Key Information for Foreign Travelers in India

Visiting India can be a wee bit unnerving for the first-time visitor as the lifestyle and culture is totally different from that of the West. We’ve made a list of some important dos and don’ts for hassle-free and enjoyable travel.

General Tips for Travel to India

• A proper visa and complete paperwork to enter and stay in India is a must, except for some countries which can get Visa on Arrival.
• Do not encourage beggars.
• Don’t trust strangers with money. Trust your hotel, but not people you may bump into on the streets.
• Don’t offer bribes to get any job done. Bribe-taking and bribe-giving are a common practice in India but they are intended to speed up things or win a favor that you are not entitled to. Plan well in advance. Seek help from travel consultants or trade and industry associations. If you expect favors, let them come free or not at all. Warn anyone (even in government) who asks you for a bribe that you would report him to the Anti-Corruption Bureau or the nearest police station. If he persists, do it discreetly so that he can be caught red-handed.
• Indian English may sound different to foreigners of English origin. Don’t show amusement at the different Indian accents and choice of words.
• It is advisable to cover yourself with travel insurance for thefts, loss and medi-claim.
• Carry proper maps of the places you plan to visit in India, as signboards are often absent. Try to reach a station during daytime if traveling on your own. In any case avoid persistent touts and taxi-drivers at airport/stations/bus stands to help you find your hotel. Always use tourist assistance desk for proper advice.
• Women traveling alone in certain deserted places should avoid walking at odd hours.
• While changing money, insist on getting encashment certificate.
• Do not checkout of the hotel in hurry. In some hotels, there may be errors in your bill, which you would end up paying if you don’t cross-check.
• Do not leave your cash and valuables in your hotel rooms. Keep your cash divided in different pockets on your person. Otherwise, deposit the extra money in the safe keeping of the hotel, but remember to take a receipt.
• Take care of proper disposal of your waste materials always whether you are exploring desert, or Himalayas or beaches or anywhere else. Your behavior is your identity.
• Don’t accept offers of visiting anyone’s home unless you are confident of the person.
• Use licensed guides for sightseeing.
• Always use strong suitcases/baggage, as mishandling is common at airports/stations.
• Don’t tip unreasonably and unnecessarily in a hotel. The news soon spreads in the hotel and by the time you checkout there will be a group of them saluting you to expect something.
• In monsoon time avoid night stay in the desert while you do camel safari.
• Check out the weather as per your time of travel and come prepared accordingly.

Car – Private Transportation for Travel

• Best way to travel in India.
• Avoid driving in India unless you have been trained on Indian roads.
• As a driver you should always have one person alongside to help you and your luggage.
• It is better to hire a commercial taxi with a professional driver. Never use your personal vehicle, as in case of any accident, your insurance policy may not cover the damages incurred in a foreign country.
• Be abreast of the traffic rules in any country you visit. For any offense, however unintentional, the traffic police or Regional Transport Officer can penalize you heavily.

Religion

• Do not visit places which encourage orthodoxy, social injustice and inhuman practices (like visiting a sati temple)
• Politics can be freely discussed in India and most people will have an opinion which they will not mind being contradicted. But avoid discussing religion as you might hurt someone’s sentiments.
• Avoid offers of spiritual salvation and magic remedies from saints, or anyone. There may be some spiritually elevated people in India, but there is no way you can distinguish genuine ones from crooks. If you are seriously interested in these aspects of India, take help from someone you know or visit one of the respected and well known spiritual organizations in India.
• Don’t ever enter a temple, mosque, tomb, dargah or Gurudwara ( Sikh Temple) with shoes on. Avoid being scantily dressed. Things to remember include that one should cover his/her head with a cloth while in a Gurudwara or Dargah, and the parikrama or walking around the sanctum should always be in clockwise direction.

Food & Water

• Take care of contamination of water and food poisoning. Always drink safe mineral water and take well-cooked food from a joint that appears neat and hygienic.
• Drink bottled water only. Even many Indians who have lived out of India for a few years sometimes suffer stomach upsets on drinking local tap water. If there is no alternative to tap water, ensure it is boiled. Some popular brands of mineral water are Bisleri, Aqua Fina, Kinley and Himalaya.
• Avoid eating buffet meals, even in expensive hotels. The food may become contaminated due to over-exposure.
• It is advisable not to buy food from roadside stalls or mobile canteens. Not that they are bad, but your system may not be accustomed to such delicacies and you might end up with an upset stomach.
• Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Chicken Curry and Naan are the most common dishes preferred by western people, but  the Indian cuisine is very diverse and you can choose as per your mood and preferences.
• Lassi, aerated cold drinks & mineral water are popular drinks. Kingfisher large beer is one of the most preferred alcoholic brands consumed by foreigners.

Traveling in Trains, Buses, Cars & Flights

• While traveling, don’t act confused. Keep a posture of a person known to the region.
• If you are traveling in the trains then you may have to reserve your seats in advance, as it may not be easy to get confirm seat reservations at the last minute.
• Some buses may not be as comfortable as trains. If you wish to travel by bus, choose the class of travel carefully. A ride in a Volvo bus could be very relaxing.
• Be careful about your luggage while travelling.
• Flights to and from popular tourist destinations are often over booked so try to get a booking as soon as possible.
• Trains and buses are the best and cheapest option if you are traveling for more than one month. Also not all cities have an airport.
• It is always better to arrive one hour before scheduled departure at the railway station/ airport.
• Always chain and lock your luggage under your berth in a train. Don’t keep anything valuable near the window. Always carry plenty of water, fluids in trains. A lone woman traveler may request to be accommodated near other female travelers.
• Don’t eat anything offered by fellow travelers. It might be contaminated by drugs.
• Trains and domestic flight’s can get cancelled without any prior notice but it wont happen unless there is some major problem.

Shopping

• Don’t buy antiques more than 100 years old. Selling and buying “shahtoosh” shawls is a crime. The same goes for ivory and wildlife.
• Buy at genuine shops only. Bargaining is a popular practice in India and necessary too. Don’t ever believe in lucrative offers of antique dealers in which they offer you to carry a parcel of some other buyer back home with your own margin described. Entire transaction should be legal and transparent so that you may claim later if dissatisfied.
• Guides & Taxi drivers often get commissions if you buy anything from the shop they take you to. Percentage of commission depends on your bill, so more you bargain, lesser is their commission.
• If you are buying from roadside stalls or hawkers, bargain you must. Start by offering half the price they ask for and settle for 70 – 80%. Don’t bargain in shops, especially those that display “Fixed Price” signs,  that will be seen as bad manners. It is always better to buy from the shops which have price tags attached on their merchandise.

Society & Trends

• Participating in a social occasion or visiting a person’s home requires conservative dress codes. Do not shake hands with ladies. Always pick up a thing and eat with your right hand. Take only as much as you can eat, do not leave anything uneaten over the dish.
• Do not point your finger at any person. It is taken as a sign of annoyance.
• Be careful of cultural and social sensitivities of the regions. There is no single rule for that, the best way is to observe and follow.
• The “NAMASTE” is a local form of greeting. It involves the joining of your palms as during prayer in church (in church, the two thumbs are crossed, in the Indian “NAMASTE” , the thumbs join but remain parallel to each other: this is only for information as the difference is not visible to the person in front of you).
• If you find the lady is not extending a hand shake, go for the “NAMASTE”. Even with men, the “NAMASTE” can be an excellent little PR gimmick! Follow it up with a “AAP KAISE HAIN” (how are you?) and you have broken the first block of ice if there was one ever.
• If somebody has invited you home for dinner, carry with you a box of sweets or at least a chocolate bar for the kids.
• Don’t show your amusement even if some practices you witness may appear funny.
• Don’t photograph women without permission.
• Enjoy Indian weddings and other festivities to the full, as they are very colorful and gay.

Tipping

• Tipping in India is a common practice. There are basically two types of tips. In the first case, the tip is paid after the work is completed. In the second case, tip is given beforehand to ensure a good service. In hotels, porters and room service attendants are generally tipped at the end of the stay. However, the amount of tip varies depending on the type of services rendered and the type of establishment.
• In restaurants, the tip to waiters is around 10-15 percent of the bill. In cases of restaurants of famous and prestigious hotels, generally a 10 percent service surcharge is added to the bill. Tipping at such a place is discretionary. In smaller places, the tip is not a percentage of the bill. Rather, few rupees are given as a tip, depending on the quality of service.
• Tipping taxi and three-wheeler a driver is not too common but still they expect from foreigners. It is up to your discretion. However, if you want to tip, then, 10 percent of the fare or leaving the change is enough. If you are hiring a car throughout your stay, then, tip the driver Rs. 100-200 per day, depending on the distance travelled. At railway stations, pay the porters around Rs. 10-20 per bag. But, make sure to set the rate beforehand. If you stay at somebody’s house, ask your host before tipping their domestic help.

Customs & Airport Authority of India

• Please confirm with the Indian Customs department at the airport before carrying any liquid item, especially medicines.
• Remember to announce your weapons, if any.

Monuments

Some important monuments are closed on particular days of the week, or during specific times of the year. So one should plan accordingly:

• Ajanta Caves are closed on Mondays.
• Ellora Caves are closed on Tuesdays.
• Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays.
• Lotus Temple in Delhi is closed on Monday.
• Akshardham Temple is closed on Monday.
• Most of the national parks in India remain closed from 1st July onwards till 30th of September but Corbet National Park is open after 15th November.
• National Museum in Delhi closed on Monday.

As the temperature rises as the day progresses, it is advisable to start sight seeing little early in the morning. If you start around 8:00 AM, you can avoid the scorching heat of the northern plains. Also the traffic encountered on the city roads is lesser during the early hours of the day.

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Foreign Independent Traveler (FIT) – An increasing trend in India

FIT, although a common term in the travel industry, is not popular among people, including those for whom it has been coined. FIT is acronym for ‘Foreign Independent Traveler’, which means lone travellers as opposed to groups, whose origin is other than India.

Increasingly, there has been an increase in the inflow of FIT in India as more people realized its benefits over group travel:

• In the internet age, one does not need the help of others to plan out things. Sitting in the comfort of a hotel room, he can plan a city tour, book tickets online, call a cab or whatever he wants.
• Travelling in a group of strangers isn’t always an appealing idea. Personality traits, preferences, etc vary from individual to individual. For example, if one wishes to spend some extra time at a particular location, and his tour party wants him back after a stipulated time, it becomes very disturbing. Being alone also offers a lot of privacy.
• Nowadays, travel has come to mean a lot beyond being away from the work. People want to spend quality time on their own or with their close friends or pets. Like Ms. Emilie Chatel (French national) was in India with her dog (Lola) for a vacation in Mumbai and Goa.
• There is hardly much difference in the charges of tour operators between self-guided and guided tours.
• Preference for accommodation has also shifted to homestays and vacation homes, instead of conventional hotels. At these locations, the host can be the guide, companion or facilitator.

Above all, being independent is always economical compared to travelling in groups. A solitary traveler needs to pay according to his consumption, unlike group travel where everyone needs to bear the equal cost.

Most people think that FIT and self guided travel is synonymous. However, these terms can be used interchangeably but not everywhere. Self guided travel means that traveler designs his own itinerary and plans his trip instead of having an escort for the trip. The traveler would hire local guides at specific locations only, being on his own for most of his trip. This would reduce the travel expenses, provided the proper homework is done before embarking on the journey.

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Tourism Sector in India: Implication of Union Budget 2011-12

Rahul was excited about a gift voucher he had received: it offered free air tickets to any destination in India for two. To his dismay, at the time of booking, he realized the amount he had to pay as ‘fuel surcharges and taxes’ was actually more than six times the amount he had been waivered off. He could not disappoint his wife, as this was a long-looked-forward-to getaway. So he started looking up websites of hotels to check out room tariffs and packages offered. The packages were indeed attractive, but all came with a fine print: a huge chunk of service tax to be levied over the otherwise- reasonable charges.

If you relate with Rahul’s disappointment while you read this, this could be your story too: in the Union Budget 2011-12, the service taxes have been increased for air conditioned restaurants possessing licenses to serve alcoholic beverages and hotel accommodation, in excess of declared tariff of Rs. 1,000 per day.  Moreover, service taxes on air travel have been hiked in domestic and international travel (economy class) by Rs. 50 and Rs. 250 respectively, and on domestic air travel (other than economy) at standard rate of 10% (in line with international travel).

Needless to say, in this situation, the elasticity is strongly negative. This may have been declared to incentivise cashflow to the government, but would act as a major deterrent to air travel and demand of hotels and restaurants. The consumer becomes the ultimate scapegoat.

Although a land of rich cultural heritage and breathtaking natural beauty, India ranks 41^st among the top global destinations for international travel. There’s still a long way to go for India to feature among the top ten destinations. The domestic tourist volume in India is also booming, reaching 705 million in 2010. The scope is immense, and the onus is now on the country’s administration to take the correct policy measures.

Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has made concerted efforts under similar campaigns as ‘Incredible India’ in overseas and domestic markets and through Mega Tourism Projects, a judicious mix of cultural, heritage, spiritual, and eco tourism in order to give tourists a holistic experience.

Till date, the Government has identified 38 projects out of which 23 have been sanctioned.

MoT, in coordinating with other ministries such as Railways, Civil Aviation, Road Transport & Highways, Food Processing and Urban Development as well as the concerned State Governments, is looking to maximize the returns from investments in the tourist destinations. In order to meet the huge skill gap in the hospitality industry, the Government has put in place a multipronged strategy which includes strengthening and expanding the institutional infrastructure for training and education. Besides, steps are being taken for skill training of youth in the hospitality sector and providing skill certification.

Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVoA) scheme was launched in January 2010 on pilot basis covering 11 countries: Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Myanmar and Indonesia.

The Government has announced various financial and fiscal incentives for the hospitality sector, including a five-year tax holiday under the Income Tax Act for two, three, and four star category hotels located in all United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage sites (except Mumbai and Delhi) for hotels starting operations from 1st April 2008 to 31st March 2013.

Other incentives include:

• Relaxation of external commercial borrowings (ECB) to reduce the liquidity crunch being faced by the hotel industry for setting up new hotel projects
• Allowing FDI up to 100% under the automatic route for the hotel and tourism-related industry
• Delinking credit for hotel projects from real estate by The Reserve Bank of India , thereby enabling hotel projects to avail of credit at relaxed norms and reduced interest rates.

The government has also launched a voluntary scheme of granting approval to bonafide tour operators, travel agents, tourist transport operators, and adventure tour operators who satisfy certain criteria specified in terms of turnover, infrastructure, and manpower.

International travelers tend to book their stay as well as plan their entire trip online while domestic people are often dependent on travel agencies and tour operators. We, at The Other Home, aim to address the needs of our customers as per their requirements. Our packages and services are designed to suit everyone.

Come, discover India!!

For more details, please see this presentation:

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Medical Tourism – Answers to Some Frequently Asked Questions

Today, many people travel great distances to exotic locations or health care facilities in faraway countries, in search of medical treatment and care. Medical Tourism is an age-old concept that has gained popularity in the recent times.

Many developing countries are emerging as hot medical tourism destinations capitalizing on low cost advantages and emergence of several private players. 

According to a study report prepared by Research and Markets (Asian Medical Tourism Analysis 2008-2012), the Asian medical tourism industry is growing at a double-digit growth rate. It estimated that Thailand, India, and Singapore controlled more than 90% share of Asia’s medical tourism industry in 2009. India has been envisaged to emerge as the front leader in medical tourism industry, accounting for around 26% of the region’s industry by 2012 capitalizing on competitive advantage in terms of availability of trained doctors and physicians. With economic growth, the medical infrastructure & technology is also improving at a fast pace. Government of India has also boosted private investment in medical facility with the social economic zone (SEZ) in healthcare sector like BioPure Integrated Health SEZ, Realtech Medicity and Mediville Medical City.

India, known so far as an offshore destination for IT and ITeS, would soon emerge as the medical capital of the world. The medical tourism market in India was estimated at $333 million in 2004 and projected to reach $2.3 billion by 2012 (CII & McKinsey Study). India’s forte lies in Dental Tourism. As dental work in India is good, yet economical, dentists receive patronage from people from SAARC region, Middle East Africa and the West; for dental check-up, tartar cleaning and teeth replacement. An extraction in India would cost around $3, whereas the same procedure in US or a European country would cost approx. $100 or €100 respectively.

According to Center for Medical Tourism Research (2010), it was estimated that 1.12 million Americans traveled for medical treatment in 2009, including dental and cosmetic surgery patients but not spa and wellness travellers. The ‘Survey of Health Care Consumers’ done by Deloitte & Touche 2008 (online survey of more than 3,000 Americans) expects medical tourism to grow at a rapid pace over the near future. The key reasons includes increase cost of health care in developed countries, availability of safe and quality care in developing nations with international accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI) and others and last but not the least, saving of more than 50% in medical expenses.

Medical Cost Comparison (in %)

(Source: “Patient Beyond Border” by Josef Woodman and Global Benefits Options). Note: Costs are for surgery, including hospital stay only.

On prima facie, Jordan may appear as the cheapest country for medical treatment, followed by Colombia and India. However, different countries have different cost advantages for the medical tourist. It is important for the medical tourist to identify the country which offers clear cost advantages in comparison to other country, offering at par level of services.

Surgery	Cheapest	Second Lowest	Third Lowest
Heart Bypass	India	Jordan	Singapore
Angioplasty	Jordan	Colombia	Thailand
Heart Valve Replacement	India	Colombia	Jordan
Hip Replacement	India	Jordan	Colombia
Hip Resurfacing	India	Jordan	Colombia
Knee Replacement	India	Jordan	Colombia
Spinal Fusion	Mexico	Jordan	India
Dental Implant	Jordan	India	Mexico
Lap Band	Jordan	Colombia	India
Breast Implants	Colombia	Jordan	Costa Rica
Rhinoplasty	Colombia	India	Jordan
Face Lift	Jordan	South Korea	Colombia
Hysterectomy	Colombia	Jordan	Singapore

Although cost of travel or treatment isn’t the first thing that comes to mind while seeking medical care, going abroad for an operation can be a harrowing experience if not organized correctly. With the right planning, it can be an incredibly positive experience. However, there are few inhibitions pertaining to hygiene and infrastructure in third world countries. Some of these issues are due to lack of knowledge about the foreign land and can be resolved through high quality medical or dental care offered by medical tourism agencies.

Seeking medical care is never without concerns whether sought at home or overseas. However, through proper planning and preparation you can get around these concerns and enjoy a happy, safe and successful medical travel experience. Some common issues have been addressed below:

Difficult to Mange Things Directly: Often, patients cannot organize all the tasks themselves like finding top quality hospital and arrange other things. It is always advisable to appoint a medical tourism facilitator specializing in finding top quality hospitals and providing valuable services like detailed information about hospitals and surgeons, online medical records transfer, free surgery quote, pre- and post-consultation with the overseas hospital, medical and dental loan financing, immigration document services like passport and visa acquisition, airport pick-up and drop-off, hospital escort, language translation, air tickets booking, travel insurance, hotel booking, tourism services in the destination country, feedback and testimonials from previous patients, and many more.

Simplified information of medical services: Awareness of medical procedures, medico-legal law and accreditation systems, pre-and postoperative arrangements are of utmost importance. This requires the medical tourism facilitators to have a basic understanding of the medical subject so that they can confidently explain their offered services with all the technical details, thereby providing better medical/healthcare experience. Tie ups with prominent doctors, experts in various fields, leading hospitals and nursing homes are mandatory aspects of the medical tourism agency.

Unfamiliarity with the Overseas Provider: Travelers may feel lack of confidence in obtaining medical care in an unknown land with unfamiliar rules & regulations. This is a practical problem and has a logical solution too. Patients should spend some time and collect information like hospital profile, its accreditations and affiliations, facilities available, surgeon qualifications, ask for previous patient testimonials, and so on. Patient can contact some medical tourism facilitators to provide these details.

Follow-up care in the Foreign Land: Aftercare is very important for a patient, especially when one is in a foreign land, away from your family and friends. The advantage in new medical tourism destination countries is that foreign patients can stay for longer duration in the hospital without causing much financial burden. The patient can recover under the full supervision of the physicians and medical staff and be in touch with the local surgeons after going back to his native country.  It is always important to remain connected with local providers at home for any follow-up care needed.

Physical Distance: The physical distance between the home country and host country, where the patient is looking to avail medical services is very important as it is often difficult for the patient to take long flights after treatment. The practical solution is that the patient can choose a destination which is closer to his home country and secondly, travelers can keep some extra budget for flights so that one may avail the comfort of business class travel, at least for the return leg of the journey.

Away from Family and Friends: Patients in foreign countries are also concerned about the absence of family and friends at times when one needs them the most. It is always advisable to plan a medical treatment trip with a companion. This will ensure that you feel comfortable in the company of your companion in the foreign country. Now days, it is possible to remain connected back home through revolutional communication mediums such as internet, calling cards, video conference and emails. In medical tourism countries, you can avail the service of personal attendant at a reasonable cost.

Local Accommodation for Longer Treatment: In certain cases, the patients are required to stay for longer duration in the host country. In these cases, it is difficult to stay in a good hotel for longer stretch as it will burn a big hole in your pocket. The solution to this problem is staying in a service apartment, villa or home stay. It is not only economical but also ensures that the patient gets full comfort, individual care and privacy round the clock. It is possible to use the furnished kitchen to cook the food as per the patient’s preference and requirement of the medical prescription. Also, once the patient has recovered fairly, some trips may be organized for upliftment of his spirits and complete recovery after seeking medical consultation.

Weak or Malpractice Laws: Legal system in the emerging medical tourism destination countries is perhaps the black sheep in these developing countries leaving foreign patients with little or no legal help available in case of any medical problem. However, the best way to minimize this risk is to avail only high quality healthcare services and select healthcare service providers only after checking the track records. So, if you have selected the right provider and surgeon after thorough research, you will definitely get quality services.

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Medical Tourism: India is the best destination

There are number of buzz words in today’s tourism industry such as rural tourism, village tourism, adventure tourism, eco-tourism and above all medical tourism. Contrary to popular belief, the concept of medical tourism is no new term. It has, in fact, been in vogue from historic times.

People from countries like Europe, Middle East, Greek and Egypt have been travelling to hot springs, baths and remote retreats during 18th and 19th century to cure ailments. The concept is gaining popularity with recent times. Medical tourism is a term where people from all around the world are traveling to other countries to obtain medical, dental, and surgical care, while at the same time, they can enjoy a vacation and enjoy the tourist attractions of the countries. It has become a common form of vacationing, and covers a broad spectrum of medical services.

Previously medical tourism was dominated by cosmetic and dental procedures. But nowadays everything from knee replacements to major heart surgery can be obtained in developing countries where internationally accredited health centers provide high-quality treatment with lower costs and shorter waiting periods. Many developing countries are emerging as hot medical tourism destinations such as India, Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Thailand, and Malaysia etc. Factors such as overburdened healthcare infrastructure, high costs and stringent visa formalities in the West and Middle East have opened up avenues for hospitals, travel companies and companies offering medical services in various Asian countries to promote medical tourism. The cost incurred in travel, treatment and holidaying combined is perhaps a fraction of the charges of treatment in those countries.

According to the University of Delaware, a heart-valve replacement priced at US$200,000 or more in an American hospital can cost less than $10,000 in India, including airfare and a post-operative vacation package.

India has the golden opportunity to emerge as a leader in Medical Tourism, with advanced medical services paired with exotic natural bounties, a boon for medical tourists.. The country has developed, efficient and safe health services, and also has major tourist attractions, some of which are world renowned.

According to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and McKinsey study on healthcare, the medical tourism industry in India is poised to be the next big success story after software. It has predicted that the industry will grow to earn additional revenue of $2.3 billion by 2012 and would account for a major share of the country’s revenue soon. In 2004, about 150,000 medical tourists visited India. The Indian medical tourism industry is growing at a whopping rate of 30% annually, catering to patients chiefly from the USA, Europe, West Asia and Africa.

However, the industry is still struggling with few issues, before it becomes a full fledged sector, viz., lack of public awareness, empanelment of professionals and hospitals, regulatory control, transparency and quality, etc. Ministries of Tourism and Health and Welfare would have to work in collaboration to prevent organ smuggling and similar unethical practices.

Medical Tourism

Medical tourism not only creates jobs in the tourism industry, but has brought about the emergence of medical tourism agencies, which are connecting patients and specialized physicians. The key tasks of these companies include finding hospitals, scheduling surgeries, buying airline tickets, reserving hotel rooms, and planning tours for patients. It provides wide clientele to specialized companies which are offering non-hotel accommodation options like service apartment, holiday home and homestay for longer period for the patients. Some of the countries are offering incentives to lure medical tourists like South Africa plays up the possibility of combining surgery and safaris, Hungary boasts that it has 100 thermal springs and 12 medicinal baths, and Thailand entices potential patients with photographs of beaches, temples and the famous Bangkok waterways.

At The Other Home, we offer individual care to patients whom we have as guests at all our homestays. The different packages have been designed through expert medical consultations to meet the specialized needs of different categories of ailments. Also specific prescriptions of individual doctors are taken into consideration for the absolute comfort of our guests.

We welcome you to join our family.

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Handicrafts of Eastern India

Art floats in the air of East India. Although simple forms derived out of natural resources define handicrafts of this region, the beauty and variety are way beyond the capacity of words to describe. Most forms are also deeply inter-related with the history and religious beliefs and practices of the places.

Patta Chitra from Orissa has evolved from the age old practice of communication written on palm leaves. Also to maintain secrecy, pictorial representations were often used. At present, mythological representations are popular.

The fantastic pictorial conceptions, the idiosyncratic conventions, the extra-ordinary system of line formations and vibrant use of colors make this art form stand by itself. It is assumed that the uniqueness of this school of painting was derived from some primitive forms of aboriginal art from Orissa and its neighboring states.

A similar painting form is seen in West Bengal, called “Pata” or “Patua”, painted on cloth or handmade paper. They are unmounted panels sewn together to depict a story, which may be mythological, or related to natural calamities, or any other topic, which flows through vertical divisions of the individual panels. The sewn pieces are then rolled into a long scroll which varies from four to fifty feet. It would be unfair not to mention Madhubani paintings of Bihar in this flow. The source of colours is very innovative: black is derived from soot and cowdung, yellow from turmeric, blue from indigo, white from rice powder, etc.

Nandalal Bose and Jamini Roy are two famous painters from West Bengal who brought in a revolution in painting styles. Rebellions to break free from conventional practices have been seen in works of R. N. Tagore, who was also a nobel laureate for literature and a very talented poet and story teller. Shantiniketan is an institute set up by this great personality where his art forms and styles, his music and teachings are imparted.

Woodcrafts is unique in West Bengal, as is handloom. “Tnat”, a form of weaving cloth from cotton threads is very popular here. Also Baluchari silk with bold motifs and bright colours is famous from this state. Knatha, a form of fine stitches to form beautiful designs, Batik, a form of creating designs through wax, Sambalpuri sarees and Kotki prints from Bengal and Orissa are in high demand all over the country.

Paper pulp and wooden masks are marks of the tradition of Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand. Fierce mask of Jharkhand, Chhou mask of Purulia, painted wood masks from Orissa, “papier-mache” masks from Bihar are well known. Toy making is also a popular art, mostly used as show pieces, as they are finely crafted and beautiful. Terracotta from Bengal, Silverware from Orissa, Carpets and Lacquer work from Bihar and Woodwork from the dense woods of Jharkhand  are signatures of these states.

Responsible Tourism is tourism that has as little impact on the local environment and culture as possible, while being of benefit to the local people. An important step in responsible tourism, leading towards sustainability, is using local produce and eating local food. You can learn more about North-East India Craft and enjoy your stay at homestay property in North-east India – Khonoma Homestay in Kohima, Nagaland.

If you want to be notified next time, subscribe to the RSS feed or say hello via Twitter @theotherhome. You can plan your dream holiday with us, visit The Other Home.