Your maners in India

sacred water in Anandpur Sahib

One of the things that really stands out when I travel to India is the social and religious protocol.

The way you dress and the manners you display set up the respect they offer to you.

I remember entering into Hilton Hotel in Amritsa with a group of American travelers. The Americans were in front of me, and as they walked through the doors of the hotel, the door keeper offered them a profile of casual friendliness.

When he saw me, dressed in white and with my turban on, he put his his feet firmly together and saluted me as a soldier would salute a captain. He guided me to the front desk and gave a command to the receptionist to serve me first.

Here are some things considered unacceptable by the Indian society:


Shoes in a sacred & religious area (even if they are hidden in your
backpack)
Head exposed in a sacred & religious place (covering the head is a
sign of respect)
Public displays of affection
Nudity (this includes t-shirts with no sleeves)
Use of the left hand to eat or serve (since it is used in the toilet
in India)
Touching someone's head
Rudeness to elders- All elder gentlemen can be referred to as
"Babaji" and all older women as "Bibiji"
Mouth germs- If you are sharing a bottle of water it is polite not
to touch it to your lips
Pointing your feet towards someone or something sacred or touching
your feet to someone else's body