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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

 

 

WHO YOU MEET IN 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.

 

If you arrive Delhi before the 17th January please meet us at the domestic airport - January 18th at 10.00 a.m. Meet at the Sahara Airlines check-in counter for our flight to Varanasi.

We recommend you to do your shopping at the end of the tour so you do not have too many things to carry around.

 

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

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)

 

DELHI TEMPERATURE GUIDE

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.

 

GUIDELINES ON CLOTHING

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.

 

REMINDERS

Insure all your expensive belongings like cameras and tape recorders.

 

HEALTH INFORMATION FOR TRAVELERS TO THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

Phone: 1-877 -394-8747

Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/travel.

 

OTHER HELPFUL INFORMATION ON DELHI

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

 

PRIVATE HOSPITALS IN NEW DELHI-Recommended by the US Embassy

 

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

 

 

PHARMACIES

 

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

 

 

BANKS

 

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

 

ATM's

 

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

 

Some of the topics I'll cover in future emails are:

 

-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

 

 
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