FAQs on Tourism from Government of India Website
Kids in Village Talluka with a Jeans and Shirt Clad Me!
India fascinates so many travelers from various parts of the globe. I was today searching for some information on the net and stumbled on the site of Government of India FAQ on tourism.
http://indiainbusiness.nic.in/faq/faq_tourism_service.htm
I found it interesting. I wonder what do you have to say about the advice given there. On this page, I am putting just one.
I hear Indians are a more conservative lot especially compared to people in Western countries. What kind of clothes would be acceptable here?
Shorts, minis and tank tops are unadvisable unless you're on a beach. In small towns and cities especially, people may tend to stare if you expose too much skin. Safe clothing would be trousers, peddle pushers, capris, skirts, tops and shirts. India has some good cottons which are trendy and affordable. Buy yourself some. Women could try wearing a salwar kameez which is very cool and comfortable and could even improve the attitude of people towards them.
I am not sure how sound that advice is, particularly the salwar kameez part. Anywhere, when I am traveling on vacation my dress code is jeans and trousers only, as they are comfortable. Till date, I never felt out of place. Even shorts and tank tops are so common in big cities, particularly Malls.
Have a look at the complete FAQ and decide for yourself.
Labels: Travel
posted by Mridula at 4:08 PM
19 Comments:
me ???
Oh Gosh !!! no miniskirt...no salwar....no tops....
I prefer dhoti-punjabi....
and on the beach ???........*blush*
I read thru the list and found the advice practical and helpful. For example I also wondered the best time of year to go, because I know the seasons are different than in the west, and looks like Spring is best. I read several travel magazines and often they don't address the more practical issues. And as far as clothing, cargo pants and a t-shirt is probably always the way to go, and Very Very comfortable shoes as I've learned from experience!
isnt the dresscode thing a bit out of date?
btw thanks for helping out in the time of distress...am now back in full form. :D
It seemed like good basic advise. I have a friend who travels to India frequently and prefers to wear a salwar kameez because of comfort. I think only the most optimistic Westerner would think they will blend in just by wearing Indian clothing.
Mridula, what's your opinion on wearing regional clothing as #10 advised? Do you notice Westerners more or less?
Avik, you have a wicked sense of humor.
Crystal, I wanted to ask people from outside India, how they found the advice. All my life living here I am biased I guess.
Ashok, gald to hear that you are your sunny self again and I too thought the dress code is just a bit out of date.
Lily, I guess whatever you do you will get noticed. But if you are travelling in a group or as a couple people tend to pay less attention. It is the single girl or even guy who will get maximum glances.
I guess going regional will not help much if you have looks that make you stand out. I hope you will have a nice trip this year.
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
yeah i was ashamed of my skirt when i traveled Ambala. some men looked offended cuz i exposed my legs. this kind of advice can be seen in many travel guide books. glad to hear that is out of date(^^)/
My husband and I both have brown hair and eyes, so we blend in as well as can be expected most places we go. I had a friend in college who was 6'3" and blond. She stood out a bit when she visited India.
The guidebooks I've read all warn against traveling by yourself and that shorts, short skirts and tank tops are inappropriate. They also say that wearing leather (such as shoes or belts) may keep you from entering certain temples.
i have seen many foreigners comfortable in cottom salwar kurta than many Indians!!! Would say a skirt and tank top a strict no if u wanna mingle with the majority...and if u r not going to the touristy places then jeans for girls is also a bit off..
Niki, short skirts are accepted in India only in big city's upscale places like Malls and swank restaurants and they are not common. The outdated part is salwar kameez. Jeans can be worn almost anywhere in India now.
Lily maybe then you will not stand out so much. The leather part could be true of big and famous temples because otherwise belts are commonly worn. But to enter any Hindu temple you have to take off the shoes before and leave it in a locker mostly provided, otherwise they can get pinched!
Shorts etc. are becoming accepted in big cities in a few places like Malls but are not common. Oh! I often wear shorts on my evening walks near my house. It was not so easy 10 years before.
It is a sound advice not to travel alone and avoid dark and deserted places even if you are two people. Lily have you heard about the tout phenomenon in India?
Thoughts, I differ, jeans are very common in India now and like my recent trip to Ladakh, I had nothing but jeans and trousers and shirts with me. Had no problem at all anywhere till date.
Even in the Malls now you do not get too much attention with tank tops and short skirts but yes, on streets and public transport it will invite unpleasantness. And foreigners are comfortable with salwar kameez because no one explained to them the original function of duppata!
I've read about touts. Are they a constant problem? How do you find reliable help if you need a guide or directions to a hotel or shopping (although we'll probably try to do most of our shopping just before we leave so we don't have to carry it all with us)?
We're only going to travel with a small backpack each, so we'll have mostly lightweight clothing that folds down well and can be layered; no jeans or heavy jackets.
I'm glad to hear that we'd have to take our shoes off anyway in a temple. I was a little worried about finding good walking shoes that aren't made with leather.
I guess touts are really common and they really pester you but if yoou tell them you already have booked your place they might leave you alone. It will be a good idea to pre-book your hotel in Goa as it gets really difficult to find a room here in December. Last year I remember reading in newspapers that every single hotel room was booked by October itself.
Guides tend to rush you through a place. So, what we do is to take a quick tour with them and then explore a place on our own pace.
I've an anecdote to share about the same...u would think the "dress-code" applies to women alone. I've been at receving end once. I was visiting a school in rural Gujarat. I was put up in an ashram, where I was politely warned not to wear shorts in the ashram premises. Being early Autumn and not used to Indian heat (ya ya ppl dont believe me when I say this), I was a=only carrying zip-off pants. I would use them as pants whenever in Ashram and would zip them off into shorts the minute I stepped out.
Interesting stuff. Youth Hostel Association of India (YHAI) also does not allow people to wear shorts, though I guess there is no need to wear one on a Himalayan trek, but it also seems a philosophical issue with them. They did let people wear shorts though on the Goa trek.
How can goverment decide about ones dress code. if somebody feels comfortable in Jeans he or she could wear it. In India there are a lot of unwanted limitations.
It completedly depends upon you itself which dress you want to wear and nobody can't insist on you on a particular dress code.
Rajasthan Diary, this I thought is just advice for frequently asked questions. I too found it weird, particularly salwar kameez for ladies. I thought jeans are quite common even in smaller places these days.
I do agree with Mridula that jeans are common nowadays, but the styles that we have in salwar kameez or chudidar kurta surely makes it a big hit. The kurtis worn over jeans is a good example of indo western look.
suma
http://www.s2fashions.com
Suma
www.s2fashions.com
Hi Suma,
I saw your website and it has some interesting desings but a lot of things are not very clear from the site! I thought I would give you this feedback.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home