POST ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY

[kritdc]

Hi, my country is land of smile :D

[ddproductions]

discover the heart-shaped island of Marinduque in the Philippines!

[aridan]

hello
i am from israel
in israel you have lots of beautifull places and most beautiful is jerusalem
there you can find the western wall and others holly places to all religues

[Perfection]

Aurangabad is named after Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, is a city in Maharashtra, India. The city is a tourist hub, surrounded with many historical monuments including the Ajanta and Ellora World heritage sites, Bibi Ka Maqbara (a replica of the Taj Mahal), Aurangabad caves, the Ghrishneshwar Shiva temple, Daulatabad fort, Panchakki (The Water Mill complex) and Khultabad, the resting place of Aurangzeb.

Lonar Crater, 150 km from Aurangabad

Regular buses are available from Malkapur and Jalna to Lonar. An alternative option is to take buses going towards Mehkar / Washim which you can take up to Sultanpur. There are share a cab options from Sultanpur which is around 12 km from Lonar.

Lonar Crater : The world's only salt water lake in basaltic rock is in Lonar. Lonar crater is believed to have been caused by a meteorite hitting Earth around 50,000 years ago. It has a jungle around the crater and is a good place for bird lovers. Peacocks, Owls and other birds are in abundant here. On the lake and around it you'll find Red-wattled_Lapwing, Ducks and lots of other species. There are around 13 temples around the lake out of which only 3-4 are maintained but the ruins are worth a visit to check the carvings.

Gaumukh, Sita Nani, Motha Maruti, Daitya Sudan Temple with beautiful carving are nearby.

[Perfection]

Incredible India

Do's & Dont's

1) If you just cannot avoid extra-marital sex in India, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, USE THE CONDOM even if the other person is not a commercial sex worker.

2) If you are male introduced to a lady or a grown-up girl, don't take the initiative of offering a handshake. If she extends her hand, you must reciprocate, but don't be the first to extend your hand. If you are female and are being introduced to a male: it is up to you – the female – to take the initiative for a handshake. The rule of thumb is: the female extends her hand first, and the male reciprocates.

3) The Western practice of a peck on the cheek as a form of greeting a lady or a grown up girl is JUST NOT IN when you are in India unless you happen to be in 'Westernised Indian' circles or in the company of people in the glamour industry such as models and beauty queens (even then, DON'T take the initiative if you are male).

3) The namastay is a local form of greeting. It involves the joining of your palms as during prayer in church – well, not exactly, but it can pass (in church, the two thumbs are crossed, in the Indian 'namastay', 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).

4) If you find the lady is not extending a hand shake, go for the namastay. Even with men, the namastay can be an excellent little PR gimmick! Follow it up with a kaise hai (how are you?) and you have broken the first block of ice if one there was!.

5) 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, especially with Muslims who form 11% of India's population.

6) Avoid visiting Kashmir in the extreme north as well as areas in the extreme north-east. Foreigners, especially West Europeans and Americans, are at risk to hostage-taking by terrorists in those areas. The rest of India is safe haven for everybody.

7) Don't trust strangers with money. Trust your hotel, but not people you may bump into on the streets.

8) If somebody has invited you home for dinner, carry with you a box of sweets or at least a chocolate bar for the kid.

9) If you are buying from roadside stalls or hawkers, bargain you must. Start by offering half the price they ask for and settle for 60 percent. Don't bargain in proper shops especially those that display "Fixed Price" signs: that will be seen as bad manners.

10) Never 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 spending more time in the loo than normal.

11) 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.

12) 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 favour that you are not entitled to. Plan well in advance. If you expect favours, 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.

13) Indian English has its own delights especially to foreigners of English nativity. Don't show amusement at the different Indian accents and choice of words. This does not take away from the fact that many Indians speak and write better English than many native English speakers.

14) Many Indians are in the habit of shaking their head in the course of conversation or taking instructions. Don't show amusement if you witness this.

15) Avoid offers of spiritual salvation and magic remedies from saints, godmen and quacks. There may be some spiritually elevated people in India, but there is no way you can distinguish the genuine ones from the crooks. If you are seriously interested in these aspects of India, take help from someone you know or visit one of the respected spiritual organisations in India.

16) Avoid driving in India unless you have been trained on Indian roads.

[candygirl]

http://www.bulgariatravel.org/
This is my country-Bulgaria:)

[Perfection]

Visa Requirements

Foreigners desirous of visiting India can do so after obtaining a visa from the Indian Mission in the country of their residence, or in a country nearest to them. People of all nationalities are welcome to visit India for tourism, business, education, family reunions etc. Employment visas are also granted if backed by employment contracts. Visas for spouse and children of foreigners employed in India are automatically granted. Nationals of Pakistan and Afghanistan are advised to apply for their visa well in advance of their intended travel because the procedure for processing their applications often takes longer than for other nationalities. All visa applicants must posses a valid passport of their country of citizenship.

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Types of visa

Tourist Visa: Usually a multi-entry visa is granted for the purpose of tourism.

Transit Visa: Transit visas are granted by Indian Missions abroad for a maximum period of 15 days.

Business Visa: A foreigner can obtain one from an Indian Embassy or Consulate abroad.

Student Visa: A student visa can be obtained from an Indian Embassy or Consulate abroad on the production of proof of admission and means of sustenance while in India. The visa is valid for one year but can be extended in India for the duration of the course.

Conference Visa: Delegates coming to attend international conferences and/or exhibitions in India can be granted Conference Visas to cover the conference as well as for tourism in India Delegates are advised to apply to the Indian Embassies well in advance.

Religious missionary visas: Religious missionaries can obtain visas for single entry and duration as permitted by the Government of India. Writers who are known to have offended religious sentiments have been refused visa in recent years.

Foreign religious preachers known, or suspected, to be able to arouse religious passions that can disturb peaceful co-existence of all religions, are unlikely to be given visa.

Journalist Visa: Professional journalists and photographers are granted visa for three months' stay in India.

Employment Visa: Employment visas are initially issued for one year stay. This can be extended by the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office in India, if the job contract continues. Spouses and children will get coterminous visas.

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Foreigner's Regional Registration Offices (FRROs) in New Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta and the Chief Immigration Officer in Madras, handle visa renewals as well as permits for Restricted Areas, via Andaman Islands, Sikkim, Assam, Ladakh, Lahaul Spiti, etc.

New Delhi: 1st Floor, Hans Bhavan, Tilak Bridge, New Delhi - 110002. Telephone: (91 11) 3319489

Kolkata: 9/1, Gariahat Road, Calcutta - 700020. Telephone: (91 33) 443301, 2470549

Chennai: 9, Village Road, Nungabakkam, Madras - 600034. Telephone: (91 44) 8270549

Mumbai: 2nd Floor, 414 V.S. Marg, Prabhadevi, Mumbai - 400001. Telephone: (91 22) 430133

Exemption from Registration

Foreigners coming to India on tourist visas for 180 days or a shorter period are not required to register themselves with any authority in India. They can move about freely in the country, except to restricted/protected areas and prohibited places.

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Passengers embarking on journeys to any place outside India from a Customs airport / seaport will have to pay a Foreign Travel Tax (FTT) of Rs.500/- to most countries and Rs.150/- on journeys to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

In case of transit passengers, provided they do not leave the Customs barrier, Transit passengers traveling by air who have to leave the airport on account of mechanical trouble but continue their journey by the same aircraft and the same flight number by which they arrive are also exempt from FTE. Transit sea passengers leaving the ship for sightseeing, shopping, etc., during the ship's call at any of the Indian ports will not be required to pay FTT.

INLAND AIR TRAVEL TAX

An Inland Air Travel Tax is leviable at 10 per cent of the basic fare, on all passengers embarking on an inland air journey. However, those passengers paying their Airfare in foreign exchange will be exempted from payment of this tax. In addition, infants, cancer patients, blind persons and invalids (those on stretchers) are also exempted from payment of this tax after fulfilling certain conditions, stipulated in the relevant notifications.