Do all Indians know the "Rope Trick"?
Certainly not. The rope trick is stuff that folklore is made of. If
any Indians do know the rope trick, congratulate them on their
hypnotic abilities or sleight-of-hand. And, oh, by the way, the
flying carpets do not exist either.

Are elephants the primary mode of transport in India?
India is as advanced as any other nation in the world when it comes
to transportation. We have the British to thank for beginning work on
laying what is today the most kilometres of rail in any country.
Naturally, we have roads and planes, and, in addition, we have a very
long coastline.

Do all women in India wear saris and dots on their foreheads?
Most do. The sari is traditionally a Hindu woman's costume. Many
women of other faiths wear saris and many Hindu women wear other
costumes (eg. salwar-kameezes). As for the dot, for the most part,
it's cosmetic. It's either a plastic sticker or red powder or paint
worn on the forehead. Married Hindu women usually wear red or
vermillion along the hairline to denote matrimonial status.

Is all Indian food spicy?
Fortunately, no. India is a land with much variety in cuisine. Most
South Indian cuisine is not spicy, yet flavourful. North Indian
cuisine can be spicy at times.

Are all Indians Hindu?
82% of Indians are Hindus, 11% are Muslims. The rest are Christians,
Parsees, Jews, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs and a myriad other faiths.

"You speak English so well!"
Thanks to 200 years of British rule. India was ruled by the British
and one of their many legacies is English. Most of the educated in
India speak English with varying degrees of fluency, in addition to
speaking two or three other languages.

Is India disease-ridden?
India is not a bed of germs waiting to infect the unsuspecting. As
long as you ensure that you drink clean water and consume food from
clean establishments, there is no reason to feel unsafe for your
health in India. India's vast population (950 million compared to the
US's 250 million) lives in very close quarters (land area
approximately one-third of the US's). Since people come into contact
with one another quite often, there is a chance of disease spreading.
If such a thing befalls you, there is ample medical aid available in
the form of advanced hospitals and health care.

Do Rajahs exist?
Only nominally. After India gained independence in 1947, the 600-odd
princely states within Indian boundaries were merged into India. The
erstwhile rulers were allowed some of their property and were allowed
to keep their titles. So, yes, princes and kings and queens exist,
but they do not really rule anyone. India is a democracy, just like
the US, with elected representatives. The executive head of the
country is the Prime Minister (like in the UK), while the President
is the nominal head of the country (like the Queen in the UK).

Is India communist?
No. The preamble to the Constitution of India states that India is a
socialist, secular democracy. India's socialism is based on a
Nehruvian model with democracy as the primary thrust. Even the
communist parties in India are firmly committed to democracy. India
has the distinction of electing the first-ever communist government.
Market forces have always been respected in India, and beneath the
socialist fabric, capitalism is hale and hearty. In fact, Bombay's
stock exchange is the biggest in the world after Wall Street.

"Do you speak Indian?"
There is no language such as "Indian". A vast number of Indians (not
all!) speak Hindi, which is recognised as the national language of
India. Most Indians speak their "mother-tongue", or the language of
their ethnic group. Many Indians are also fluent in the language of
the state they reside in. And, of course, English is widely spoken.

Are all Indians vegetarian?
Many are. Once upon a time, one's cuisine was determined by one's
caste, but this is hardly true these days. Since Hindus consider the
cow sacred, beef consumption is miniscule in India. Fish, chicken and
pork are popular provided people can afford them. Almost all Indians
consume dairy products. Vegetables are very popular in India, and
even non-vegetarians eat vegetables for most meals.

Do you really have 300 million gods?
The entire pantheon of Hindu gods is said to number 330 million.
Nobody is quite sure who all these gods are. Gods exist for
* Objects in nature: rivers, wind (Vayu), fire (Agni), rain (Indra)
* Qualities: knowledge (Saraswati), wealth (Lakshmi)
* Emotions: love (Kama)
* Concepts: creation (Brahma), preservation (Vishnu), destruction (Shiva)
* Re-incarnation: Rama, Krishna