How rich people live in India. “I constantly caught greasy looks on myself”

Without a doubt, India is considered one of the most beautiful and interesting countries in the world. She still remains a mystery to most, despite the fact that everyone knows about her, about her traditions, cooking, history. Everyone knows that this is a country of contrasts. And yet in India, in a country with democracy, mobile phones, a developed pharmaceutical industry and Bollywood, there are many strange and incomprehensible phenomena.

It is known that more than a billion people live in India, it is the largest democratic country in the world. It is difficult to imagine such a huge amount of public support for the government, but society, in turn, makes the government work hard. Well, or so it seems! Until now, India has preserved the caste system, which indicates to each member of society his place.

In most countries of the world there are only 4 seasons, there are countries in which even less. For example, in countries located on the equator, it is warm all year round, and vice versa, in countries beyond the Arctic Circle it is constantly cold. In India, there are 6 seasons according to the calendar of Hinduism, the main religion of the country: summer, monsoon season, autumn, winter, pre-spring season, spring.

Unfortunately, the national currency of India, the rupee, is not allowed to be taken out of the country. This news will upset tourists, but it rules out currency speculation. Although locals are trying to export currency and speculate with neighboring Bangladesh, this is all happening on a small scale. More and more people in India are starting to use cards.

India is a country of contrasts. In the country, poor and rich, literate and people who cannot write and read live nearby, and such a majestic structure as the Taj Mahal is adjacent to shacks. The country has only 65% ​​of the literate population. There are 45% of literate women and 75% of men. Despite relatively high literacy, India has a high rate of poverty.

The country's population continues to grow. India is said to overtake China by 2028. Already today it has exceeded the total population of Western Europe.

At the time of Pangea, all the continents were one large piece of land. Thanks to tectonic processes, huge parts began to separate. It was then that India began the journey separately from other parts. Later, she came across the piece that is Asia today and stopped.

In India, people speak 1000 different languages ​​and dialects. A traveler will not be helped by a phrasebook, as many local dialects and languages ​​are radically different. True, most people know Hindi.

India has the highest death rate in the world. The main reason for this phenomenon is traffic accidents. Traffic on the roads in India, especially in cities, is extremely heavy and there is no regulation. It takes talent to maneuver safely between cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, animals, and pedestrians. People die under the wheels of cars or due to suffocation in overcrowded buses. The death rate of newborns and pregnant women also contributes to the high mortality rate due to insufficiently qualified medical care. In addition, they still kill for infidelity and for dowry.

When it comes to cinema, everyone has associations with Hollywood. However, about 1,100 films are released annually in India, which is twice as many as in the US. Believe it or not, most Indian films are not made in Bollywood. Although many people like the colorful, emotional, expressive films of Bollywood stars, this is only a small part of the entire Indian film production.

The passion of Indians for records in various fields can be called strange. For example, the Guinness Book of Records holds the record for the largest crocheted blanket in the world. The largest metal peacock in the world was erected in India. The record for the most massive performance of the national anthem was recorded.

Everyone knows the problem that occurs in multimillion-dollar megacities around the world - this is air pollution from car exhaust, which manifests itself visually in the presence of smog, and physically in shortness of breath. China is most famous for this, but in Mumbai the situation is even worse. Staying in Mumbai or Delhi for one day is equivalent to smoking 100 cigarettes. According to the World Health Organization, 1.5 million people die each year from lung cancer and asthma in these cities.

Although most people in India eat plant-based foods, Indian cuisine has very tasty dishes made from chicken, goat, lamb. But India has the largest number of vegetarians. At the Indian Golden Temple, several thousand free vegetarian meals are handed out daily to the poor and homeless. Be sure to try paneer, naan and biryani - vegetable and rice dishes.

8. 53% of houses without running water and sewerage

In the cities of India, people die under the wheels of cars, from polluted air, and also from unsanitary conditions, since 53% of houses lack running water and sewerage.

Dowry is an ancient Indian tradition. When a guy and a girl are going to get married (very often parents make the choice for them), the bride and her family give a large amount of money to the groom's family. Especially these are large sums when through marriage they are going to improve their social and caste position. Unfortunately, because of this money, one girl is killed every hour in India.

In every spoon of almost all Indian dishes you can find turmeric, coriander, mustard, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, chili pepper. Not surprisingly, 70% of the world's spices are of Indian origin. If you want to try an authentic Indian dish, then it is better to visit any Indian family. They spend several hours preparing the dish, a huge variety of spices - this art is difficult to learn.

Unfortunately, slavery still exists in India today. The number of slaves reaches 14 million people. For a long time this topic was silent, and no one paid attention to it. People in many countries of the world could not even think that in India there is slavery, which exists due to imperfect legislation, corruption of local authorities. Most of the slaves are poor, illiterate women and children who are forced into hard labor and prostitution.

In addition to slaves, there are a lot of poor people in India. A large number of families with children live on the street, collect alms. In India, the average person has to work 14-16 hours to earn little money. On average, they earn up to $1.25 a day. The government is trying to provide benefits to the poor, stimulate the development of agricultural areas and motivate the poor to take up farming, but so far to no avail.

There are a number of developed countries in the world where the rights of men and women are equally respected. In India, in some families, newborn girls are deliberately killed, as they will not be able to continue the race. Between 100,000 and 500,000 girls are killed annually in the country, just because of their gender. Selective abortions are practiced here, which were officially banned back in 1994. Those girls who manage to survive are often humiliated all their lives by the male population. If we talk about medicine, then more attention and respect, when talking about vaccinations and treatment, is shown to boys and men.

In accordance with the traditions of Hinduism, which is very common in India, the day of the funeral of the deceased is celebrated and commemorated by relatives. Most often in India, corpses are burned, and at the funeral they are not allowed to drink alcohol or eat meat products, this rule also applies to the next 12 days. The eldest son in the family pours the ashes of the deceased into the water of any reservoir nearby, it can be the ocean, sea, river, lake. Relatives and family friends commemorate the death of the deceased, wishing him a happy afterlife.

In ancient India, marijuana was used for various purposes. Today, this is an absolutely legal action, marijuana is used in different forms, although there are some restrictions that are associated with religion and traditions. For example, it is added to dishes, milkshakes are prepared from it. It is one of the five sacred plants that are mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. Marijuana is also used to treat various diseases and during religious ceremonies. Hindus are sure that Shiva also used marijuana.
Not less than

India is exactly the country where the beauty and wealth of some people and the sheer poverty of the rest are fully combined.

Having visited this country, your consciousness will turn inside out and never again will you talk about the fact that in Russia some people live richly, and all the rest are poor. Having visited India, and especially not the most prosperous areas and cities, you can see a combination of luxury and poverty.

How do they live

Luxurious mansions with gilded columns, swimming pools, gardens of paradise with the same birds of paradise and miserable shacks in which half-starved and half-dressed children and their mothers vegetate their lives right next to each other. While their fathers are trying to earn at least bread so that the family does not starve to death.

These feelings will visit any tourist who wants to drive through the outskirts of the city of Delhi or its provinces. Around the solid dirt and the presence of sewage thrown directly into the street.
India's problem, not least, is its pollution of both land and water. If everything is clear with water, because probably everyone knows that the funeral procession is accompanied by the burning of the body and the dumping of the remains into the nearby river.

But the land is polluted due to the lack of culture among the Hindus to throw garbage into garbage containers, which is almost impossible to find, at least in the provinces.

on the video how people live in India

Garbage is thrown at his feet (I bought a bun, took off the bag and threw it at my feet. I drank a cup of coffee and threw a plastic bag at my feet as well.) What can I say if citizens who have their own houses throw waste not somewhere into containers, but directly around your house.
Looking at this kind of beauty of the provinces, you understand how simple and rich people actually live in India.

Lifespan

All this affects life expectancy in India, which is 68.7 years, while men live on average 5 years less than women - 66.3 versus 71.2. But this trend is happening all over the world. In terms of duration, India ranks 118 out of 192 countries. It is noteworthy that Russia is in 113th place. As you can see, it didn't go far.

Standard of living

At the same time, the country's standard of living (economy, quality of life, level of freedom, sovereignty) is at a very low level. For 2014, according to the studies of international organizations, it occupies as much as 106th place out of 108 studied. Compared with our country, Russia is in 32nd place. What can not but rejoice.
So, if you look at the indications of the standard of living in India and Russia, then without leaving for this country you can understand how ordinary citizens live there.

It should be noted that the pension system in India is not developed in the same way as in Russia.

Only civil servants are required to receive a pension, for everyone else it is a funded system, but not all employers deduct interest on the employee's pension account, as this is not necessary. There are currently 90 million people in India who have reached retirement age (60 years). However, they can no longer work, and the state does not make any payments.

62 year old Irina Alexandrovna from Magnitogorsk says in India to a waiter in Hindi with displeasure: “Be careful. Why did you bring naan cakes with cheese unbaked? I'm not your tourist!" The waiter turns pale, mumbles something and disappears. “It’s the only way with them,” Irina says sternly. “Otherwise, they will definitely deceive you.”

She says that she moved to India immediately after graduation: “I was 25, in my last year I jumped out to marry Raj. He is 10 years older, looked after beautifully, and I was a girl not spoiled by attention. Such love flared up, passion - all the friends were envious.

The wedding was played in two countries in turn - both in the USSR and in India. Irina admits that at first she was shocked by the country. “I thought it was like in a movie. Well, princesses are beautiful, temples, palaces, elephants, coconut trees, dancing on every corner. And on the first day, a snake crawled into my bedroom - I squealed so much, I woke up the whole house. Raj calmly crushed her with his foot, saying, well, nothing, it happens. Mud on the streets of the mountain, beggars crawling in scabs, torrential rains for 3 months in a row ... Romance has diminished. I wanted terribly smoked brisket and doctor's sausage, they just dreamed about it, but you can't buy it anywhere. I'm tired of fighting cockroaches, nothing can poison them: they are healthy, the size of a finger. Raj kept laughing: with our cockroaches, they say, it is not necessary to fight, but to be friends. But Raj loved me madly, and I loved him, and this is the most important thing.

Five years ago, Irina Alexandrovna's husband died, but she no longer wants to return to Russia. “There is no point. I chat in Hindi, wear a sari, go to the market with my local girlfriends to buy chili peppers for green beans in curry. I watch Indian serials how good conquers evil, and the poor with beautiful souls are better than the disgusting rich. I like it here, in general."

Photo: / George Zotov

mother-in-law and white horse

I was not told the exact number of women from the Russian Federation living in India, but their approximate number is estimated at several tens of thousands: from 30,000 to 70,000. Basically, these are our girls who married Indians during the period of great friendship between the USSR and India in the sixties and eighties years of the 20th century, when many Indian students studied in the Soviet Union, and all Soviet ladies burst into cinemas to watch "Disco Dancer". India seemed to be a mystical and alluring "abroad". Those who arrived after the nineties did not particularly develop with the exotic.

“The climate is terrible, the heat is sticky,” complains the 28-year-old Victoria from Krasnodar, who settled in Kerala with her Tamil husband in 2012. - Always keep the air conditioner on - electricity bills will come in space: so sit by the fan, which drives hot air. The sun burns the skin: I thought I would become dark-skinned to the envy of everyone, but constantly under the cream. There is nothing to do at all. In India, it is not customary for wives to work: even the poorest husbands have their women at home. At first I said that I wanted to become a tourist guide, my mother-in-law scolded me: are you out of your mind? What will the neighbors say about my son if his wife goes to work? And mothers-in-law in India have more authority than in Russia, they do not dare to object to them. We had a great wedding: we celebrated for three days, music, dancing, tons of flowers, the groom came for me on a white horse. The main thing in marriage in India is children, they give birth to a lot, but I was not ready for this. I thought: well, after thirty years we’ll start ... Scandals began every day: “Why don’t you want to? The purpose of a woman in the world is a child! ”And they are definitely waiting for a boy to give birth:“ the weaker sex ”is not in price. Such cases are not uncommon: if a wife finds out on an ultrasound scan that she is pregnant with a girl, she has an abortion on family recommendation. We were not officially divorced, although I returned to Krasnodar. I fly to India only for the winter, then it’s good here, you can even swim in the sea. The husband sighs, of course, but doesn't mind. He loves me."

god with tail and banana

The main "scarecrow" for our women in India is animals and insects. “God, how tired of monkeys I am! - angry Marina, a former resident of Veliky Ustyug. - Brazen as hell, they can pull an earring out of your ear, buy a bag of nuts on the street to eat - they will jump on your shoulder, snatch it right out of your hands. So I would have hit the monkey with an umbrella: they are dangerous, they infect all sorts of diseases. But you can't, the monkey is a sacred animal. The Indians swear at them, they can brandish a stick, but never to hit them. Like, they are divine. Damn, what kind of god can be with a tail and a banana ?!

“My constant life partner in India is dichlorvos,” says Aleksandra, a 35-year-old Khabarovsk resident who has lived in Trivandrum for 10 years. - Ants hesitated, spiders, some midges: they bite, then you will itch for a month. Mosquitoes carry dengue fever and malaria. At first, she didn’t leave the house without being splashed with repellents, then she waved her hand ... Well, why, not everyone gets sick in a row. You have to be careful, but don't panic."

But with elephants, everyone has excellent relations.

“My neighbor keeps three elephants,” Alexandra says. - Funny, such a colossus, but calm, like a cow. And when an elephant with a driver walks through the city, he obediently stops at a red light: already accustomed. Many of our ladies have a hard time with Indian food. Irina Alexandrovna, who dreamed of a doctor's sausage, explains: her late husband was a vegetarian, and she had to "reformat" herself.

Photo: / George Zotov

“When he was courting me, I didn’t pay attention: well, he eats only salads, and okay, who doesn’t like cucumbers and tomatoes. And after they came to India, it turned out that they don’t eat meat and chicken in the family. Some nightmare! Then I got involved, now I don’t use meat of my own free will: somehow it’s easier to feel, calmer. Fruits, vegetables, milk, paneer cheese - that's it. The first year of my life together, I tried to accustom my husband to Russian food. I mix Olivier - he doesn’t eat, damn it, even vegetarian. But you can’t make a herring under a fur coat, there are no such products. There are girls who haven’t been used to Indian food even for thirty years: they go to the store at the Russian embassy in Delhi, where our products are exorbitantly expensive: they grit their teeth, the poor, but they buy.

"Fool, ruined karma"

“If you like being a housewife, you live like Christ in your bosom,” says the 57-year-old Ludmila, who moved to India in 1984 from Saratov. - Just keep an eye on the house, and you are showered with gifts, cherished, cherished, carried in your arms. She gave birth to her first child - the father-in-law and mother-in-law gave gold, bracelets, rings, earrings did not know what to do with. They love children; Don't drink: Most Indians rarely drink alcohol, it's not in their culture. If someone comes home drunk, they gather advice from relatives and scold him: the fool, they say, spoiled his karma. Morals are strict: if I put on European clothes, so that the dress is necessarily below the knee, this is not Goa, where everyone goes half-naked. I love the Indian sari. A healthy thing: size does not matter, I bought matter, wrapped myself up and went to myself. I was bored at first, of course, did not know what to do. You always stick around at home, if you go out for a walk alone - it’s not accepted, you must definitely be together either with your sister or with your husband’s mother. I used to think that in India, whole crowds dance on the sidewalks, like in a movie. Oh, I was wrong."

It is surprising that girls from the regions of Russia, having arrived in India, speak local dialects, wear saris, learn how to cook complex Indian dishes and cope with the heat: although, of course, it was very difficult for them. Here's my word of honor: we don't value our women the way they really deserve it.

Natalia Durbanova. living in Mumbai (India) - about what Indian logic is, how reincarnation affects coming on time and why Russian wives in India are a separate “caste”

- Natalya, do you think it is necessary to prepare for the move? And were you prepared?

- You need to prepare - try to acquire the maximum number of skills that will be useful to you in the future. Universal skills - a profession, knowledge of the language (English is a must, another one is better), even a driver's license. In a word, everything that you can study and master at home, so that after moving you do not waste time, effort and money on this.

In general, I never set myself the goal of moving abroad. Firstly, I did not emigrate, but work abroad, just for the sixth year and the third country in a row. Secondly, initially the idea was to work, gain life and professional experience in another country. In 2003, I graduated from the Faculty of Economics of KSU with a degree in World Economy (IEO). The head of the department offered to try to enter the magistracy in St. Petersburg.

The decision had to be made within half a day. I tried and did. After a master's degree and three years of work in St. Petersburg at PricewaterhouseCoopers (one of the four largest audit companies in the world), I unexpectedly received a job offer in Malaysia, in the regional office of a large Australian company. I had 2 days to think, I decided.

After three years of working in Malaysia, I went to Mumbai as a tourist and realized that my next country would be India. In terms of professional experience, Peter and Kuala Lumpur have given me enough, it's time for personal growth. In all my moves, I made a decision quickly, maybe because every time I thought that it was only for a year or two or three, and I would return. As a result, every time I go further 🙂

- Moving abroad in your case - is it to go there? Or leave here?

- It would be more correct to say - to go there. No, I never left "here", I always felt good where I lived. I felt good in Krasnoyarsk, I love St. Petersburg in my own way, I really liked and still like Kuala Lumpur. Just as long as there is an opportunity, why not use it.

In July I was on vacation in Krasnoyarsk, and I thought, “How lucky I am! I was born in the best city in the world! Honestly! - we have big roads, clean streets, no crowds of people, nature, snow, a lot of culture - there is an Organ Hall, an Opera House, a Drama Theater, so many things ... ". But in order to appreciate it, you had to travel half the world 🙂

Why this particular country?

- There are two main reasons.

Professional. I am an economist by education, I worked as an auditor, an accountant, in Malaysia I set up an outsourcing department. India is an IT country, and I decided that if you look for a job here, then it makes sense only in the field of high technologies. Now I work for an online payment processing company, sort of like Paypal, but in a special niche - a high-risk business. This area requires a good technology platform, quite complex from a programming point of view, so the owner and technical team are Indians, but foreigners are hired to work with clients.

The difference in Indian and European mentality has a strong effect. I speak with Europeans in a language they understand, my boss does not complicate his life with the peculiarities of written etiquette. So foreigners like me have to deal with communication with European banks and drafting business letters and proposals.

In addition, the Indians have a very flexible attitude to time, respectively, the timing is a very loose concept :), while the Indian has 55 reincarnations, and the European has only one. I understand that if a client from England writes that it should be done today, it should be done today! Not tomorrow or the day after. Nevertheless, the whole world is working with India today, and one must learn to understand the Indian mentality.

Personal reason. At different stages of life, you set different tasks in terms of complexity. India is a complex, multifaceted and multi-layered country, but very interesting. Even if you take a vacation for 6 months between jobs and travel from north to south, you will not understand India.

Many things in India seem to Europeans at least - incomprehensible, at most - absurd. But in India everything has logic, we just don't know it! That's why I came here for a long time, to at least partially understand.

- If you compare the living standards here and in Russia?

– In Russia, the average standard of living is much higher. India is a land of contrasts.

There are people so poor that we couldn't even dream of living 10 people in one room all their lives, and having a cup of rice on the table twice a day. But there are also so rich that our Abramovichs never dreamed of. Mumbai has a house - the most expensive private property in the world, worth about $ 1 billion, 27 floors, its own McDonald's and a heliport - a family of 5 (five!) people lives in the house. (The house, by the way, is not only the most expensive, but also one of the ugliest in the city 🙂)

The middle class is far from the majority, the poor are much more in number.

What struck me when I first arrived in India was that this gap between different strata of the population does not lead to a social explosion and revolutions, as in the 20th century in Russia, for example. The reason for this is the caste system.

We have those who are "below" - dissatisfied with their position. The Indian, who was born in a low caste and worked all his life as a servant, does not even think that something else may be prepared for him by fate. Of course, even in the low caste there is a chance to get an education, there are state quotas in universities for low castes, but these are few.

In India, almost everyone has a domestic servant. Here, every middle-class family usually has housekeepers, either living with them or visiting. A housekeeper can live and sleep in the kitchen all her life, and this is in the order of things. Plus, a laundress comes to them (very few people have washing machines, everyone was very surprised why I need it, because you can give everything to a specially trained person for $ 15 (~ 600 rubles) a month, he will also iron the laundry), toilet cleaner, driver, a car washer, a milkman, a florist (as we subscribe to a newspaper - in India you can subscribe to the delivery of flowers for worship), and so on.

And it's not even a matter of prestige - it's just the way it is. By law, all these people, of course, do not belong to anyone, but in fact they are very dependent on their masters. Servants receive, on average, from 1 to 5 thousand rubles for our money. The population of India is 1 billion 200 million people, and all these people need work, and that's the whole point. The upper and middle strata of the population believe that the more servants are hired, the more good deed is done - otherwise all these people would live in the countryside, in much worse conditions.

Another interesting moment is the attitude towards personal space.

If in Russia things are, on the whole, normal, in Australia personal space is a kilometer long - “mind your own business” (“do not interfere in other people's affairs”) is highly valued there, then in India there is no personal space at all.

Maria Arbatova wrote correctly - Indians perceive the whole world as one big family. And when one of the members of this large family does something wrong, he is patiently instructed and guided. My Hindi teacher came to me three times a week and during the learning process she was interested in literally everything - every event in my life, checked all my photos on Facebook, read any comments (she diligently translated Russian-language ones!).

I was just shocked by such "care". Another amazing example - once I met a young man, we started dating, in general, from a romantic haze in my head, the work was launched. Two weeks later, my boss finally calls in and, not at all embarrassed, lays out all the ins and outs about my admirer - the name, where he lives, what car he drives, what family, that is, literally opens his file in front of me. It was the first and only time in my life in India when I wanted to take a ticket for the next flight and leave. For the boss, it was an expression of sincere concern. It was such a touching, fatherly approach to solving what was essentially a labor problem, and it is very revealing for India.

India is a country with a very low divorce rate. And if there are children in the family, divorce is almost impossible. The tradition of arranged marriage is very strong here - marriages are not arranged, but rather, by agreement. They are now about 70%, and in the villages and all 99%. Marriage becomes a kind of deal for families that join along caste lines. In the event of a divorce, you are excluded from the family and society, this is the worst thing that can happen in the life of an Indian. Therefore, the attitude to marriage is very, very serious. And if castes are practically not taken into account when hiring now (and even 10 years ago it was much easier for a brahmin - a representative of the highest caste of priests - to get a job), then when choosing a partner, this is a fundamental factor. Marriages for love are viewed with suspicion here - this is not very reliable, love-carrots are different. And this has its own logic, as in everything in India. People get married with the understanding that this is forever, and there is no other option and there will not be, so you need to build a relationship with who you have.

Do you feel like a stranger in a new country?

I feel like a stranger and my own at the same time.

My own - I go in Indian clothes even at the office (it's much more convenient, by the way, you don't have to suffer in heels 🙂), I speak Hindi at the household level. Hindi is more difficult than English but easier than Japanese or Chinese. Some complex sounds (there are three of them), the logic of constructing a sentence is slightly different - we have prepositions, they have postpositions (“I am from Russia, I live in Mumbai”), and so on. As one friend of mine said - living in a foreign country and not speaking its language, you seem to be looking at the world through a cloudy glass - you can live, but the quality of life is different. All vocational education above grade 10 in India is conducted in English, and educated Indians speak English well, but Hindi is, of course, necessary in everyday life. In Hindi, I mainly bargain, swear, and talk touchingly about my mother, father and brother. Only English at work.

Alien, in a good way - all the same, the attitude towards a European-looking person in India is different, more privileged, I would say. Indians have a very positive attitude towards Russians since Soviet times.

What about work and housing?

Housing in Mumbai is the most expensive in India. This is the largest city in the country, 20 million people live here. It stands on a group of islands that were artificially filled in and began to build a city. Now this is such a peninsula and there is nowhere for the city to grow, it goes into the sea.

In Delhi, for example, about 13 million people live, but it is 7 times larger in area - there are wide avenues, huge streets, practically Moscow. In Mumbai, everyone lives very densely, skyscrapers and slums right there, in general, real estate here is expensive. Prices - something in between St. Petersburg and Moscow, by the standards of India - the highest.

Finding a job for an expat is not easy. Which is understandable - there are 1 billion 200 million people here who need to be employed. And that's why there are not so many expats here (an expat is a highly skilled foreign worker, as opposed to a guest worker - a low-skilled foreign worker).

To obtain a work visa in India, you need to receive $25,000 a year, which is $2,100 a month, which is a lot by local standards, the level of a good leader. By the way, my real salary is half as much, about $1,000 a month, and in order for me to be issued a work visa, the employer has to declare the amount twice as high (and, accordingly, pay taxes on it, more than taxes on the companies). The ideal option in India is to work in a foreign company, then the salary will be the average European level, which is more than 25 thousand dollars a year. I deliberately went to work for an Indian company because, as I said, I wanted to see the country from the inside, including corporate India.

I do not recommend coming here without a contract. Unless, of course, you want to become a semi-legal, that is, live here on a tourist visa, and at the same time earn extra money. By the way, Mumbai is a Bollywood city, and foreigners are needed in the crowd.

But these are fleeting earnings, a completely different story. There is also a topic with Goa - you can work in tourism designed for Russian tourists, as animators or guides in Turkey and Egypt. To be honest, Goa is not India, in terms of culture - more liberated, food - more meat-eaters, in real India there are more vegetarians, religion - there are much fewer Hindu temples than Christian churches. Therefore, they have a calm attitude towards tourists, and, in general, more liberated moral and ethical principles. Tourists come to Goa, happily put on a bikini, sit on a scooter and rush off to "explore the country." In Mumbai, it’s not like I never wore a bikini even on the beach, I’ll think three times before putting on a knee-length skirt. And if I make up my mind, I will most likely go by taxi, and not by public transport.

Is there anything you are missing here?

There is a lack of Russian / European culture - opera, theater, classical music, museums, it is very energizing (that's why I went to St. Petersburg in due time). But in any country you can find islands of European culture. In Mumbai, for example, there are screenings of classical operas on the big screen.

And also Russian food. As a child, I could not stand buckwheat, now it is a delicacy! And borsch and vinaigrette are generally the food of the gods! I cook for myself, I have buckwheat from 7 countries at home! - I always order for a gift to guests from abroad. There are no Russian restaurants, because Russian cuisine is too bland for Indians. In general, the Russian diaspora here is mainly Russian girls who married Indians, they cook everything and feed their beloved ones at home.

Russian wives, by the way, are a very valuable caste in India (laughs). Firstly, fair skin, this is very much appreciated here, secondly, the sense of ownership is much less (and among the Indians it is overdeveloped - “where did you go, what are you doing, who were you with”, etc.), and thirdly - they are more independent and independent in everyday life.

- In part, you have already told, true, but still, is it expensive to live in India?

- My salary by Indian standards is very good, by expatriate standards it is small. Enough for living and household expenses normally. For example, for food, including local restaurants, and periodic raids on supermarkets with imported products, I spend about 10 thousand rubles a month. Traveling around the country can also be afforded normally, abroad it is already problematic, only a few budget airlines fly from India. But there are good railways here! Despite the horrific pictures of people hanging in clusters from the running boards, the reality is much better. There are good air-conditioned trains at very reasonable prices, much cheaper than in Russia.

Communication, Internet, transport - all this is inexpensive here. It's sad with medicine - it is either inexpensive, but not unambiguously trustworthy, or vice versa. I had a problem with vitamin D, and the injections cost me extremely cheaply from a private doctor. There are large medical centers with European price levels, where blood tests are prohibitively expensive. For example, in the same Malaysia there was something in between, but relatively high quality and stable.

Are you going to return to Russia?

– I have been living in India for 2 years, I am planning another year. I just do a lot of interesting things besides work, for example, with the local expat community, we arrange meetings for up to 170 people of 30 nationalities. We help newly arrived expats overcome cross-cultural differences, the first shock after moving, we calm down, we suggest. Several times I went to local colleges, lectured about Russia.

I will return to Russia. I will travel more, gain experience, and come back. I will have to deal with finances, although I really want, of course, to teach - and as a part-time job I would read an exciting and informative course about the same cross-cultural differences - there is knowledge, I am ready to share!

From a trip to India, foreigners have conflicting impressions. This country amazes someone with its poverty and devastation, but for someone it becomes the best place to live. Many come to India to restore spiritual strength and discover creative abilities.

Life here has its pros and cons. The disadvantages include:

• high taxes;
• poor healthcare and infrastructure;
• too hot climate;
• unusual food;
• high unemployment;
• low salaries;
• high illiteracy rate;
• crime;
• low social culture.

But life here has its perks. People in India live for themselves and are in no hurry. After noisy cities, immigrants like this measured lifestyle. Compared to Europe and Russia, here are cheap products, high-quality fruits and vegetables. India has ideal conditions for leading a healthy lifestyle and practicing yoga.

General information about the country: state structure, climate, economy, ecology

The Republic of India is located in South Asia and borders by sea and land with China, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives and a number of other states. It is the largest South Asian country.

India is washed by the Indian Ocean, surrounded by the Himalayas and the Thar Desert. The country lies in four climatic zones: from humid tropical to alpine. It is hot and humid from June to October, and relatively cool from November to February. In different regions in January, the temperature can be about +15 degrees, and in June it rises to +48. From June to October, the temperature throughout the territory is approximately the same everywhere - +28.

The head of state is the president, elected by the people for a five-year term, and the head of government is the prime minister. Legislative power is exercised by the Parliament, which consists of two chambers - the Council of States and the House of the People. The executive power, in addition to the president and prime minister, is exercised by the Council of Ministers.

The Indian economy is the 12th largest in the world, and in terms of GDP growth, it has become one of the fastest growing in recent years. One of the reasons why this began to happen is cheap labor. The common man in India lives in poverty and is willing to work almost for free. This explains the low cost of Indian goods. India grows potatoes, rice, sugarcane, tea, and cotton. Mining is being carried out here, the chemical, textile, oil, food and automotive industries are developing.

The development of industry and a large population negatively affect the ecology not only of India, but of the entire mainland. The main environmental problems of the country today are soil degradation, deforestation, landfills, air and water pollution.

Population: number, nationalities, density, literacy, occupations, culture, mentality

A huge number of people live in India. Today it is the second most populous state in the world after China. More than 1.3 billion people live here. And the population density is 364 people / km². Representatives of different nations and nationalities live here, including Bengalis, Jats, Tamils ​​and others. There are immigrants from neighboring Asian states and Europe. According to reviews, the local population is poorly educated. The average literacy rate is about 65%. The unwillingness to study is explained both by low income and the unwillingness to change something in one's life. The vast majority of the inhabitants of India have been engaged in agriculture for centuries and are not going to leave the village, therefore they do not consider it necessary to receive an education. A smaller part of the population is employed in industry and the tourism business. Many work in clothing factories that are in demand all over the world.

Indian culture is one of the oldest in the world. Many monuments of literature and architecture have been preserved. Thousands of pilgrims come to visit thousand-year-old monasteries and other holy places, touch antiquities and see incendiary Indian dances. It was in India that such religions as Buddhism and Hinduism originated. But today, in addition to their representatives, there are Christians, Muslims and pagans here. Officially, the country is a secular state.

A feature of the local mentality is a respectful attitude towards ancient traditions. Here they wear national clothes, speak Hindi, honor elders and gurus, and still divide society into castes. Hindus do not seek to change their social status and earn more. They are sure that what is happening in a person’s life is determined by higher forces, and he has no power over this. Here it is not customary to rush, and the word "stress" is unknown to Hindus.

Demanded professions and salary

Despite high unemployment, India needs highly qualified specialists in various fields. For many years, the list of the most sought-after professions includes the following:

• biotechnologist;
• surgeon;
• dentist;
• anesthetist;
• pharmacist;
• IT specialist;
• civil engineer;
• programmer;
• mechanical engineer.

Teachers, teachers of higher education, translators, specialists in the field of tourism are also required. Salaries in India are much lower than the European level. The average annual income of a resident of the country is $2,700. But the gap between the salaries of representatives of different professions is very large. In cities, people receive about $83 a month, and in the countryside - no more than $60. The highest paid professions are a programmer, an engineer, an IT specialist, a therapist. The latter receives about $225 per month. In India, the minimum wage is $57.

Search for available vacancies for migrants

Russians attracted to life in India find work in the tourism business. Migrants work as guides, photographers, dancers, masseurs. Instructors in extreme water sports are in demand - diving, rafting, paragliding. To live and work here, a migrant needs to know the language well.

You can work in India only on a work visa. Illegal workers are deported and blacklisted. The punishment also threatens the employer - he can be fined or put in jail.

Benefits for Russian immigrants

India is not the most prosperous country. There is a low standard of living, high unemployment, a huge gap between the rich and the poor, high taxes, bad medicine. And yet this country is of interest to Russian migrants. Settlers are interested in the ancient culture and religion of this country. They like warm weather. During the Russian winter, many freelancers come here.

The lifestyle of Indians and Russians is different:

These things need to be taken into account by an immigrant before moving to a new place.

How ordinary people live in India: standard of living

India has low food prices compared to Europe:

A trip by public transport will cost $ 0.3, and a taxi - 2.27. For lunch in a cafe you need to pay $ 2.5-6. A liter of gasoline in India costs $1.12.

Housing prices in different cities differ significantly. In the center of Mumbai 1 sq.m. costs $6850, and $2640 on the outskirts of the city, $3000-1250 in New Delhi, $1400-700 in Kolkata. Indian citizens can take out mortgages at a rate of 9.9%. Only wealthy people can buy their own housing. Many have to rent rooms and apartments. There are many homeless people in the country, because many do not have enough money to pay for rent. The owner of a one-room apartment pays about $20 per month for utilities, $18 for home Internet, and $5 for mobile communications.

The way ordinary people live in India depends on the region of their residence and profession. The highest salaries are for medical workers and programmers in cities, the least for rural residents, but the average annual income of a resident of the country is $ 2,700.

From any income, a resident must pay a tax from 10% to 31.5%: from salaries, profits on deposits, sales of something. The country has social programs to support different segments of the population. Benefits are received by the disabled, the unemployed, widows and other categories of citizens. The size of the pension varies from state to state. On average, the payout is about $3-7. The highest payments are received by pensioners who worked in the public service. Life expectancy in India is almost 69 years. And citizens are erased to work until old age, because the pension of many, as a rule, is below the subsistence minimum - $ 57.

In India, there is free medicine, but the level of services provided is very low, they are used only by the poorest citizens of the country. Quality medical care in the country can be obtained only for money. In the photo, paid Indian clinics look like five-star hotels, but only wealthy people can afford treatment in them. The initial appointment with a therapist will cost 500-1500 rubles. Many pharmaceutical factories are located in India, so medicines here are tens and hundreds of times cheaper than in Russia.

The country's government is trying to fight illiteracy, but so far without success. Citizens of the country can get free school education, but many parents try to enroll their children in private schools. The system of higher education is well developed here. There are 220 universities and more than 10,000 colleges in the country. Education in universities is paid. A year of study costs $15,000. Budget places are allocated, but they are few. Upon graduation, a student can receive a master's, bachelor's or doctoral degree.

India is a very unsafe country. Theft and various types of fraud are common here. Looting and rape often occur. Tourists are advised not to visit dangerous areas, keep all valuables in the hotel only in a safe, and keep your bag firmly on the streets.

Standard of living by cities and regions

How people live in India varies by city and state. The highest wealth among residents of large cities. So, the average salary per year in Mumbai is $ 829, in New Delhi - $ 612, in Kochi - $ 532, in Calcutta - $ 503, in Panaji - $ 365. The most expensive purchase of an apartment or house will cost in Mumbai and New Delhi, and cheaper - in Jaipur.

The southwestern regions of the country are considered the most developed and richest. The standard of living in the central and northern parts of the country is lower. The most prosperous state is Chandigarh, and the most disadvantaged is Bihar.

Temples of India and their inhabitants

Thousands of tourists from all over the world come to India for one thing - to visit its legendary ancient temples. It is said that there are about a million of them in the country.

The most famous of them is the Shiva Temple at Baijanath. It was built in the 13th century. It is here that the largest image of Shiva is located. Another legendary building is the Golden Temple on the banks of the Ganges. Every Buddhist should visit this temple and then bathe in the sacred river. You should definitely visit the Temple of Love, the Temple of Brajeshwari Devi and the Lotus Temple. An unusual place is the Temple of the Rats in the village of Deshnyuk. It is inhabited by rodents, which are considered sacred animals here. Also, monkeys, snakes and other exotic animals live in some local temples.

Russian communities: where they live and how

According to statistics, no more than 1,000 Russian immigrants officially live in the country. This number includes persons who have obtained Indian citizenship or permanent residence. But according to other sources, this figure is much higher - almost 2 million.

Russians in India mostly live in Delhi. The largest Russian community in the country is located in the Indian capital. The Delhi Association of Russian Compatriots has been functioning here for more than 12 years. Its representatives organize Russian holidays, teach Russian in schools, and even organized classes in Russian ballet.

Visa to India for Russians

To visit India, Russian citizens need a visa, which can be obtained online or at the country's diplomatic mission. The procedure for obtaining a tourist visa is simplified, and foreigners who want to get acquainted with local customs and ancient traditions, visit ancient temples, will not have any problems entering the country.

What visas need to be issued

For foreign citizens to travel to India, visas of the following types are issued:

• tourist;
• student;
• business;
• transit;
• working.

Student get foreigners who will be trained in Indian universities. Citizens of other states can apply only for paid places. The basis for issuing a visa will be a certificate of tuition fees and a letter confirming admission to the university.

Business visas are obtained by applicants who only plan to open their business in the country. They are also received by those who have already registered an individual entrepreneur and are heading to the country to meet with business partners and develop their business. A work visa is issued only to specialists who have entered into an employment contract with an Indian company and received an official job. Such visas are issued to representatives of professions that are in short supply in India.

Entry permits are also issued for those wishing to study religion or take yoga courses. Tourists receive a visa for three months or six months. The transit visa is valid for 15 days, but you can stay in the state for no more than three days. The validity of student, work and business visas is determined individually. It depends on the duration of the training or the duration of the contract.

Indian visas are single, double and multiple entry. On them you can cross the border one, two or an unlimited number of times, respectively.

Where are the required documents issued?

Russians can obtain entry permits at the consulate in Moscow or St. Petersburg. You can also apply for a visa online, and put a stamp on arrival in the country.

The following documents are required to obtain a visa:

• international passport and a copy of its first page;
• a copy of the first page and the page with the registration of the civil passport;
• questionnaire in two copies;
• photograph 3.5x4 cm.

Tourists apply hotel reservation, round-trip air tickets, travel voucher. For a private visit, you need an invitation from relatives. Students also submit a certificate from the university, those wishing to obtain a work visa - documents confirming employment, and entrepreneurs - a certificate of registration of individual entrepreneurs. To obtain all types of visas, except for transit and tourist, you need a certificate from the bank and from the place of work/study.

Terms and cost of registration

Russian citizens receive a visa within four days. But the deadline may change if the consulate needs to additionally request documents or verify information.

For a single entry visa for three months, you need to pay 2750 rubles, a double entry visa for six months costs 6185 rubles. Registration multiple will cost 8250r. Each foreigner must also pay a consular fee - $100.

e-visa

Indian visa can also be obtained online. To do this, the applicant fills out a questionnaire on the embassy website, submits documents and pays the state duty. His application is considered within three days, and if everything is in order with the documents, confirmation is sent by e-mail. It must be printed and presented at the airport upon arrival.

So far, such a visa is issued only to tourists, but in the future, students and entrepreneurs will be able to receive it. An electronic visa is issued for a month no more than twice a year.

Possible reasons for refusal

An entry permit may be refused if the applicant provides an incomplete package of documents, or they contain false information, or if he has previously been denied a visa.

An unemployed person or a young unmarried woman can be denied a visa. In this case, applicants may be suspected of intending to emigrate illegally. Do not issue a visa to those who have unpaid fines and taxes. The personal factor cannot be ruled out. If the candidate arouses suspicion or personal dislike among the visa officer, he will be denied permission.

Registration of a residence permit

Foreigners who come to India to do business can get a residence permit. But it is not enough just to open a company, it is necessary to create jobs for Indians and pay taxes. The greater the number of jobs for local residents, the greater the likelihood of obtaining a residence permit.

Residence permits are obtained by foreigners who have entered an Indian university and specialists who are officially employed. For those who want to immigrate to India permanently, it is better to first enter a university and try to find a job in your specialty during your studies. But you need to understand that in this poor, overpopulated country, finding a job is almost impossible. Representatives of rare professions are needed here: doctors, translators, engineers.

Another way to get a residence permit is to marry or marry an Indian citizen. But to get legal status, you need to prove the sincerity of the relationship. If a couple is suspected of having a fictitious marriage, the foreigner will be deported from the country.

Obtaining permanent residence and citizenship

A temporary residence permit is issued for a year, but it can be extended an unlimited number of times. After some time, a foreigner can apply for permanent residence - the validity period is from five to ten years.

Ten years after the move, he can apply for citizenship. To become an Indian citizen, the applicant must

• good knowledge of Hindi and English;
• within the last year not to leave the country;
• not have problems with the law;
• have a permanent job.

The applicant takes the official Hindi exam. It not only shows knowledge of the language, but also answers questions about religion and the history of the country. Due to the bureaucracy, an application for citizenship here can take several years to process.