Richmond Team Ministry
with the Deep Griha Society
India Trip
2-18 August 2008
Indian Culture
India is an amazing and beautiful country. The culture is unique. The people are incredibly warm and friendly. I have heard India described as "size, clamour and diversity." In short: it's big, it's noisy, it's colourful, it's full of people and animals, it's full of energy, and well, just very full. Almost every sense is engaged in just walking down the street. It is an intense and sometimes overwhelming place to be. You will see beauty and suffering side by side. India will change your life.
I have lived in India, first working with Deep Griha and then travelling alone through the length and breadth of the country over several months. I will do everything I can to help prepare us for 'culture shock' before and during the India Trip.
It is impossible to do justice to Indian culture on one page of A4. I would recommend buying the latest copy of the
Lonely Planet Guide to India (12th edition published September 2007)
and spending some time with it. It's a fabulous travel guide with helpful information about culture, practicalities of travel, 'dos and don'ts' and India in general. You are welcome to borrow my copy.
Otherwise, try the Lonely Planet website at: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
Here are some key points:
Food and Drink
- Indian food in India is not quite like it is here. It varies in the north and the south of the country. As a Deep Griha volunteer, a typical day's food would be:
- Breakfast: Banana, toast and optional boiled egg
- Lunch: Rice, lentil dhal and chapatti
- Dinner: Rice, lentil dhal or potato curry and chapatti
- The food is not heavily spiced.
- Meat is cooked on special occasions, but there is always abundant vegetarian food too, as most Indian people are vegetarian. In India 'pure vegetarian' means no meat, fish or egg.
- People usually eat with their right hands, and do not have cutlery. The chapatti is useful here!
- When we are travelling we will buy food from safe shops and restaurants.
- It is not recommended that you buy food from street vendors.
- Water in India is not safe to drink, so we will need to buy mineral water and carry it with us. This is readily available throughout the country.
- The classic Indian drink is chai, which is not like English tea or chai. It is generally very sweet, very milky, mildly spiced tea served in a very small cup. Everywhere you go people will offer you chai (or in Pune, chaha, which is the Marathi word).
Clothes and Shoes
- Men in India wear clothes similar to men in UK, and no special clothing is required.
- For women it will be important to dress modestly. Long skirts or trousers and loose-fitting tops. It is not recommended that you wear anything tight-fitting, short or low-cut. However, short sleeves are fine. While working at Deep Griha we can wear Salwar Kameez (Punjabi suits) - we can go shopping, choose material and have them tailored to fit on arrival in Pune. These are also very comfortable for travelling.
- Most people in India wear flip-flops. These are practical and waterproof.
Money
- The difference between life in India and life in UK means that things in India seem very inexpensive to us. There will be opportunities for buying souvenirs and gifts, but it is not recommended that you bring large amounts of spending money.
- It is not possible to buy Indian rupees outside of India.
- We will exchange money for group expenses/spending money on arrival.
- Some places will accept debit and credit cards, and there are ATMs in the cities. Check with your bank to find out charges for withdrawing cash or using a card abroad.
Weather
- We will be in India during the monsoon. It will rain and be wet much of the time. The rain will usually be interspersed with sunny or dry spells each day, but it is unlikely to be hot.
- Bring light clothes that dry easily. Jeans are not recommended.
- Flip-flops or other sandals that will be fine to get wet and dry out quickly are recommended.
Religion
- India is a predominantly Hindu country, with many other religions also represented.
- The Deep Griha Society is a secular charity, motivated by Christian faith.
- People of all faiths and none are welcome on this trip.
- There will be opportunity for spiritual and cultural reflection as a group. This will be accessible to people of all faiths and none, and will encourage engagement with the culture we are in.