India: Etiquette and Customs

Greetings/Goodbyes:

Men may shake hands with men, and women with women, but rarely between sexes due to religious beliefs

Hands pressed together in the 'namaste' is also a frequent form of greeting, and acceptable between sexes



Hierarchy is still important in India- when you are meeting a group of people, generally introduce yourself to the eldest person first

When leaving a group, each person should be said goodbye to individually

Formal hello/goodbye = 'namaste' (or namaskar), though most people we will be with will use 'hello'

Food

Food/drink will be offered again and again- saying no the first time is part of the tradition

Eat (whether with hands or utensils) with the right hand rather than the left

Many Indians eat with their fingers

Wait to be told where to sit at the table

When you are finished eating, leave a small amount of food on your plate. An empty plate signals 'give me more'


Visiting someone's home

Take off your shoes. There is usually an area where the shoes are kept



It is not necessary to bring a gift when visiting a person's home, but if you bring one it will not be turned down. Gifts are not opened when received.


General information

Indian's don't like to say no- vague, noncommittal answers probably mean no

Foreigners are expected to be on time, though many Indians are less than punctual



There are many languages in India, several in each region. Most educated Indians will speak English, including hotel staff and many shopkeepers

Yellow, green and red are considered lucky colors

Dress modestly. No need to wear heavy clothes, but women should avoid very low cut shirts, and both sexes should generally stick to longer pants/skirts. Above the knee pants/skirts are VERY uncommon in India



India is 5.5 hours + GMT- this means while we're there we will be 12.5 hours ahead of Colorado, and 13.5 hours ahead of Los Angeles.