth
anniversary of Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar, the founder of Indian
constitution.
Independence Day - 15th August of every year - The anniversary
of unfurling of the Indian tricolor at the red fort ushering in the age
of freedom from British rule in 1947.
Gandhi Jayanti - 2nd Oct of every year - A grateful nation pays
it's heartfelt tribute to the Father Of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi on his
birthday.
Public Holidays
India has a great number of holidays and festivals. Most follow either
the Indian lunar calendar or the Islamic calendar, and therefore
festival dates changes from year to year according to the calendar.
Local tourist offices should be able to provide specific dates. Most
tourist attractions, such as museums and monuments, are closed on public
holidays.
Weight and measures
Capacity
1 liter=0.220 gallons
1 gallon=4.546 liters
1 pint=0.863 liters
Weight
1 Kilogram=2.205 pounds
1 Pound=0.454 kilograms
Length
1 meter=1.094 yards
1 yard=0.914 meters
1 kilometer=0.621 miles
1 mile=1.609 kilometers
General information
Electricity
Electricity 220-240 volts AC. Some tope hotels have transformers. There
may pronounced variations in the voltage, and power cuts are common.
Socket sizes vary so you are advised to take a universal adaptor
(available at most airports). Many hotels even in the higher categories
don't have electric razor sockets. During power cuts, diesel generators
are often used in the medium and higher category hotels to provide power
for essential equipment but this may not always cover air-conditioning.
Time difference
Official time difference is GMT +5 1/2 hours through out the year (USA,
EST+10 1/2 hours). In India you will not find different time zone.
About India
India is the seventh largest country in the world with the area of
3287, 539 sq km, and the second largest country in the world in
population. It stretches 3220 km from north to south and 2980 km from
east to west.
Around 83% of its population is hindus & other 11% Muslims, 2.5%
Christians, 2% Sikhs, 1.5% Budhist, Jains and others. Hindi is the most
important & national language spoken by about 50% of population.
Major cities are Delhi (capital), Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai. The
countries literacy rate is 36%.
