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India will sideswipe you with its size, clamour and diversity. Nothing in the country is ever quite what you expect, and the only thing to expect is the unexpected which comes in many forms and will always want to sit next to you. India is a litmus test for many travellers and some visitors are only too happy to get on an aircraft and fly away, but if you enjoy delving into convoluted cosmologies and thrive on sensual overload, then India is one of the most intricate and rewarding dramas unfolding on earth.
India and Pakistan continue to trade insults and, occasionally, bullets across the disputed Kashmiri border. Indian armed forces and Kashmiri separatists have also been involved in violent clashes in the state. Lonely Planet advises that travellers do not visit the western part of Jammu & Kashmir state, especially Jammu, Srinagar and the Kashmir Valley, and Kishtwar in the Zanskar region. Foreign travellers in this area have been targeted by Kashmiri separatist groups and several have been kidnapped or killed.
Civil unrest is also occurring in the north-eastern states. Terrorist attacks have resulted in bombed trains, buses and bridges, and there have been a number of political killings. Official sources encourage putting off holidays or business travels to the states of Assam, Nagaland, Tripura and Manipur, and due caution should be exercised if travelling in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram. Particular care should also be taken when travelling to parts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar given the prevalence of local banditry.
Travellers require permits from the Indian government to visit the states of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland in the north-east. In the Indian Himalaya, parts of Kullu District and Spiti District of Himachal Pradesh, and areas of Uttar Pradesh, also require authorisation. Other areas requiring permits include the Pakistan-India border region west of National Highway No 15 in Rajasthan, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the Lakshadweep Islands.
Piracy and armed robbery of ships in the seas around the Indian coast is becoming a regular occurence. Crews of all ships need to exercise extreme vigilance.
Full country name: Republic of India
Area: 3,287,590 sq km (1,229,737 sq mi)
Population: 1,014,003,817
Capital city: New Delhi
People: 72% Indo-Aryan, 25% Dravidian, 3% other
Language: Hindi
Religion: 80% Hindu, 14% Muslim, 2.4% Christian, 2% Sikh, 0.7% Buddhist, 0.5% Jains, 0.4% other
Government: Federal Republic
President: Kocheril Raman Narayanan
