15 strange things in India

When showing directions, Indians can repeat 4-6 times without being sure. If accompanied by a "ha" sound, you shouldn't rely on it as a guide.

As one of the richest places in history and architecture, India is an attractive country for any traveler. Coming to this place, you not only explore the colorful world of indigenous people but also witness and experience the strange and different things as below.

1. The red dot on Indian woman's forehead is called Bindi, while in man it is called Tilaka. Compared to Bindi, Tilaka is usually longer. Children also draw this dot with the concept to protect them from the devil.

2. Indians often take off their shoes when visiting temples and pagodas to show respect. It is best to wear socks in these cases and do not worry about losing your shoes as they are protected.

Do not forget to take off your shoes when visiting the Indian temples.

3. Electricity in India is not stable. There are days when the power only turns on for about 30 minutes, so save with devices that need charging, even when staying at a hotel.

4. Sadhus monks often wander everywhere to beg for alms and renounce all worldly pleasures.

5. Indians often say "if only". When showing directions, they can talk 4-6 times over and still not sure. If accompanied by the "ha" sound, you should not rely too much on that instruction.

6. Indian trains are always packed with people getting up and down. They are even ready to squeeze even when the train is running.

7. The Indians believe that the cow is a sacred animal and the embodiment of the god. Therefore, cows can wander everywhere, including on the street without worrying about being killed.

8. India has 5 or 6 million 'hijra'. They are 3rd gender men and dress like women. After cutting off "your", they conducted a ritual of pouring milk into a stream symbolizing the inability to reproduce.

Two hijra in women's costumes.

9. Indians love to photograph tourists, especially those with light hair and eye color.

10. Indian traffic is very chaotic. There does not appear to be any rule of thumb between cars, motorcycles, bicycles and passenger cars. Not only did they honk but they also whistled to alert guests. You can hardly get used to this in just a short time.

11. Don't be surprised when you see two Indian men holding hands.

12. In many areas in the south, people still keep their tradition of eating. The food was served on a leaf and they used to eat it with their right hand. Indians think that the left hand is not clean because they use to clean themselves after going to the toilet.

13. Scaffolding is made of connected sticks. To them, men look great doing adventurous work without any protective equipment.

14. Barber and shaver are everywhere, mostly men. Not only stylists, they sometimes also color the beard and hair.

15. The toilets are quite odd. You will have to use a hose or basin of water to flush it out after you resolve your "sadness".