Right of Way - a poem

This is one of my very favorite poems.  My friend Delta Donahue wrote this poem about the Right of Way in Indian traffic, and it's uncannily evocative of India. (It's in her wonderful book, "The First Taste Belongs to the Gods.")

Right of Way

 

I start with a simple fact

The pedestrian has no standing

In the midst of the bedlam

That is the traffic of India

 

At first everything seems jumbled and harried

This place where striped lanes and stoplights

Provide the merest hint of suggestion

In the best of times

Even so

After studying

A pattern begins to emerge

In the din of never-ending horns.

 

There is a hierarchy of sorts

Determined by size

Trucks and buses rule because

Well, think about it,

They can smash everything else.

Oh, but wait, there is an exception

I forgot. I should start with the cow.

Nothing trumps the cow.

Aside from that

Trucks and buses

Definitely rule.

In a battle between trucks,

Which happens frequently,

The truck whose horn lasts longest

With the most pitches—wins

After trucks and buses

We move to cars

Although sometimes it seems

That donkeys or camels pulling carts

Take precedence.

Then auto rickshaws

Otherwise known as tuk-tuks

Bicycles

Finally human rickshaws

You might notice

I fail to mention

Motorcycles

Because they don’t count

They simply swerve in and out

Obeying no rules or rhythm

But watching motorcycles

Always makes me think of that comedy bit

You know the one

How many people can fit into a VW bug?

In India, it’s a daily occurrence,

Not just with cars but motorcycles also

Not uncommon to see a family of six

Now it’s true

Many Indians are quite thin

So, assuming you have a dad that’s thin

Three small children

And the baby, he’s in the mother’s arms of course,

And she is very thin

Despite having given birth to 4 children

Add them up

6 humans

One motorcycle

I don’t quite understand how it is possible.

It helps that no space is taken up by helmets.

But back to the hierarchy

I left off at human rickshaws

Which then takes us to the pedestrian

 

Before I address the pedestrian

I should mention the elephant

There aren’t many in the cities

More of a tourist thing these days

But occasionally you’ll turn a corner

And there will be an elephant

Just standing there

You have to wonder

If the big guy is a little lost

Or dreaming of a jungle.

Easy to guess who gets

Right of way

Doesn’t seem to matter if

Truck, bus, bike, or tuk-tuk

Or even cow, because the cows just ignore

The gigantic grey thing in the center of the road

But for everyone and everything else

I mean it’s an elephant

What are you going to do?

 

That question though

What are you going to do?

Is not one to pose to an Indian driver

For there is always something to do

It may mean teetering on two wheels

Along the banks of a ditch

Driving the wrong way into oncoming traffic

Or creating a road

On the dirt in front of village shops

And yes, sometimes, oh so occasionally, it means

Waiting for the elephant to pass

There is one unwritten traffic rule

Observed by all

No honking at an elephant.

 

Back to the lowly pedestrian

Picture one white foreigner

Coming from a land where motorists actually slow down

And stop to let you pass

This white foreigner

Might just happen to be a woman around 53 years of age

Simply trying to get from one side of the street to the other

While in the back of her mind

A disconcerting bit of knowledge rumbles

Aware of a law

Learned by happenstance

Indian truck drivers can hit and kill

6 pedestrians before they go to jail

Yes, take a moment

Let that sink into the very fiber of your being

As this 53-year-old white woman is dashing between camels, tuk-tuks,

Swerving motorbikes, trucks and cars

All with horns blaring

Well, not the camels,

There should have been an elephant

It would have made the story better

And the crossing easier

But yes, it is true.

In a land of one billion people

Where most roads are not graced

By any type of light

The battle of truck versus person

Occurs with such regularity

It has lost all meaning

The government figures

The odds are against the drivers

Unrealistic to think

They can avoid hitting everyone

Progress though

A new law

Each truck contains a spotter

A person to help spot things,

To avoid—like—people!

You get 6 free, but on the 7^th

Off to jail

I should go back to where I started though

Hit one cow

It’s a one-way ticket

Directly to jail

No passing go, throw away the key

Welcome to the traffic that is India.

 

Visiting Ma Sharanam

Information about visiting Ma Sharanam

Please read this post first –  Traveling to India.

Some of the information about Ma Sharanam is repeated from the first post, but if this is your first trip to India, please read both!

One note here, and also in the post about travel to India:  If you need to give an address and contact in India, please give Sarabjeet's home information.  Sarabjeetji is Swamiji's brother and is also the business manager for Ma Sharanam.  Use his address for any "official" needs -- and can also be given to family/friends as emergency contact information while you are in India.

Name : Sarabjeet Singh Bharaj

Email : profsarabjeet@gmail.comAddress : 24 A, Sangam Nagar, Indore, pin 452006, M.P. , IndiaMobile : +91 9302001809:  

Other helpful contact information: 

1)  Jasdeep Rai (Jasdeep books the cars for Ma Sharanam visitors, and can also help with domestic flights in India)  

• Jasdeep mobile: 8889510003
• Jasdeep email:   jasdeeprai78@gmail.com 

2)  Swamiji

• Swamiji mobile:   9893111809
• Swamiji email:  gurusharan7@gmail.com

Travel  

Getting to Ma Sharanam:  You will fly into Indore, then hire a car to drive you to the ashram.  It's about a three-hour trip.  

Leaving Ma Sharanam:  Same three-hour trip, but I gave up on figuring out a way to to get to Indore in time for a flight.  I stayed here, and was very happy with the hotel:  Radisson Blu, Indore   There are many reasonably priced hotels in Indore.   (Also, after days of washing in cold water, I really loved having a hot shower before I resumed traveling!)

Clothing at Ma Sharanam:  see the general tips in the “Travel to India” post.  In general, guests dress very informally at the ashram. You are probably not visiting the ashram during the hot season, which means that temperatures will be in the high 90s rather than 110 degrees (plus).  In other words - it will still be HOT. Women should dress very conservatively - shoulders covered, and long pants or leggings.

You want to pack lightly.  The rooms are small. You will not have much space for luggage.  It's better to bring fewer clothes and plan on washing them. Note: if you allow a day (or three) in Delhi or Mumbai, you will be able to buy Indian clothing.

Bring some comfy shorts and tshirts for time spent in your room. (Shorts are not appropriate outside of your room... but great for sleeping and for hanging out inside your room!)

If you think that there is any chance that you will want to swim in the Narmada River - for men, a regular bathing suit is fine.  For women, you will want a bathing suit AND shorts and a t-shirt or a salwaar kameez for covering up. (Note that as of 2018, changing into dry clothes down by the river is... challenging, with no shelter or changing booth available.) If you do want to go down for a swim, let Swamiji know, and he will send a couple of boys down with you for safety. 

Mahashivaratri and other special occasions.... you might want something a little dressier ... even a sparkly scarf will do!

Shoes - you will want sandals, for sure, to wear around the ashram grounds.  (And sandals are easy to remove... you will be taking off your shoes frequently. Very frequently.)  Flip-flops are a good idea too... your entire bathroom is your shower stall. Also, the dust/dirt blows into the rooms from nearby fields.  Good idea to sweep the room every day, and to wear flipflops or other lightweight slippers rather than going barefoot in your room.

Laundry - you will be washing your clothes in a plastic bucket.  Sheets of detergent work well, like these (there are many brands):  laundry soap sheets for traveling   Also, the ashram can provide you with laundry soap, and you may find enough clothespins on the various laundry lines.  (Or take a few clothespins with you!)

Clothes are dried on an outdoors clothesline. Cotton or cotton-blend clothes are the easiest. No one will care (or even notice) that your clothes are a little wrinkled. 

You will want one warm cover for morning prayer - it is chilly at 6AM.  A warm shawl works well, or just a fleece jacket. (You will probably have a fleece - or some other kind of warm top - from the plane, and that will be fine.)  Ditto socks.  Seriously... it is COLD at 6AM!  If you are doing some shopping before you head to the ashram, Indian socks are handy.  Many Indian socks separate the big toe -- same idea as American mittens separating the thumb -- to allow for wearing flipflops with the socks.  Looks something like this:

Bedding and your room: Your room will have two very simple twin beds (wooden platforms with thin mattresses).  The room also has one small desk.  Space for storing luggage is *very* limited!  The ashram provides twin bedding - fitted sheet, top sheet, one blanket, and a pillow.  The sheets are sort of a rough weave. And the previous guest(s) washed them in a bucket, with cold water, with or without soap. You are welcome to bring a set of twin sheets, or a sleeping bag. At the end of your stay (and also in the middle if you like), you wash those sheets and the pillowcase in your laundry bucket, and hang them on the line to dry. Don't forget to pack laundry soap - laundry sheets work really well. When you are leaving the ashram, wash your sheets and leave them on the clothesline.

The ashram does not provide towels - pack one or two micro-towels. (Or you can pack lovely big fluffy terry towels, if you like... but remember that bit about "not much room for luggage in the room?")

Cleaning your room:  You will have only a broom like this:  

Ma Sharanam is surrounded by dusty fields, and the dust blows nonstop into the guest rooms. Take basic cleaning supplies with you  Just a suggestion... but consider cleaning your room when you arrive at Ma SharanThe ashram folks do try to clean the rooms between guests, but  before you settle in... cleaning your room just sets a good baseline for your stay!   We have seen people re-clean rooms that were just carefully cleaned by the ashram staff, and they still came up with a bunch of dust/dirt, especially on the floor.) Plan on sweeping your floor at least daily.  (And even with all of that, I always washed my feet before I got into bed. Seriously, the dust there is something else!) 

Carrying stuff around with you at Ma Sharanam:  you will likely want tissues, maybe hand wipes, reading glasses, sunglasses, whatever.  If you have pockets, you are all set. If not... women might want to bring or buy a small cross-body purse for a few essentials. (Men are more likely to have pockets... or might want to consider a bag or fanny pack or small backpack for use while at the ashram.)

Locking your room - the ashram will provide a lock and key. You will not need the lock when you are at the ashram, but may want to lock your room when you will be out for the day.

Bathroom:  Your bathroom will have a western style toilet (Yay) but as noted elsewhere, if you want to use toilet paper, you will need to bring it with you. (NOTE:  the bathrooms are equipped with hand-held sprayers for Indian-style bathroom hygiene. Toilet paper/wipes/sanitary products are not flushed at the ashram - the ashram septic system is very fragile.  If you use toilet paper, you discard that paper into bags, and then once a day or so, discard that bag at a designated place. Bring a bag/box of doggie poop bags with you!) (This is odd ... at least in previous years, there was no sign in the bathroom with that information, and bags were not provided.  They just assume that guests will KNOW and will do the right thing!)

You will also have a sink.  And on one wall, a pipe protruding from the wall... this is your access to water for washing. Your options are cold water or room temperature water (warmed in a cistern on the roof). The only option for really warm water is a big immersion heater.  Do not touch the water in the bucket while the immersion heater is plugged in -- you can get a nasty electric shock. I bathed with cold water - I was always so hot, and the cold water was not really very cold, and felt great. You can either maneuver your body under that tap, then soap up, then rinse.... or put the water into a bucket and figure it out from there.  There is no shower stall. All of the water lands on the bathroom floor.  You will find a drain on the floor, and your room comes with a large squeegee. After bathing, you use the squeegee to encourage the water on the floor to move toward that drain.

Food and water at the ashram

Water at the ashram is well-filtered and safe to drink. There is no access to bottled water at Ma Sharanam.  For trips away from the ashram, you will make a stop for bottled water.

Ashram food is simple and plentiful - not very spicy, and no one ever leaves the dining room hungry.
The boys eat breakfast at 8AM.  Guests can eat then, but most guests eat together outside at 9AM. Lunch is noon-ish.  But then there is a long gap until dinner at 8PM.

Snacks - good idea to bring some.  You need snacks in sealed wrappers - Trader Joe has wonderful little bags of raw almonds ("just a handful" or some name like that). Protein bars are good. Just make sure that whatever you bring has individually wrapped servings. You cannot leave *any* food open in your room - not even a few crumbs - food will attract a zillion ants and other small multi-legged  critters.

Note:  as of 2018, the "guest kitchen" was mostly empty, without even an electric teakettle.  So if you will be wanting tea, coffee, or DIY soups, you will need to. bring everything you will need with you.  Sealed treats are great - like little two-cookie packets or sweets or whatever. If you want to have coffee, take a pound of coffee and get one of these, and a coffee travel mug, and some #2 filters:  Drip coffee for travel
Here is the link to really good powdered whole milk, works well in coffee or tea or oatmeal.  Peak Powdered Milk. 
I take some instant oatmeal packets with me.  I also take soup/noodles. Dr. McDougall soups/noodles are good - they are relatively healthy (ie not crazy on the additives), and they taste ok.  You need boiling water, but do not need a microwave. (Just cover the soup or noodles with boiling water, and leave the cup covered for a while.) Having some "real food" -- ie not just a protein bar - can be really helpful for late afternoon when dinner is still four hours away, or for a lunch or dinner where you just do not want to go to the dining room.  To conserve luggage space, I transfer the soups from their cardboard cups into small plastic bags... the oatmeal comes in handy single serving packets.   I take one of these cups with me: Mug for Soup  (You can pack a couple of your small plastic bags of soups or snacks right in the mug.)

If you are spending a night in Indore on your way to the ashram, consider taking a cab to the Big Bazaar.  They have all kinds of helpful stuff... and since you will be going to the ashram in a car, you will not need to worry about packing/luggage weights/etc.  In particular, I loved having an electric teakettle in my room so that I could have coffee in the morning, or a snack whenever, without going outside to the guest kitchen.  If you have an opportunity to buy an electric teakettle, you should consider doing so!  (Or you can take a simple immersion coil with you... but I just loved that teakettle.) You can also buy a mini teakettle on Amazon… but of course will need to deal with power conversion.

Note that there may be various cups and dishes in the guest kitchen - but I would not count on that. Take a travel mug, a spoon, and whatever else you may need, with you!

Travel insurance: This insurance provides peace of mind around health issues - they provide a number to call in case of a health emergency so that they can help you to get the care you need. In the event of a true life-or-death emergency, they will fly you out of India.  I use http://www.travelguard.com.  Read the fine print before you sign up, especially the list of exclusions -- and consider "cancel for any reason" coverage.  (It's pretty expensive.  But at least think about it.)

If you need health care while you are at the ashram, Swamiji may be able to help. If needed, you can call for a car to take you to the clinic in Barawah (about 20 minutes from the ashram). The clinic in Barawah is ok for simple things .... for example, an xray to rule out a broken bone. If the problem is serious, then you will likely be hiring a car and heading back to Indore (about 2.5 hours). Swamiji or others at the ashram will help you figure out what to do and how to do it.

Gifts for the children

180+ kids in the school, 40+ boys in the hostel.

School supplies are always welcome. Candy is always welcome.  (No chocolate!  Remember the bit above about how hot it will be while you are there?  Chocolate takes one look at India and turns into a melty little chocolate puddle.) 

Daily Routine at the ashram ( likely has changed since 2018!)
Very important note - you are welcome to participate in any and all aspects of ashram life!  But - helpfully- no one *expects* you to show up. If a rest or a walk feels like a better idea to you at some point, just go for it. (If you disappear for extended time, someone will likely knock on your door to make sure that you are ok!)

The times and may have changed -- this is *very* approximate. You will not find white boards with lists of events... not the daily events, not the special day trips.  You will need to ASK.

6AM morning prayer with the boys, followed by Swakriya Yoga
7AM fire ceremony
(8:30AM -- at least one morning, go down and watch the children arriving for school, and stay for the morning assembly.  It's all quite wonderful.)
9AM  Guest breakfast
10-12 If a program is scheduled, Swamiji may offer satsang/swakriya yoga in the morning.
12  lunch
1-2 or 3   rest 
3-4  tea is available
3 -5 If a program is scheduled, Swamiji may offer teachings or chanting or yoga in the afternoon.
(5:30 Tuesday and Thursday only -- arati at the Radha-Krishna temple)
6PM  Arati in Ma's temple  (an lovely service of chanting and prayer) 
After arati -- dinner
8:45 to 9:00 -- Maun, the daily great silence requested by Ma

Connectivity at the ashram

In 2018, connectivity at the ashram was very hit or miss. There was a hotspot, but it moved around from person to person and was tricky to track down. We are encouraging the ashram to set up a wireless hotspot for the guest rooms, but we have no guarantee when that will happen. Do not count on connectivity! If you need to find the ashram hotspot device, ask Swamiji. (Also… in 2024, there are many options for international hotspots… and no contract required. Will those work out in the country? I don’t know. Might want to check with Sarabjeet about the current state of connectivity at the ashram.)

Day Trips from Ma Sharanam
There are several -- you can Google them for more information.  

Maheshwar is about an hour away, with lots to see,  and usually includes a short boat trip to a Shiva temple in the river.  

Omkareshwar (with one of the jyotir lingams in the temple) is maybe 1.5 hours. 

Barwah is close - about 45 minutes.  Not much to see there, but fun for a bit of street-shopping in India.  There are other temples and ashrams not far from Ma Sharanam. 
In theory, Indore could be a day trip  - about 2.5 hours from the ashram.  BUT -- if you want to explore Indore, it would make much more sense to spend a day there on your way to the ashram or as you depart from the ashram. Also - fair warning - although there are sights to see in Indore, the city is mostly a business city, not a tourist destination.

Other good stuff to bring:  This is a repeat from my general "Traveling to India" post. 

• Power adapter - you can get this on Amazon or at a travel store.  You do not need an entire set of adapters... just India-US. May need several if you are taking several appliances.
• Mosquito net - February is not mosquito season in Madhya Pradesh.  I do take malaria meds, but I do not use a mosquito net. Your call.
• Small flashlight. Always. In your backpack or purse, but somewhere right on your person.  Power outages are very common in India! You may want a larger flashlight to use when walking back to your room after dinner.
• Flying coach?  Invest in a travel pillow and blanket. Check Amazon for options. 
• Some sort of alarm clock/alarm watch/smart phone alarm.
• Electronic toys... you may want a camera (or phone camera). You can bring your Kindle. See above re connectivity if you want to bring a small laptop.

Donations to the ashram:  Ma Sharanam only asks for free-will donations from guests. All guests are welcome to participate in meals and all programs.  Most guests do make a donation.  You might use 5000 to 7000 rupees per night as guidance – that’s about $70 to $100 per night.

Jai Ma!  Enjoy your stay at Ma Sharanam!

How a Catholic Girl from Lewiston NY grew up to study and practice Hinduism

I was raised Roman Catholic. This blog entry is based on a paper I wrote around 1990 when I was studying Hinduism and World Religions at Harvard Divinity School.

During high school, I became increasingly devout, attending Mass at the crack of dawn on weekday mornings whenever I could. I was a member of the Third Order of St. Francis.  I mean... I was into it. Really into it.

Around this time, quite apart from my formal Catholic practices, I became increasingly aware of a numinous Presence which surrounded me all of the time. This Presence (which I never conceptualized as "Jesus" or "Christ" or any other personification of deity) was a completely available listener with Whom I frequently communicated praise, petition, and thanksgiving... and simple observations and thoughts... sort of an ongoing conversation with an active Listener. As a young Catholic believer, I would have described my practice in terms of sacraments and formal prayers and a great many exterior manifestations of belief... only after I reached adulthood and endured a profound and lengthy faith crisis did I come to appreciate that my ongoing communication with this sense of Presence was the deepest and most powerful aspect of that practice. I did not label my experience as "prayer" -- it was simply a part of my everyday life, much like eating or talking or sleeping.

In college. I took required courses in theology and philosophy, and began to come to terms with the mythological aspects of Christianity... virtually all of which I had accepted as verbatim truth as a youngster. I abandoned the remnants of formal Catholic practice (to the great consternation of my family). One afternoon when I was 19 or so, I spoke to that Presence which had always surrounded me ... and found myself alone for the first time in my life. The term "faith crisis" does not being to encompass the sense of isolation which I felt at that moment. This occur ed about a year after my mother's death. (Many years later, a yogi teacher of mine said, "When we are angry with God, we make God go away.")

I was not part of a spiritual community at that time. It's been said that a connection to a community can help an individual stay connected to the Light even while personally sitting in the dark. When I found myself out of the light, I concluded that the light did not exist. I spent twenty some years out there, in sort of a dark agnostic/atheist place.

So -- fast forward to the mid 1980's. I was working in high tech, lots of pressure/stress. I read about an ashram (an Indian term for a home for a spiritual community) in Lenox MA, which sounded wonderful to me... out in the mountains, great veg food, yoga. I found that I loved being at Kripalu, and I returned frequently -- although I was baffled and boggled by the guru component of the practice. Lots of pictures of their teachers. Lots of bowing and reverence to those pictures. All very alien to me. Then one weekend I attended a gathering with their teacher -- and thought he made a great deal of sense. I began reading more about Hinduism and eastern religions (an area where I had dabbled back in the 60s). In the fall of 1988 or, I flew to Chicago for a two day retreat with this teacher. We were sitting for meditation. (Bear with me here... ) One minute I was sitting on a dirty shag rug in Chicago. In the next instant, I found myself sitting in the Light which is the very presence of God, crying and saying from my heart "Why did You leave me?" That experience is called shaktipat. Shakti is a feminine noun in Sanskrit, and means energy or power. Some Hindu teachers are able to transmit that energy -- it's sort of the spiritual equivalent to being in a field of radio waves, and those waves affect some of the people who are on the receiving end. Shaktipat is the transmission of spiritual energy from a guru to a disciple. Receiving shakitpat was a life-transforming event for me. Somewhat to my own bemusement, I searched for a place to study Hinduism -- and found a program at Harvard Divinity School. I applied, and was accepted... and in January 1988 I left my high tech job and began studying at Harvard. I completed a masters in theological studies in Hinduism and World Religions in 1990.

Someone once asked me "What attracted you to Hinduism?" I suppose it could be called "attraction," in the way that a powerful magnetic field is attraction ... a force over which I really had no control. Once I began studying Hinduism, I found that so many aspects of the theology and the practice spoke to my heart. You might wonder how I was able to handle multi-armed, multi-hued deities, when I had so much trouble with Christian theology. I just know that the stories and the gods and the chants and the very language make my heart sing. When I made it to India in the mid-1990s, I had the strongest sense of coming home. I spent hours in the temples, and just sitting by the Ganges, surrounded by spirit and incredibly happy. In English, we have lots of words which mean "religion," or things about God. In Sanskrit, no such words exist... because everything is about God, so why would you need a separate word at all?

At Harvard, I also took courses in Buddhism. I found them interesting, in sort of an academic way -- but I never found the same passion about Buddhism. Truth be told, I think it's easier to be an American Buddhist than an American Hindu. First, there are a lot more folks with whom to find and form community. Second, you can be a Christian, or a Jew, or whatever, and still study and practice Buddhism. Hinduism is distinct from those other faiths... although the spacious arms of Hinduism allow room for them all!!! Part of the issue -- Hinduism is inexorably tied to India, and to Indian culture. Buddhism can be more culture-neutral. Finally, when you say "I'm a Buddhist," most Americans have a clue (however slight!) about what you're saying. Hinduism, with its pantheon of gods, is SO remote from anything most Americans have ever experienced.

In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the sage Yajnavalka is asked how many gods there are. He says 33 million. No, really - how many? 33 thousand. Seriously - how many? 3000. And so on until he gets down to three... then one and one half.... and ultimately one.... just one. And notes that everything he has said is true... there are many gods... there is one. Both true.

For me, at the heart of Hinduism, there is only One... one God, one soul. One. And that One is within us, and all around us, and is the breath we breath. The Atman is the soul of a person... and it, too, is that One. When you see someone dancing and chanting to Krishna, Krishna is that One for her. When you see someone bowing to a representation of the Goddess, that is the One. When you see a picture of a Hindu worshipping at a stone or a tree in his village... that part of nature is the embodiment of the One for him.

This is a quote from a Hindu guru named Nityananda: "One must seek the shortest way and the fastest means to get back home -- to turn the spark within into a blaze, to be merged in and to identify with that greater fire which ignited the spark."

For some folks, the way home is Christianity... or Judaism... or Buddhism. For me, it's Hinduism.

Traveling to India

General info about traveling to India

Really important ... Sign up with the State Department:  Go to this page  - at the bottom, sign up for STEP.     http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/india.html 

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Get your shots!  You need shots/medications for India.  You should begin this process at least a month before your travel date - you need a month between the first two Hepatis B shots, and it's a good idea to get two of the three before you go to India. (Final shot - #3 - is five months after #2.) 

1)  All travelers - using a travel clinic or figuring it out solo -- should read this page:  
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/ind   In addition to the helpful info about shots and meds, you will find lots of links to ways to keep safe.  Read the info about eating and drinking!

2)  If you want to simplify this process, make an appointment with a travel clinic  This is one-stop shopping for health and safety issues around your trip to India. They will make sure that you have the right immunizations (Flu, Hep A, Hep B, and the tetanus combo, for sure, MMR, probably), and will likely recommend anti-malaria meds starting just before you leave and ending a week after you return home.  (If this is a good nurse/clinic, they will also give you some solid teaching about food/water safety in India. Pay attention!) And they will send you off with two three-day courses of antibiotics for your use if you should become sick.  This is a really good idea.  (If they do not offer, ASK!) And they will probably also provide some material for you to read.  Read every word!!! 

3)  If you are a DIY kind of a person, and want to go to your personal doctor, you need to assume that the doctor does not know everything about India travel. Read that CDC information carefully, and go in with a list of what you need.  Don't forget to ask for a course of antibiotics in case of emergency. (I would stay away from cipro.  Read the horror stories.)  

4)  To carry with your passport - print up and laminate a card with your name, insurance, emergency contact, and all of your medical conditions/meds/allergies. (Not a bad idea to have this in your wallet even at home. Just sayin'.)

And then, hopefully, you are done, and ready to go.. Another good idea... even if you complete the three shot series -- before your *next* trip to India, have someone check your antibodies for Hep B.  Your PCP can order this test. You may need a booster. (I did, one year.)
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Get your Indian Visa.  You can work directly with the Indian government (https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/). If you prefer, or if you have waited too long and now need to rush, you can use a visa/passport service like Ambassador Visa (http://ambassadorpassportandvisa.com/) to handle the process for you. You will need to complete a visa application, and will also send your passport, two new passport photos, and another id (copy of your driver's license works well). You can give your first planned hotel in India as the destination address. Apply for a multi-entry ten-year visa.  It costs only a bit more than a six-month or one-year visa, and you will be all set for future trips.  You are going to love India -- get a ten-year visa.  Trust me on this one.

Booking flights within India:  If you want to work with a multi-airline service, I recommend http://us.makemytrip.com/  If you have questions or concerns, call the toll-free number - their people are very helpful.  And if you will be checking more than one bag, be sure to mention that to them. 

Scheduling your trip   You will arrive in India at dark o'clock.  Highly recommend having a hotel booked for that night so that you can go straight there.  (So you arrive at 3am on Wednesday December 2.  You have booked your room for December 1, so it's waiting for you.  If you can manage it, a second night at that hotel is also a great idea.  Leaving India -- you will also leave India at dark o'clock.  I usually book a hotel for that night as well, just to have a place to relax until it's time to go to the airport.   So my flight is a 4AM on February 9.  I book the hotel for February 8.  This is important -- make sure that you have your printed tickets and boarding passes when you go to the airport in Mumbai.  The hotel can print them for you. You will not be able to enter the airport without those in hand!  (I have not been there since 2018, but I suspect that this is still the case.)

Arrange for a car/taxi transfer from the airport to your hotel in Mumbai or Delhi You can set this up through your hotel (may be included in the cost of your room - check that!), or through a travel agent. When you walk out of the airport at 2AM, walking into chaos, you will be very happy to see a driver holding a sign with your name on it.  Trust me on this one too!  Arrange the transfer before you leave home. Also -- you will arrive in the middle of the night. Have a hotel reservation.  (Unless you are younger and stronger and want to do the straight-to-the-domestic-airport thing.  I'm older and need a day or two to acclimate.)  (Note:  If the arranged car is not there -- ie your flight was late, or whatever) -- go to the Prepaid Taxi stand inside the airport.  You tell them the name of your hotel. You pay them a fixed rate, They give you the number of your taxi.  You go outside to the taxi stand and take that taxi.  You have paid, so you just need to give the driver a tip.)

Planning what to take on the plane:  Travel from the US to India is about 23 hours door to door, including a plane change and some walkaround time somewhere in Europe. Invest in comfort gear for the plane - especially if you will be flying coach! Eye mask.  Neck pillow. Ear plugs.  Maybe a lightweight travel blanket.  Seriously... this is a whole lot of time on airplanes!

In addition to the obvious stuff (your toys [tablet, computer, phone], your wallet, passport and other important paperwork like your plane/hotel confirmations).... I strongly recommend that you also take enough clothing and personal gear to get you through one day in your gateway city (Delhi or Mumbai, probably).  You will be arriving in India in the middle of the night. (Why am I so sure about that? Because *all* international flights into India land in the middle of the night!)  If your luggage is delayed, it will not arrive until the middle of the following night. So... good idea to have a clean lightweight outfit, necessary toiletries, medications, etc., with you on the plane. Enough to get you comfortably through one full day.  (NOTE:  If you do need to return to the airport the following night to retrieve your delayed luggage, plan on being there a while. Only ticketed passengers can enter the airport. When you get to the airport, go to the security office and follow their guidance.  Alternatively - worth a try - see if you can arrange for your airline to deliver your luggage to your hotel.)  

Clothing  You can certainly buy some clothes once you get there…. but you should pack enough to get through at least a week or so.  If you are packing lightly, make the clothes washable, and pack laundry detergent. I recommend laundry "sheets" - zero risk of a leakage problem. I was happy with these, but there are other options. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B071XYKHX4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Clothing tips for women   You want to cover your legs. Avoid sleeveless tops -- short sleeves, long sleeves, 3/4 sleeves are all ok. Pants should come well below your knee, loose pants, lightweight fabric. Leggings are ok. Long skirts are fine too.  Long shirts are good - ideally, your top should cover your butt. Bring one long scarf (or buy one in India) to cover your head in temples - it's a sign of respect. Good clothes to take with you.... lightweight drawstring or elastic waist pants, long shirts, long cotton tops with at least short sleeves, long skirts.  With a few pairs of pants in neutral colors, you can inexpensively  Indianify yourself once you have arrived in India by buying some kurtas (long shirts) and scarves.  (Scrubs are great for casual pants for India... lightweight, every size and color imaginable, and easy to wash and hang out to dry.) Full Indian-style suits ... called salwaar-kameez, or Punjabi suits... consist of a long shirt (kameez or kurti), a long scarf (dupatta), and loose drawstring pants (salwaar).  The pants may be simple straight legs, or gathered in with a cuff at the ankle, or true salwaar style - very loose at the top, gathered at the ankles -- tthe salwaars are *very* loose and comfy.  If you are a small/average size woman, you may be able to buy these off-the-rack.  Or ask around for someone to "stitch" some clothes for you. (This can happen amazingly quickly... as in, get measured in the morning, have clothes delivered after dinner.)

If you are in Mumbai, I recommend Paaneri in Andheri - north of the city.  (PAANERI   217, Ceaser's Court Housing Society, Swami Vivekanand Marg, Andheri West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400058, India.  Hours: 9:30AM–9PM  Phone: +91 22 2628 3733) Paaneri has wonderful  and inexpensive colorful kurtis, salwaar kameez sets, dresses, scarves.... and the clothing is available in a wide range of sizes from small/petite to XXXL for the tall and larger among us. Tell them you are looking for casual cotton clothing.  (Many of the outfits are really dressy... lovely and fun, but not practical for everyday wear!) You can also ask the concierge at your hotel about clothing, or talk to your friendly cab driver, telling him you are looking for "everyday" Indian clothing, not expensive clothing - the drivers can usually take you to a couple of places in one afternoon. 

Clothing tips for men: Men - it's easier for you! Bring several pairs of lightweight comfy slacks, easy to wash and hang out to dry. Scrub pants are good for you also! You also can Indianify your appearance by adding some kurtas and some scarves.  Bermuda shorts seem to be ok for men, or at least I never noticed raised eyebrows when my friends were wearing them!  Tshirts or short-sleeved shirts are fine.

Clothing tips for everyone: Bring some comfy shorts and tshirts for time spent hanging out in your room. Shoes – you will want sandals or shoes that are easily put on and off.  You will remove your shoes in many stores, all temples, and every private home.  Flip-flops are a good idea too... in an Indian-style bathroom, your entire bathroom is your shower stall. (The shower head is just attached to one wall of the bathroom – no enclosure.) You will need dresssier grown-up shoes only if you are planning on doing something dressy in one of the cities. And if you are a walker/hiker, then you will need footgear for that!

Carrying stuff around with you – Men and women:  Bring a small backpack or cross-body bag.  (Travelon has great theft-proof bags.) You can carry a wallet, your passport, snacks, sunscreen, hand wipes, tissues, small flashlight, etc., in that bag. (I also carry a “bathroom kit” – more about that below.) Many travelers buy a passport holder which is worn under the clothing (either around-the-neck or around the waist)  -- those work well for passport + extra money + credit card.

Food and water in India:  Rules about food and water in India.... BE CAREFUL! Water is the main problem.  (Note: if you are staying a a modern western-style hotel, the water may all be filtered.  When in doubt - ASK!  And even in very upscale hotels, I stuck with bottled water.) Any food you eat should be hot enough to burn your mouth.  Food prepared by street vendors is risky.  (I have eaten street food, when I could see the food being cooked... but it's still risky.)  You should only drink filtered or bottled water. For bottles, you must hear the snap when you break the seal on the water.  It is not at all uncommon in India for bottles to be refilled with tap water and then resold as "bottled."  Other stuff about water:  ice is water, and should be avoided unless you are in a very good hotel.  The water in your shower is water (keep your mouth closed).  Rinse your toothbrush with bottled water.  Avoid salads - again, may be ok if you are in a very good hotel.  Fruit you can peel yourself is fine.  Chai is ok if you can see the chai-wala boiling the tea.  Reminder:  ice is water! Avoid ice!  (Another note... you are ok if the water has dried completely.  For example, you forget and fill you water bottle with tap water.  Just empty and dry it, and then let it dry for a while. Good to go. (With filtered water this time!)  Or you have a brainskip and rinse your toothbrush in tap water.  No problem. Just let it dry completely before you use it again.  If you are going to be out in the country, a water purification device is a must.  I like this one:  

Snacks - good idea to bring some.  You need snacks in sealed wrappers - Trader Joe has wonderful little bags of raw almonds and trail mixes ("just a handful" or some name like that). Protein bars are good. Just make sure that whatever you bring has individually wrapped servings. And no chocolate -- it melts! 

If you want more substantial foods as a backup:  pack a spoon, a water immersion heater, and a good microwave mug with a cover.  Instant oatmeal works well - heat water, add oatmeal, cover, stir, wait a few minutes.  Dr McDougall soups are healthy - just move them into small plastic bags for packing. There are other options, for sure.. but read the instructions. You likely will not have a microwave, so you are looking for INSTANT options. If you can manage an Indian electric teakettle in your luggage, it's much easier than an an immersion heater!  Bowls with covers work well when you are making soup/oatmeal in your room:  like this one:  https://smile.amazon.com/Sistema-Microwave-Collection-Noodle-1109ZS/dp/B009SD35IO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1542372671&sr=8-3&keywords=microwave+bowl

Travel insurance:  I *always* sign up for this. Travel insurance will cover things like missed connections and lost luggage.  But the insurance also provides peace of mind around health issues - they provide a number to call in case of a health emergency so that they can help you to get the care you need. In the event of a true life-or-death emergency, they will fly you out of India.  I use http://www.travelguard.com. Worth every penny.

Health stuff and supplies: Note... you will not find a CVS in India.  Nor a Walgreens.  Nor a Rite-Aid.  Nor anything else that even vaguely resembles a US pharmacy.  (At our house, we sometimes joke about "buying CVS by the aisle" for trips to India.)

First step:  think about every medication you use at home.  Prescriptions, of course.  But also whatever you use for indigestion or headaches or whatever ails you.  I usually review my medicine cabinet at home, and make a list from there.

Very good things to have in your bag... and note, you can just leave it all on your dresser as you head for the airport on the last day in India, making more room in your luggage!   It's a bit easier to find stuff you need in the cities, but even there, familiar brands are non-existent and quality is a concern with no-name brands. NOTE:  at the risk of belaboring the obvious - this list assumes that you are traveling solo. If you are traveling with someone else, you can split up this list and just share.

• First aid - a first aid kit, or at least bandaids + some gauze pads + tape + antiseptic ointment
• Sunscreen lotion.  (Sunglasses are good also. The glare in India is... quite something.)
• Hand sanitizer.  Pack a couple of those little bottles, carry one in your backpack. The little single packet handwipes are good also.
• Headache/pain remedies (if you have frequent headaches, you will know what you need) - but at least some Ibuprofen or Advil or Tylenol - whatever you take at home for aches and pains
• Gastrointestinal - My travel docs have recommended that I *not* take any OTC medications for diarrhea - if I did have a problem with diarrhea, I was to go straight to antibiotics.  Taking OTC stuff may stop/slow the loose bowel movements, but does *not* help to move the bad bugs out of your system! (Other docs tell travelers to try Pepto and then Lomotil, moving to antibiotics only as a last resort. Your Mileage May Vary. Talk to your doctor or travel nurse.)
• If you are really worried about getting sick and dealing with diarrhea... another thing to consider putting in your bag -- Preparation H - medicated wipes, Maximum Strength with aloe.  We all hope we will not get sick... but if you do, you will be happy that you have those soothing wipes with you.
• Electrolytes - I recommend Nuun - all of the flavors taste the same to me - like watered down generic Koolaid - but are quite drinkable.  And you will be drinking *a lot* of water while you are in India.  The tablets easily break in half and are just dropped into your water bottle.  (You can buy them on Amazon.)
• Toiletries - city hotels will have the familiar little bottles and wrapped bars of soap. Indian-style hotels likely will not.  Bring some soap/shampoo/toothpaste with you.
• Women - if you are pre-menopausal, take menstrual supplies with you even if you are not expecting to have a period while you are in India.   If your timetable gets messed up, as happens frequently when women are traveling, you will be trying to find supplies in a country where.... well, let me just say again - take what you would need with you, just in case!
• Eyeglasses/contacts - take an extra pair. Your glasses are not readily replaceable in India. Also pick up an eyeglass repair kid. (On one of my trips, when I did not have a kit with a tiny replacement screw and a tiny screwdriver, a helpful friend "repaired" my glasses with a paperclip and scotch tape.)
• Insect repellant.  Either DEET or picaridin. (I vote for Picardin, because DEET is... well, DEET.)
• Any other pharmacy-bought stuff that you use frequently, or regularly, or anything more than once in a blue moon ... because you probably will not be able to find it in India! (My partner and I joke about buying CVS by the aisle for India trips... )
• Ear plugs are a really good idea.  (And a sleep mask is also a good idea.)  Particularly useful if you are staying within blocks of a temple where mantras are blasted out of loudspeakers day and night...
• Toilet paper. If you are only staying in western-style hotels, you will mostly be ok.  But it's a good idea to have a packet of toilet paper in your bag when you're out and about.  Also bring small bags for disposing of the used toilet paper. (Somewhat ironically, rolls of doggie poop bags are terrific for this purpose.)

Bathrooms in India:  Most of the upscale hotels and now a few stores and mid-range hotels, offer western style toilets. But many bathrooms in India still have Indian-style toilets - squat toilets. This is a helpful description:  http://www.wikihow.com/Use-an-Indian-Bathroom

When I am out and about in India, I always (ALWAYS) carry a "bathroom kit" in my bag, and keep it right on my person.  (This started after I needed to use a bathroom in a store during my first trip to India. I was barefoot in the store, having removed my sandals at the door... and using the dark and smelly and wet-floor store bathroom while barefoot was a very very very  unhappymaking experience.)  My bathroom kit is just a small pouch (a small plastic bag with a zipper would also work) including the following: a pair of lightweight flip-flops in a plastic bag (the ones you get with a pedicure), some soft disposable wipes, some toilet paper or tissue, a second plastic bag to carry any waste (dog poop bags work well for this. There is no place in the bathroom to dispose of paper!), and a couple of hand-wipes.  With those supplies, I might need to deal with a squat toilet at some point ... but I can avoid bare feet on a dirty wet floor, and also avoid the whole clean-up-with-water routine.  (Sorry.  Born and raised in the West.  Maybe if I lived in India long enough, I would get down with the whole bathroom thing.  Maybe.)  I have needed my bathroom kit only very rarely... but knowing that I have it just in case gives me a disproportionate sense of comfort.

If you are out in the country somewhere, the odds increase that you will encounter a) an Indian style toilet, and b) one that is small, dark, wet, and very smelly.  At the risk of being indelicate... in some cases you may prefer having someone stand guard while you pee behind a bush!  (Or a haystack.  Or a small building out in the middle of nowhere.) Yes, I have been in this situation. (This is another reason to have some bathroom supplies in your purse or backpack, including toilet paper and a small plastic bag for disposing of waste paper!)

Getting cash (rupees) in India: A few years back, this was challenging.  Then ATMs happened, and the process became easy.  In 2017,  the government removed the very common 500 and 1000 rupee notes from circulation.  If you have older bills, they are probably no longer good. You should be able to get rupees from ATMs, although you may need to try a couple of times. I use a small-balance debit/Visa card when I am in India, both for charges and for ATMs. (I do not even use our primary bank debit card in the US…. and am doubly cautious in India!)  You can exchange dollars for rupees at the airport – take as much cash as they will give you. You can exchange dollars for rupees at a brick-and-mortar bank. You may also be able to exchange dollars for rupees at your hotel. And in the cities, may have better luck with ATMs. As much as possible, use up your rupees before you leave India.  2018 update:  the law has changed, and the currency exchange people have told me that they can now exchange INR 25000 -- so about $350. Not a bad idea to do this before you leave the US. And keep your receipt: they can exchange back from (up to 25000) rupees to dollars when you return.

This is important ... before you leave on your trip, notify your bank(s) and credit card companies that you will be traveling! If they block a charge because of concerns about security, you will have a major hassle trying to get it sorted out.  If they know you are going to be traveling to, say, France and India, then no hassles.

Connectivity in India: This has been a hassle for me -- but my last trip was 2018 and it may be easier now.  Also, I was spending a couple of weeks way out in the country, which certainly made it more challenging - no wifi shops out there!

It is not easy for visitors to get SIM cards for phones. You can acquire one at a phone store - but activation may take between 24 hours and some indefinite date in the future.  So that's a bit of a gamble. Talk to your carrier about international travel - you may come out ahead by just working with your usual phone company.  (They will help you to set up the phone so that you are not accidentally downloading tons of expensive data.) For a laptop, you would need a Tata Photon or other hotspot.  Again, talk to your carrier before you leave the US.

Western hotels will likely have wireless connectivity.  You can also look for Internet Cafes… these small shops are frequently available in smaller towns and cities. They will usually have a signal, and will probably also have laptops available.

You can also rent a hotspot, and with a hotspot, you can use WhatsApp or Zoom or Skype or whatevever. Some new companies have rental phones with SIMs. (Note....if connectivity is important to you, you can Google the day away -- or google several days away -- trying to figure out connectivity before you travel.)

Other good stuff to bring

• If you are bringing food (instant noodles, tea bags, instant oatmeal), check Amazon for a small/mini electric teakettle. So much easier than an immersion coil!
• Power adapter - you can get this on Amazon or at a travel store.  You do not need an entire set of adapters... just India-US. I highly recommend this one - it takes a 2 or 3 prong US-style plugs and also has two USB ports.  https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N25OUYG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• Mosquito net and malaria meds - I usually travel in February or March to Madhya Pradesh, and have not seen mosquitos.  I have never used a mosquito net. Some people skip the pills, concerned about side effects.  Some people do use mosquito nets. Your call.
• Small flashlight. Always. In your backpack or purse, but somewhere right on your person.  Power outages are very common in India!
• Flying coach?  Invest in a travel pillow and blanket and earplugs and other necessities. Check Amazon for options. 
• Some sort of alarm clock/alarm watch/smart phone alarm is very useful.
• Electronic toys...  Kindle will be fine if you have access to power.  Phone/tablet/laptop -- see above re connectivity. Not a problem in Western-style hotels, but getting a signal may (well, actually, WILL) be a problem if you are not in a modern hotel!

And here is a great link for more info...

http://www.journeywoman.com/girltalk/india/default.html