Etiquettes To Understand & Engage With Indian Culture
Are you planning to visit India soon and want to learn the culture and etiquette better while you are there? The first step to begin from would be learning the basic ways to improve your interaction and engagement with the locals. It might get confusing when you research on the net, so we worked on getting you the exact things to do when you visit India. Get your USA to Mumbai flights booked on Flyopedia and let’s get to it!
Basic Etiquettes To Engage Better With Indian Culture
Before we start, we want to inform you that these may seem strange or unsettling at first. But this is the key to knowing and learning about Indian society and its values on a deeper level. As great bonuses, you can kick start a new friendship while avoiding offending people accidentally.
Greetings
Instead of shaking hands or saying a simple hello, Indian people usually greet people by folding their hands in a prayer position and say ‘pranam’ or ‘namaste’. Shaking hands is acceptable in both business and casual meet ups but if you are greeting the local people who are older than you, saying ‘pranam’ would be appreciated.
Another thing to note is that Indian people greatly value their personal space. So, if you are standing or sitting closer, move at an arm’s distance or away from them when possible. If you want to greet them by going indigenous, you can do that through their religion.
For Muslims, you can greet them by saying ‘salaam alaykum’ with a slight bow of your head. And for Sikhs, greet them by saying ‘sat shri akaal’ with your hands folded in prayer position. Visit India after you book flights from USA to Delhi on Flyopedia and apply your etiquettes today!
Head, Hands, and Feet
It can be confusing to confer a yes or no from the locals when they respond by shaking their heads from up to down or side to side. It is better to ask them for a verbal confirmation and respond accordingly.
When it comes to hands, people prefer to greet others with their right hand as the left hand is considered unclean. This is because the left hand is used in situations like the washroom, cleaning the feet and body, etc. and the right hand is considered to be clean. It is excused if you are a left – handed person. Visit Flyopedia.ca for cheap flight offers from Canada to India.
As for feet, they are the lowest part of our bodies and considered the dirtiest because of the dirt they accumulate while travelling. It is a sign of cleanliness when you open your footwear before entering someone’s home. Also, it is a sign of great respect when you touch the elders’ feet and say ‘pranam’ because Indians greet their familial elders in this way.
Clothing
People dress very modestly in India, as a general rule. You can find them wearing revealing clothing in major cities but that’s where it usually ends. Always cover your shoulders and legs when you are traveling in India. You can wear a salwar suit or a kurta over jeans or leggings. Carry a spare dupatta with you if you are planning to visit religious places.
Now religious places have their own rules when it comes to clothing. For temples and mosques, it is a rule to cover your body fully (except arms) and cover your head with a handkerchief or dupatta. You also need to take off your footwear. For Gurudwaras, both men and women need to cover their heads apart from taking their footwear off and wearing modest clothing.
Now go get cheap flights from USA to India on Flyopedia and visit India ASAP!
Also Read: What You Should Know About Indian Culture Before Your First Trip To India?
