Dear Pilgrim,
This is your second Kumbha Mela newsletter. Last time we discussed visas, insurance, itineraries, etc. Now we are ready to move on to other details.
This news update will cover:
-Who you meet in Delhi, January 17, 2001
-Important phone numbers in Delhi
-Delhi Temperature
-Guidelines on Clothing
-Helpful Information -Delhi
You will be arriving in Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi January 17, 2001. We will have our volunteers waiting outside the arrival lounge area to welcome you. Look for "Kumbha Mela 2001-Swami
Rama's Ashram" name board. Our volunteers then escort you to prepaid taxi counter located outside the airport. If you do not see our volunteers outside arrival lounge --please do not leave the airport. Please wait outside the arrival lounge area. Look for our sign board. We have pre-arranged your ride to Taj Palace hotel. Our volunteers or a volunteer may be stuck in the traffic or something, so please trust they will definitely meet you. However, please be sure to forward to us your flight itinerary so we can make sure our greeters expect you.
There are two Taj hotels in Delhi. Make sure you would go to Taj Palace hotel. Hotel address appears below. Our volunteers at Taj Palace will help you to check into your room.
Taj Palace, Delhi - January 17th stay, one night
Group Reservation under - Search Beyond Adventures
Address: Sardar Patel Marg, Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi 110021
Phone : (91-11) 6110202
Fax: (91-11) 6110808
Other- 9 km from airport, 10 km from railway station, 10 km from city center.
We recommend you to do your shopping at the end of the tour so you do not have too many things to carry around.
Country Code for India-91
City Code for Delhi -11
Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi -5652050
Domestic Airport, Delhi- 5665121
Government of India Tourist Office- 3320005-8
Emergency, Ambulance and Police-011
Delhi's Institute - 91-11 646-9349 (Guest house of the Himalayan Institute of yoga Science and Philosophy)
Swami Rama's Ashram, Rishikesh - 91-135-431-485,433886
Swami Rama's Ashram, Rishikesh - 91-135-431693 (front office)
January (winter)
Maximum: 70 degrees Fahrenheit; 21 degrees Celsius
Minimum: 45 degrees Fahrenheit; 7 degrees Celsius
I suggest everyone who hasn't traveled in India previously to purchase a travel guide book, e.g. "Lonely Planet" or "The Rough Guide" series to familiarize yourselves with questions of currency, weather, public transportations, local customs, etc.
You are going to a conservative country and it is best to honor local sensitivities. It gives credit to visitors if they respect the local cultures of the places they visit. Appropriate clothing is comfortable modest attire that covers legs and shoulders. Also it saves you from any mosquitoes and from day time hot sun. For bathing in the Ganga River (and we are not even sure if Swamiji will choose to lead us into that, or rather
save you from the crowd). You do not need to pack a swimsuit. In India the modesty of the body is greatly prized and people take the holy dip wearing loose Indian clothing; women even wrapped in sarees. They feel it more solemn that way. Indian clothing is anyway more comfortable for that climate and is very gracious. If you choose to wear western dress, do so conservatively, as you would for a church festival.
Insure all your expensive belongings like cameras and tape recorders.
Phone: 1-877 -394-8747
Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/travel.
Main Post Office (Delhi City Center)
Parliament St.
3715605
Courier Services:
1. Air Freight Ltd/224 SD Chambers 11
9 Bhikaji Cama Place: Tel: 6164998
2. Blue Dart 8 Balaji Estate, Kalkaji
Tel: 61225910
3. GATI Desk-to-desk Cargo, Nehru Place
Tel: 6234277
4. Elbee, 21/22 Krishnagar, Safdarjung Enclave
Tel: 6182669
Indraprastha Apollo Hospital (large modern hospital, ambulance service)
Sarita Vihar, Delhi-Mathura Road
New Delhi 110 044
Tel: 692-5801, 692-5858, ER 692-5900, Ambulance 682-5555
Private Hospital (modern hospital, ambulance service)
DLF Qutab Enclave, Phase II
Guragon
Tel: 91-352097, 91-351162, 91-353793
Aashlok Hospital (small central hospital, ambulance service)
25 A, Block AB, Community Center,
Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi
Tel: 616-5901 to 616-5910 & 616-5861
Malhotra Heart Institute (modern cardiac hospital, ambulance service)
14 Ring Road, Lajpat Nagar IV
New Delhi
Tel: 648-3462, 648-1355, Emergency/ambulance, 646-1157
Escorts Heart Institute and Research Center (modern cardiac hospital, ambulance service)
Okhla Rd., New Delhi
Tel: 6825002, 6825001
East-West Medical Center (ambulance service, regional medivac services)
B-28 Greater Kailash I, New Delhi
Tel: 6293701-3
Sita Ram Bhartia Institute (no ambulance)
16 B Mehrauli Institute Area
New Delhi
Tel: 686-6659, 616-5901
YAMUNA CHEMISTS
20, Main Market, Lodhi Colony
New Delhi - 21.
Tel - 4693218, 4651138
SAWHNEY MEDICOS
22, N.D.M.C Market, Malcha Marg
New Delhi - 21.
Tel - 6110406, 6118239
DR. RAJA RAM'S
22/A, Khan Market, New Delhi
Tel - 4618416
Citibank:
Jeevan Bharati Building, 124 Connaught Circus,
Phone: 3712484
Deutsche Bank,
Tolstoy House, 15-77 Tolstoy Marg,
Phone: 3721140
Bank of America
Hansalaya Bldg, 15 Barakhamba Road,
Phone: 3722333
ANZ Grindlays Bank
Chanakyapuri,
Phone: 6112306
Hong Kong Bank:
28, Kasturba Gandhi Marg,
Phone: 3314355
Citibank: Jeevan Bharati Bldg
124 Connaught Cir,
Phone: 3712484
Bank of America,
Phone: 3722333
-What to pack
-Welcome to India
-What is pilgrimage, by Swami Veda
-Allahabad
-Campsite
-Maha Kumbha Mela
_Varanasi
-Customs and Formalities
Indra Dhaksinamurthi
Coordinator
August 6, 2000