India

India, my home country, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh largest country by area and the most populous democracy in the World. New Delhi is the capital of India. India consists of 29 states and 7 union territories.

• Capital city: New Delhi.
• Main language spoken: Hindi and English.
  • Basic Greetings in Hindi: Namaste, Shukriya/Dhanyawad.
• Currency: Indian rupee (INR).
  • Forex Exchange: Currency can be exchanged at any international airports.
• Tourist visa: Visa is required to enter India (latest information can be found on Indian Immigration website).
• Best time to visit: October to March.
• Adapter required (power points): Type D plug.
• SIM: Airtel, Vodafone and BSNL are the common providers.
• Driving licence: International unexpired valid driving licence is required.

Ancient India was known as the Golden Sparrow, because of the wealth and prosperity.

Mark Twain summarized as to why India was called a “Golden Sparrow”. He quoted:  “The land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of palaces and hovels, of famine and pestilence, of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of hundred nations and a hundred tongues, of a thousand religions and two million gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of traditions, whose yesterday’s bear date with the antiquities for the rest of nations-the one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for alien prince and alien peasant, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the world combined.”