“Bhaiya !!!
Paani from do.
»« Brother !!!
Bring water.
»You are at the restaurant and your neighbor at the table has just ordered the waiter in a rather pleasant tone.
The exchanges in India are sometimes surprisingly familiar.
But beware: several brands of savoir-vivre are, on the contrary, rigorously applied.
We help you see more clearly.
Read also: India: itinerary, budget, safety ... All our advice for preparing your trip
In the street and in transport
India offers a laid back setting where no one will blame you for crossing over the edge or chatting on the phone throatily in transport.
Even tickets are negotiable!
Conversely, certain habits must be lost as soon as you arrive.
Indians are modest.
Avoid hugging or kissing your partner full on the mouth on the street.
Prefer pants and loose shirts or t-shirts, more practical to withstand the heat and to avoid staring at women.
In some cases, it is better to wear a dupatta, a long cotton or silk scarf covering the chest, so as not to be bothered.
Indians love whiskey and beer which they consume at home or in certain restaurants.
But alcohol retains a taboo aspect that stuck to his skin until the 1980s. Mahatma Gandhi campaigned for prohibition before independence and it is still in force in the state of Gujarat.
In traditional families, drinking is frowned upon.
Refrain from sipping a beer in a park or on a bench.
Read also: Diving in Gujarat in India where Gandhi was born
In places of worship
Religion is spread out in the public space.
Temples abound in predominantly Hindu regions.
Mosques are less numerous.
Remember to take off your shoes each time before entering.
Feet are considered dirty or even unclean, and if you visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar, a holy place for the Sikhs, you will be ordered to leave your shoes at the entrance.
The last time we went, the guards also didn't appreciate seeing us wearing an anti-pollution mask, arguing that a holy place cannot be polluted.
At the restaurant
Eat with your right hand which will also be used to pass the dishes.
The left is considered impure.
Adobe Stock / Olga
You will have a little more freedom there than in France.
If the heat bothers you, you are free to take your shoes off under the table.
You can get the waiter's attention by calling it “bhaiya” with an aspirated “h”, which means “brother” in Hindi and is used in informal interactions with restaurateurs and drivers.
Other than these two cases, do not use it with someone you barely know or with a police officer you will call “sir”.
If your interlocutor is Muslim, prefer the Urdu term "djainaab" which means sir.
When ordering, if you are unsuccessfully looking for beef on the menu, don't push it.
Beef has never been popular in North India where religious minorities and non-vegetarian Hindus prefer chicken or mutton.
Undoubtedly a legacy of the pre-independence period when Muslims, anxious to cohabit with Hindus, tried not to sacrifice a cow for the feast of Eid.
Remember that the animal is sacred to many Hindus.
The issue has taken a violent turn since the fundamentalist Hindu right-wing came to power in the federal government in 2014. Several states have toughened laws against slaughtering cows and Muslim Indians have already been lynched by fundamentalist activists who accused them of transporting or consuming beef.
Read also: New Delhi street food version: sweet or savory, these delicacies to taste on the go
Homestay
You came as a tourist, but an Indian invited you to have lunch or dinner at his place.
You have the right to arrive a little late.
Punctuality is a concept that does not apply in India where arriving fifteen to thirty minutes after the hour does not annoy anyone.
Greet by joining both hands at chest height and do not try to kiss.
Modesty commands you to keep your distance.
You can also add the preposition "ji" to the first name of your interlocutor.
If his name is Rahul, and the exchange is formal, you can call him "Rahul ji".
It is a mark of respect.
Eat with your right hand which will also be used to pass the dishes.
The left is considered impure.
Don't like what's on your plate?
Do not be choosy, it would be rude to your host who will have spent hours cooking with his servant.
Get refilled a second or third time, especially if offered.
Last tip: if your hosts are vegetarians, don't use the word “meat” when mentioning the menu.
You could crumple them.
