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CHI Home >> Work & Travel Abroad >> Teach in India | |
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India
Programs Available: Overseas English Tutor
Overview | People and
Culture | Sightseeing | History Overview:Framed by a magnificent seashore and the royal Himalayan ranges in the north, India features a dramatic range of sceneries, splendid historical and majestic sites, and fabulous beaches amongst the murky mountain recoils. The country's glorious diversity means there's an astonishing array of sacred sites, from immaculately kept Jain temples to weathered Buddhist stupas. There's history around every corner, with countless monuments, battle-scarred forts, abandoned cities and ancient ruins all having tales to tell. And there are beaches to satiate the most avid sun worshipper.
Wildlife in India is often purported to have enjoyed a privileged and protected position thanks to the religious ideals and sentiments of Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, but much of this tradition has been lost. Extensive hunting by the British and the Indian rajahs, large-scale clearing of forests for agriculture, poaching, pesticides and the ever-increasing population have had disastrous effects on India's environment. Only around 10 percent of the country still has forest cover and only 4 per cent is protected within national parks and reserves. Almost every region of the country owns distinguished climate. Throughout November to March, the North enjoys the cold winter breeze, while the coastal areas taste a tropical weather all over the year. Between April and June, most central and southern regions of the country are hot due to the summer period. The vigorous monsoon breeze in most parts of the country. It lasts from July and October. The highlights of India's fauna are its lions, tigers, leopards, panthers, elephants and rhinoceroses, but the country is also home to a rich variety of deer and antelope, wild buffaloes, massive Indian bison, shaggy sloth bears, striped hyenas, wild pigs, jackals and Indian wild dogs. Monkeys include rhesus macaques, bonnet macaques and long-tailed common langurs. The reptilian world boasts magnificent king cobras, pythons, crocodiles, large freshwater tortoises and monitor lizards, while the diverse birdlife includes large hornbills, serpent eagles and fishing owls, as well as the elegant national bird, the peacock. Travel warning Several Indian regions are prone to flashes of conflict. Spats over the Jammu and Kashmir territory in particular periodically push India and Pakistan to the brink of war. Internally, Jammu and Kashmir have been subject to political violence since the late 1980s and hundreds of militant groups operate in the state. Population: 1 billion People and Culture:The country has a burgeoning urban middle class and has made great strides in fields such as information technology. Its large, skilled workforce makes it a popular choice for international companies seeking to outsource work. It also boasts one of the world's biggest film industries, based in the huge commercial metropolis of Mumbai (Bombay). But the vast mass of the rural population remains illiterate and impoverished. Their lives continue to be dominated by the ancient Hindu caste system, which assigns each person a fixed place in the social hierarchy. Indian art is basically religious in its themes and developments, and its appreciation requires at least
some background knowledge of the country's faiths. The highlights include classical Indian dance, Hindu temple architecture
and sculpture (where one begins and the other ends is often hard to define), the military and urban architecture of the
Mughals, miniature painting, and mesmeric Indian music. Of course, India's creativity continues to thrive, its most lively
contemporary expression being filmi culture. Indians love the cinema and the Indian film industry, centered on Contrary to popular belief, not all Hindus are vegetarians. Although you'll find vegetarians everywhere, strict vegetarianism is most prevalent in the south and in the Gujarati community. In the north, much more meat is eaten and the cuisine is often Mughlai, which bears a closer relationship to food of the Middle East and Central Asia. The emphasis is more on spices and less on chili; grains and breads are more popular than rice. In the south, more rice is eaten, there is more vegetarian food, and the curries tend to be hotter. Another feature of southern vegetarian food is that you do not use eating utensils; just scoop the food up with your fingers - though not with those of your left hand. Religion Religion seeps into every facet of Indian life. Despite being a secular democracy, India is one of the few countries on earth in which the social and religious structures that define the nation's identity remain intact, and have continued to do so for at least 4000 years despite invasions, persecution, European colonialism and political upheaval. Change is inevitably taking place as modern technology reaches further and further into the fabric of society but essentially rural India remains much the same as it has for thousands of years. India's major religion, Hinduism, is practiced by approximately 80% of the population. In terms of the number of adherents, it's the largest religion in Asia and one of the world's oldest extant faiths. Hinduism has a vast pantheon of gods, a number of holy books and postulates that everyone goes through a series of births or reincarnations that eventually lead to spiritual salvation. With each birth, you can move closer to or further from eventual enlightenment; the deciding factor is your karma. The Hindu religion has three basic practices. They are puja or worship, the cremation of the dead, and the rules and regulations of the caste system. Hinduism is not a proselytizing religion since you cannot be converted: you're either born a Hindu or you're not. Buddhism was founded in northern India in about 500 BC and spread rapidly when emperor Ashoka embraced it but was gradually reabsorbed into Hinduism. Today Hindus regard the Buddha as another incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. The Jain religion also began life as an attempt to reform Brahminical Hinduism. It emerged at the same time as Buddhism, and for many of the same reasons. The Jains are found predominantly in the west and southwest of India. The religion has never found adherents outside India. Jains believe that the universe is infinite and was not created by a deity. They also believe in reincarnation and eventual spiritual salvation by following the path of the Jain prophets. There are more than 100 million Muslims in India, making it one of the largest Muslim nations on earth. Islam is the dominant religion in the neighboring countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh, and there is a Muslim majority in Jammu and Kashmir. Muslim influence in India is particularly strong in the fields of architecture, art and food. The Sikhs in India are predominantly located in the Punjab. Its basic tenets are similar to those of Hinduism with the important modification that the Sikhs are opposed to caste distinctions. Sightseeing:Agra The Taj Mahal has become the de facto tourist emblem of India. The city's other major attraction is the massive red sandstone Agra Fort, also on the bank of the Yamuna River. Stunning walls, a maze of superb halls, mosques, chambers and gardens which form a small city within a city. Unfortunately some of these buildings are closed to visitors. Delhi Delhi is the capital city of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. It is situated in the northern India, on the Yamuna River - the tributary of the Ganges River-also called the Jumma River that bordered by New Delhi - the India national capital -- on the south. This city is enclosed by a high stone wall built in 1638 and is approached through seven arched gateways, among others the Delhi Gate in the south, the Ajmer Gate in the east, and the Kashmir Gate in the north. The maze congested narrow streets, pathways, hectic bazaars, many impressive Indo-Muslim architectural features are among the attractions within the walls. Kanha National Park One of India's largest and most remote national parks, Kanha covers a plethora of forest and lightly wooded grasslands supported by an extensive network of rivers and streams. The setting of Kipling's Jungle Book, it has an excellent variety of wildlife, including, most famously, the tiger. It's possible to make elephant-back excursions into the park in the early morning and evening, though opportunities to see tigers may be decreasing thanks to cruel poaching gangs. Although wildlife can be seen throughout the season, sightings increase during the hotter months of March and April. Kolkata Formerly Calcutta and, more rarely, Kolcutta, Kolkata by any name still conjures up images of squalor, poverty and urban disaster. Too few bother to discover its enchanting colonial beauty, the energy and humor of its people and the charm of the city's distinctly Bengali soul. Kolkota isn't an ancient city like Delhi - in fact it's largely a British creation that dates back a mere 300 years. As a crumbling snapshot of British colonialism, it is unrivalled. For such a smoggy, frantic city, it is also notable for its lovely green spaces. Varanasi For over 2000 years, Varanasi, the 'eternal city', has been one of the holiest places in India. Built on the banks of the sacred Ganges, it is said to combine the virtues of all other places of pilgrimage and anyone who ends their days here is transported straight to heaven. Varanasi has over 100 bathing and burning ghats. The best ghat to hang out at and absorb the riverside activity is Dasaswamedh Ghat. You'll find a dense concentration of people who come to the edge of the Ganges not only for a ritual bath, but to do yoga, offer blessings, and follow other pursuits. History:India's first major civilization flourished for a thousand years from around 2500 BC along the Indus River valley. Its great cities were Mohenjodaro and Harappa (in what is now Pakistan), which were ruled by priests and held the rudiments of Hinduism. Aryan invaders swept south from Central Asia between 1500 and 200 BC and controlled northern India, pushing the original Dravidian inhabitants south. Buddhism arose around 500 BC, condemning caste; it drove a radical swathe through Hinduism in the 3rd century BC when it was embraced by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, who controlled huge tracts of India. A number of empires, including the Guptas, rose and fell in the north after the collapse of the Mauryas. Hinduism underwent a revival from 40 to 600 AD, and Buddhism began to decline. The north of India broke into a number of separate Hindu kingdoms after the Huns' invasion; it was not really unified again until the coming of the Muslims in the 10th and 11th centuries. The far south, whose prosperity was based on trading links with the Egyptians, Romans and southeast Asia, was unaffected by the turmoil in the north, and Hinduism's hold on the region was never threatened. In 1192 the Muslim Ghurs arrived from Afghanistan. Within 20 years the entire Ganges basin was under Muslim control, though Islam failed to penetrate the south. Two great kingdoms developed in what is now Karnataka: the mighty Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar, and the fragmented Bahmani Muslim kingdom. Mughal emperors marched into the Punjab from Afghanistan, defeated the Sultan of Delhi in 1525, and ushered in another artistic golden age. The Maratha Empire grew during the 17th century and gradually took over more of the Mughals' domain. The Marathas consolidated control of central India until they fell to the last great imperial power, the British. The British were not, however, the only European power in India: the Portuguese had controlled Goa since 1510 and the French, Danes and Dutch also had trading posts. By 1803, when the British overwhelmed the Marathas, most of the country was under the control of the British East India Company, which had established its trading post at Surat in Gujarat in 1612. The company treated India as a place to make money, and its culture, beliefs and religions were left strictly alone. Britain expanded iron and coal mining, developed tea, coffee and cotton plantations, and began construction of India's vast rail network. They encouraged absentee landlords because they eased the burden of administration and tax collection, creating an impoverished landless peasantry - a problem which is still chronic in Bihar and West Bengal. The Uprising in northern India in 1857 led to the demise of the East India Company, and administration of the country was handed over to the British government. Opposition to British rule began in earnest at the turn of the 20th century. The 'Congress' which had been established to give India a degree of self-rule, now began to push for the real thing. In 1915, Gandhi returned from South Africa, where he had practiced as a lawyer, and turned his abilities to independence, adopting a policy of passive resistance, or satyagraha. WWII dealt a deathblow to colonialism and Indian independence became inevitable. Within India, however, the large Muslim minority realized that an independent India would be Hindu-dominated. Communalism grew, with the Muslim League, led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, speaking for the overwhelming majority of Muslims, and the Congress Party, led by Jawaharlal Nehru, representing the Hindu population. The bid for a separate Muslim nation was the biggest stumbling block to Britain granting independence. Faced with a political stand-off and rising tension, Viceroy Mountbatten reluctantly decided to divide the country and set a rapid timetable for independence. Unfortunately, the two overwhelmingly Muslim regions were on opposite sides of the country - meaning the new nation of Pakistan would be divided by a hostile India. When the dividing line was announced, the greatest exodus in human history took place as Muslims moved to Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs relocated to India. Over 10 million people changed sides and even the most conservative estimates calculate that 250,000 people were killed. On 30 January 1948, Gandhi, deeply disheartened by Partition and the subsequent bloodshed, was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic. Following the trauma of Partition, India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru championed a secular constitution, socialist central planning and a strict policy of nonalignment. India elected to join the Commonwealth, but also increased ties with the USSR - partly because of conflicts with China and partly because of US support for arch-enemy Pakistan, which was particularly hostile to India because of its claim on Muslim-dominated Kashmir. There were clashes with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971. India's next prime minister of stature was Nehru's daughter Indira Gandhi, who was elected in 1966. She is still held in high esteem, but is remembered by some for meddling with India's democratic foundations by declaring a state of emergency in 1975. Mrs. Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984 as a reprisal for using the Indian Army to flush out armed Sikh radicals from the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The Gandhis' dynastic grip on Indian politics continued when her son, Rajiv was swept into power. Rajiv brought new and pragmatic policies to the country. Foreign investment and the use of modern technology were encouraged, import restrictions were eased and many new industries were set up. These measures projected India into the 1990s and out of isolationism, but did little to stimulate India's mammoth rural sector. Rajiv was assassinated on an election tour by a supporter of Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers. The dangers of communalism in India were clearly displayed in 1992, when a Hindu mob stormed and destroyed a mosque built on the alleged site of Rama's birth in Ayodhya. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were keen to exploit such opportunities, and led several disparate coalitions to power. Despite the dangers of playing communalist politics, the BJP's traditionalist Hindu stance attracted voters concerned about retaining traditional values during the sudden onslaught of modern global influences. In 1998 India tested its first nuclear weapons. Despite international outrage, the nuclear tests were met with widespread jubilation and support for the BJP. But by April 1999 PM Vajpayee had lost his majority and was forced into a vote of confidence, which he lost by one vote. Sonia Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi's widow, was expected to lead the Congress Party to victory, but she was unable to secure a coalition and India was forced to the polls for the third time in as many years. The BJP was returned to government with a slimmer lead. Tensions with Pakistan flared periodically despite top-level attempts at rapprochement, and natural disasters also took their toll. In January 2001 an earthquake in Gujarat killed about 20,000 people and left more than half a million homeless. In December of that year, gunmen storming the national parliament killed 13 people, while hundreds were killed in Gujarat a year after the earthquake in conflicts between Hindus and Muslims. The Kashmir situation threatened to escalate from border sabre-rattling to all out war in 2002 with both India and Pakistan testing nuclear-capable warheads in the region and taking the moral high ground over Kashmir. Fortunately, by late 2003 both countries had declared ceasefires and resumed direct air links and the Indian government had historic talks with Kashmir separatists. Getting Around:India's major domestic airline, the government-run Indian Airlines, has an extensive network. The country's international carrier, Air India, also operates domestically on the Mumbai (Bombay)-Delhi, Mumbai-Kolkata (Calcutta), Delhi-Kolkata and Mumbai-Chennai (Madras) routes. The Indian Railways system is deservedly legendary and Indian rail travel is unlike any other sort of travel on earth. At times it can be uncomfortable and frustrating, but it's also an integral part of the Indian travel experience. You should try to pick up the key points of Indian train etiquette as quickly as possible, otherwise you'll find yourself hopelessly attempting to defend your own private space. When booking tickets, take advantage of the tourist quota allotment if one exists. You'll find it easier to reserve a seat this way. Buses vary widely from state to state, but there is often a choice of buses on the main routes - ordinary,
express, semi-luxe, deluxe, deluxe air-con and even deluxe sleeper. Private buses tend to be faster, more expensive and more
comfortable and can make a lot of sense on longer jaunts. You can hire a car and driver very easily, but you need nerves of steel and excellent karma to consider driving yourself. Cars are usually rented on a daily basis and come with a limited number of kilometers per day. You'll probably be responsible for the driver's expenses, so be sure to clarify how much this is to be each day before you set off. Bicycles are a great way to get around towns and can usually be hired for a pittance. If you're thinking of bringing your own bike, think twice about bringing your state-of-the-art 10-speed unless you want it to be poked and probed every time you stop. Local transport includes buses, taxis, auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws and tongas (horse-drawn carriages). Taxis may have meters, but don't expect them to be working in more than a handful of cities. Three-wheeled auto-rickshaws are generally half the price of a taxi and allow the passenger much better inhalation of diesel fumes. Cycle-rickshaws have all but disappeared from the centers of major Indian cities but are still an essential part of the transport network in smaller towns. Be sure to agree on a fare beforehand. Money Matters:Credit cards are accepted in major cities. The Indian laws forbid the import and export of currency. The currency-exchange booths are usually available at the international airports. They open for both arriving and departing overseas flights. It is best to change definite amount of money in small denominations at the authorized money changer, and never forget to take the encashment slip. In some banks, you may charged a nominal fee for this slip to pay the hotel bills or travel expenses in rupees. When reconverting rupees into another currency, the encashment slip is also essential.
You may occasionally find that when you try to pay for something with a ripped or grubby note that your money is refused. You can change old notes for new ones at most banks or save them and use them creatively as tips. Don't let shopkeepers palm grubby notes off on you as change - simply hand them back and you'll usually be given a note slightly higher up the acceptability scale. Keep a supply of smaller denomination notes - there is a perpetual shortage of small change. Tipping is virtually unknown in India, except in swanky establishments in the major cities. Baksheesh, on the other hand, a term which encompasses tipping and a lot more besides, is widespread. You 'tip' in India not so much for good service but in order to get things done. Taxi drivers rarely expect tips except they go through a difficult odds to take you to your destination. Support During Your Placement:We will be available to give you any support, advice, or guidance you may need with any issues. There will always be an emergency number for you to contact. Our aim is to ensure that you have a happy and successful experience during your stay in Czech Republic.
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India is a large, triangular-shaped country in southern Asia, buttressed by the long sweep of the Himalaya in
the north and protruding into the Indian Ocean in the south. It's bordered by Pakistan to the northwest, China, Nepal and
Bhutan to the north, and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. Sri Lanka is the teardrop-shaped island hanging off its
southern tip. India covers a land area of over 1.2 million square miles and is the seventh largest country in the world.
Bombay, is one of the
largest and most glamorous in the world. The vast proportion of films produced are gaudy melodramas based on three vital
ingredients: romance, violence and music.
This poignant Mughal mausoleum was constructed by Emperor
Shah Jahan in memory of his second wife Mumtaz Mahal, whose death in childbirth in 1631 left the emperor so heartbroken that
his hair is said to have turned grey overnight.
Bus travel is generally crowded, cramped, slow and uncomfortable. This is the good
news. The bad news is the rugby scrum you often need to negotiate in order to board, and the howling Hindi pop music which
blares from the speakers. Buses are the only way to get to Kashmir and the best way to get to Nepal from Uttar Pradesh.