India Travel for First timers, Tips to reduce culture shock

The Indian destination of your dreams may be dotted with palaces, the Taj Mahal, elephants and saints in yoga postures. A de-bunking of the mythical India. To many, India is the land of spices, romance, hot summers and palaces. It is a land of many peoples, languages and cultures - one that promises to pack in an entire continent into a single country. However many seasoned travelers and travel guides fail to tell you what to expect on your first visit. It is, in two short words, sensory overload. From the time you land at any of the international airports in India, nothing really prepares you for the sights, sounds and smells you will encounter here. A sea of sights. On the ride to your hotel, you will see a swirl of colors in the clothes, the three wheeled auto-rickshaws, lorries, billboards and buildings even on the dreariest days of winter. Traffic. You will realize that there is no real demarcation between the freeways and the foot paths. People will often spill on to the road while your cab maneuvers through narrow streets. Occasionally you might even have cattle, elephants, camels or stray dogs (depending on which part of the country you are in) sharing road space with your vehicle. If you look touristy you are also bound to attract the curious eyes of people around you - privacy is a luxury here. On the flip side, you will never have trouble finding help when you need it. Sound horn, ok.

Now that is a phrase you will see painted behind every heavy vehicle you will see. A popular joke about buying a vehicle in India goes thus - the first thing one should test is the horn. Without it one would be severely handicapped when one needs to get people, cattle or other cars out of the way. Musicians, hawkers, fire crackers during festivals, lottery ticket sellers and so on will compete add to the background score as you move through the country. Roadside food stalls, jasmine flowers or fumes from vehicle exhaust pipes will give you the heady mix of aromas that people associate with India. It will take a while for you to get used to all these sensory inputs, which shouldn't be thought of as a pain, rather they add to the magical Indian experience that you will treasure for years to come.
Be prepared

The only way to enjoy your Indian holiday from the start is to firmly follow this Boy Scout motto.
Here are some tips to manage the initial culture shock:

Read well before your trip - Don't just stick to travelogues and guide books. Also seek out and read articles from local media, blogs and online discussion forums that describe life in India with all its eccentricities and incentives.

Carry earplugs - They will serve you well on trips when you are jet lagging and need to drown out sounds to sleep.

Among the most bothersome people you will encounter are touts and beggars - No matter how much they talk, plead or threaten, never give in. The best favor you can do yourself and them is to ignore these pleas. Handing out money to the poor who gather around cars at signals rarely benefits them. Most often, children who beg never get to spend the money they are given. If you're still keen to help, buying them a meal would be a better idea.

Always bargain with road side vendors - Except in shops that explicitly state so and in malls, prices are rarely set in stone. Always negotiate for a better deal.

Carry a hand sanitizer and wet wipes for emergencies. Also ask for mineral water at all restaurants.

No matter how hot you’re used to having your food, ask restaurant personnel to tone down the spices in your dishes. Chances are they will any way do so if you look foreign.

When greeting people try to fold your hands and say Namaste especially with people of the opposite sex.

India is the best place to be for a budget traveler but try and take domestic flights or travel by air conditioned classes in trains to get to far flung destinations.

Be aware that IST not only stands for Indian Standard Time but also for Indian Stretchable Time.