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15 Common Myths About India Debunked by an Indian Traveller
India is so diverse and vibrant that some foreigners find it magical while others find it confusing. The way media portrays India adds further fuel to this.
Moreover, ignorance and the habit of stereotyping a nation without having traveled there or trying to understand its culture lead foreigners to develop many misconceptions about India. And this may lead many world travelers not to visit India!
We’re diving deep into the 15 most common myths about India, and who better to debunk them than an Indian traveler like myself! You might book your flight tickets to India for your next vacation after reading this honest post!
Why Am I Qualified to write this story?
As a traveller myself, I have had pre-assumed thoughts. I’m not blaming anyone here?I’ve also stereotyped a few nations before going there and then learned the facts.
I thought most Dutch people got stoned every day because of their drug policy until I went there.
We assumed most Egyptians would know how to read and write hieroglyphs.
Until we went to Iran, we couldn’t understand why Persians were regarded as the nicest people on earth.
Assumptions aren’t wrong; it’s human tendency. But believing the assumptions to be the truth is the highest sign of an irresponsible tourist. As someone who is constantly broadening my own horizons and breaking my own myths about other countries, I want to help you break the stereotypes of Indian culture.
As Indian flashpackers exploring the world, Ashrith and I meet many folks on the road. All these questions are either asked to us or to our friends. These are based on actual incidents and conversations during our foreign travels.
Table of Contents
1. Snake Charming is India’s main Profession
One of the most common myths about India is, many Indians are snake charmers and they make a living with it! – No!
At Santorini, while sipping local wine and watching the sunset, our hotel receptionist, who found out we were from India, excitedly shared her father’s story.
Her father, a sailor, had traveled to India in 1965 and brought her a King Cobra leather bag, paid for by a snake charmer. She was surprised to learn that there are hardly any snake charmers in India now.
If you’re expecting to see them everywhere, like in the 1983 Bond film “Octopussy,” you might be let down. Indians are now more involved in real science.
- Indian doctors successfully perform complicated surgeries like separating conjoined twins.
- ISRO scientists achieved milestones by launching a satellite to Mars after Russia and the USA and landing on the dark side of the moon in 2024.
- Ar. B V Doshi was honored with the Pritzker Award in 2018.
- India aided Afghanistan in constructing its parliament and rebuilding a dam.
From high-paid jobs like chartered accountants to plumbers, Indians are involved in many professions. I won’t brag about the numerous Indian-origin CEOs around the world. So, if you thought snake charming is India’s main profession, forget about it.
2. Indians go to work every day riding the elephants.
Our guide at Petra discussed the impressive scientific advancements of the Nabateans. Then he seriously asked us, “How do you cope with the leisurely pace of elephants? Aren’t you late for work? Is this why they say Indians are never on time?“
Priyanka Chopra Jonas was asked the same question when she moved to the USA In 1995s. Even in 2019, we were asked the same question in Jordan.
Outside of Africa, India has the world’s highest elephant population. You’ll spot elephants in temples for religious processions and at timber mills for log pulling. Tourist spots may offer elephant rides
Among the many myths about India “ Indians commuting to everyday work on Elephants” truly the silliest one. We drive bikes, cars, and cycles just like you do! You can book a taxi or auto-rickshaw by Uber, not an elephant ride in India
3. You’ll get sick immediately if you eat food in India
“Never drink water in India, avoid raw fruits, don’t eat anything?because Indian food is full of chilli, made with gutter water. You’ll get Delhi belly right after eating.”
This false notion exists on many travel forums constantly. Not just travel forums, a few people whom we met abroad have similar misconceptions about Indian food that you die or fall sick immediately after eating anything in India.
My fellow Tunisian passenger on our island-hopping tour in Thailand asked, “Do you carry chilli flakes everywhere you go, Are you carrying one right now?”
Ashrith met a traveller from Poland in Sikkim, who was eating only cup noodles he had brought from his country for one month in India because he thought all our food was inedible spicy
So let me bust these ugly myths about Indian food and show you what it’s really like.
Breaking the Myths about food in India
Yes, us Indians do love our chili in our food more than the rest of the world. But that doesn’t mean we drown everything in it or make every dish spicy. We cater to all kinds of spice preferences?whether it’s a hint of spice, medium heat, or fiery hot.
So, you’ll find a variety of spice levels in Indian cuisine. It’s true that consuming spices and chilies daily can lead to stomach ulcers, and we’re mindful of that. There is a wide variety of “non-spicy” Indian food available. You just need to ask for it.
Most restaurants even ask their foreign guests about their preferred spice level. And if a dish can’t be made without spice, they’ll let you know.
Food Hygiene Standards in India
Like any other nation, you can find both hygienic and unhygienic food in India. I would say 50% of street food vendors in India don’t follow hygiene standards. So you really need to know where to eat.
The amount of oil Indians use also varies. Not every household or restaurant drowns its food in oil.
It’s best to seek advice from your host or friends on where to eat in India and avoid random places, especially in busy markets. While about 10% of street food vendors may not maintain hygiene, it’s rare to find anyone using water from drainage.
Eating in a dusty place with food sold beside gutters can make you sick. Buying drinks or juice from random street vendors is risky too. But finding tasty, less spicy, and hygienic food in India isn’t rocket science.
A little caution and seeking advice from the right people can lead you to a delightful culinary experience in India.
Planning a 21-day trip to India? We’ve got you covered with our DIY 3-week India travel itinerary offering 10 options.
4. Indians are uneducated and dodgy
One common misconception about Indians is that they aren’t competent enough, often judged by their English accents.
Additionally, some people assume Indians to be unintelligent when they see us in traditional attire. English movies highlighting Indian accents have fueled one of the dumbest myths about India?that Indians aren’t clever enough.
How can one’s IQ or level of cleverness be judged by how they dress and speak?
Another biggest myth about Indians is that – Most of them are Scammers
There are some scammers in India, as in any other country – It doesn’t mean every person you meet in India wants to snatch your money.
Some auto-rickshaw drivers scam tourists with faulty meters. Then there are beggars with kids who emotionally blackmail and take money from you.
Dodgy taxi drivers try to take you to the hotel that pays them commission but not the one you want to stay in.
In fact, a common thing among street-side sellers near tourist attractions is selling emotions rather than products?”I haven’t fed my family for 3 days. If you buy these three chains for 300 Rs, I’ll buy some rice today.”
After traveling across 16 Indian states and a few Union Territories, I’ve also been scammed a few times and escaped many. But honestly, I’ve met shy at first, nicer, and friendlier fellow Indians more than scammers.
Planning a trip to India for the first time? Check out our “Complete Travel guide to India for the first timers” to learn everything you must know before travelling to India.
5. All Indians greet you with only “Namaste – hand placed together”
A French guest at our Aswan hotel gave a dramatic head bow and said “Namaste” when he realized we were Indians. We appreciated the effort, but it was unnecessary! Not all Indians greet with a head bow and Namaste?it’s a big misconception about Indian culture.
In ancient India, the traditional greeting was a Namaste posture, with hands placed together at the chest.
However, in modern times, this isn’t always the case. You typically see this gesture at the beginning and end of yoga sessions and in temples. Star-rated heritage resorts, ashrams, and Indian airline hostesses may greet you with folded hands and a slight bow.
However, when two Indians meet casually on the street, at home, or in pubs, we don’t typically do Namaste. Instead, we wave and say “Haaaaai, Magaaaa, Machaaaa, Bhaaaai, Dude, Babe” without bowing our heads.
While public displays of affection (PDA) are a bit frowned upon, it’s now common to see people of opposite genders hugging when they greet each other in India.
When you talk to a street vendor or a salesgirl in a shop, they greet you with “Hi, how may I help you” rather than bowing and saying Namaste. Bowing and doing Namaste to everyone in India might feel a bit out of place.
6. All Indians are Spiritual and know Yoga
An American gentleman in Giza asked us, “Are you here to do yoga in front of the pyramids? Are you a Rajneeshi?” We laughed and replied, “Why would I want to do yoga in front of the pyramids?”
He then said, “Don’t all Indians practice yoga every day? You’re all born spiritual. You must be following Osho too, right?”
I was asked similar questions in Istanbul and Austria?whether all Indians practice yoga!
We are very proud and happy that India is the birthplace of yoga?the best way to cleanse the mind and body. So, you’ll often hear Indians bragging about how yoga is part of our culture, especially when talking to foreign travelers. The irony is that not many Indians actually learn and practice yoga.
According to a 2020 National Library of Medicine study, only 11.8% of Indians practice yoga. What do the others do? They brag about it! I myself started yoga at 33. Many Indians mistakenly consider yoga the least effective way to stay healthy, preferring to hit the gym instead (including my spouse).
Same thing goes with being spiritual also. Not all Indian religious people are spiritual
So, when you come to India seeking a spiritual guru or yoga coach, do thorough research. Don’t fall for advice from someone who graduated from “WhatsApp University” and only knows how to brag without practicing yoga or spirituality.
On your spiritual path, we want you to be enlightened and not become a character on the next Netflix documentary about fake Gurus who misused their disciples.
7. India is a poor country and Majority of Indians live in Slums
Many movies, including some Indian ones, depict India as the land of slums. So, one of hilarious myths about India among a few foreigners is that most of Indian population lives in slums.
I once met a Canadian family in Sri Lanka who said they wanted to visit India to see the slums. Indeed Sulm tours are one of the fastest selling tours in India. I had to educate them about the facts about Indian slums for 10 minutes.
Now, I’m not saying there are no slums in India?Dharavi slum in Mumbai is one of the biggest in the world. And there are plenty other slums in other Indian cities – But not all Indians live in Slum
How many Indians live in the slums?
Around 30+% of Indians live in slums. The rest live in houses, apartments/rowhouses/mansions/ bungalows/ palaces. So every Indian you meet doesn’t live in a slum-like they showed you in Slum Dog Millionaire.
8. Indians shove garbage to make their way to drive.
My friend who moved to Helsinki in 2016 was new to snow shoveling. Seeing her learning, a neighbor asked, “I heard Indians need to shovel garbage often to clear their footpaths and roads while going to work. Snow shoveling is similar to what you do with garbage in India.”
Guess what? That Finnish lady isn’t the only person on earth to have this crazy misconception about India?that every street and road is loaded with garbage!
India’s pollution is a big issue with constant construction and slow public works. Many Indians lack civic responsibility, tossing plastic bottles and disposing of garbage poorly.
But despite these challenges, we don’t walk on garbage?we have paved streets. While you may spot garbage dumps, we don’t shovel our roads or step on human feces outside our doors.
9. India isn’t a secular nation
In India, the diversity in religion, caste, and subcaste is vaster than shades of denim available.
With a population of over 1.4 billion, Hindus constitute the majority, alongside the three main Abrahamic religions?Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Bahai faith, and many more add to this diversity.
Unfortunately, ill-informed media, both foreign and some Indian outlets, often present half-baked, inaccurate information. They twist history and present information to fit their beliefs rather than the facts.
For instance, there was a news story claiming that Indians threw their gods’ idols into the ocean out of anger at God for COVID. However, this scene was part of the post-Ganesh Chaturthi festival tradition, where Lord Ganesha’s idols are immersed in water.
Similarly, news about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) was manipulated. The CAA was implemented to address illegal immigration, especially from Pakistan and Bangladesh.
However, it was portrayed as if all Indian Muslims were about to lose their citizenship, falsely branding India as a non-secular nation.
Think about how India, with nine religions and 22 different languages, has lived peacefully for over 70 years.
We’re a young nation recovering from European colonization, but we agree to disagree when opinions differ. Clashes do occur, but we come together and rise stronger. India doesn’t have a specific state religion, and we’re open to different religions and cultures.
APJ Abdul Kalam became our President, K J Yesudas sings songs on Krishna, and Tibetans find shelter in India. Hindus visit Muslim Dargahs, and there are synagogues in Kochi and Pune. My Hindu parents sent me to study in a lovely Christian Missionary School.
10. All Indian Women wear sarees and Bindis.
While traveling with my mom to beautiful Chiang Mai, we met a French family on the bus. They were fascinated with my mother’s salwar kameez, nuptial nose pin, bindi, and the little jhumki she wore.
Politely, they asked about our attire. When they saw me in a short skirt with no accessories, they assumed I wasn’t married.
They had believed there was a law in India requiring all married women to wear bindi and dress conservatively until they spoke to me. I’m glad they were open to learning about Indian culture.
In India, there are no official “Moral Policies.” Certain religions and families create their own rules and laws, which women may choose to follow. Some religions and communities enforce their laws, while others, like myself, are selective followers.
For example, I wear a Bindi, toe ring, necklaces, and jasmine flowers in my hair when I wear my favorite Mysore silk saree?simply because I enjoy dressing up that way. When I wear shorts, I don’t even wear my nuptial chain.
But nobody has ever beaten me up or put me in jail for not following Hindu customs.
Some may pass lame comments about Indian women wearing shorts and not being “sanskari” enough, but guess what? We don’t give a damn.
11. Everyone in India gets into Forced Arranged Marriages
Whenever we meet other travelers abroad, some are surprised to know that Ashrith and I got married after dating for 9 years.
Adding to their surprise, when we mention that we are Hindus but from different castes, a few have exclaimed, “Oh wow, you are brave. India has changed a lot.
I never knew Indians are allowed to marry whom they like.”
Arranged marriages are common in many nations across south asia. But highest in India. According to research, about 80% of Indians opt for arranged marriages. The truth is, arranged marriages are common in India, but not necessarily forced!
Just like the rest of the world has Tinder and Bumble, India has matrimonial websites where couples look for each other.
It’s not like they get married within a month after talking to each other on these matrimonial sites. They take time, date and then decide. Even when parents arrange the marriage, 99% of the time it’s consensual for the kids.
You might hear horrific stories where parents force their children, but even in arranged marriages, either person can say no to their parent’s choice if they don’t like them.
There may be family drama, but it’s not a ritual where kids get married to their parents’ pick with their eyes closed.
12. Indians dance on the street when they fall in love
Most Indian movies are dramatic. There are only a handful of movies that are practical without crooked romance. In a typical Indian movie scene – Hero is fighting gangsters all by himself.
Though the heroine knows martial arts, she is made to stand and scream, “Help me.” Hero kills the villain and saves the heroine. She hugs him in tears and smiles -– Kaboom – They fall in love and are dancing in the Alps or the Taj Mahal the next moment.
A shopkeeper in Munich, who must have watched Indian movies, asked me “Why didn’t you go to Switzerland? That’s where most of your movies are filmed.
Don’t you want to dance there? Don’t get me wrong, but do you guys also dance on the streets in real life like they show?especially when you fall in love?”
We celebrate love just like the rest of the world. While public displays of affection (PDA) are frowned upon in India, it doesn’t mean we don’t hold hands and walk.
Street dance and music are common during festivals and processions, not when two Indians fall in love.
Indians may enjoy pre-wedding photo and video shoots, but they don’t dance on the street wearing weird costumes every day. Like anywhere else, you might see attention-seeking influencers dancing in public in India too. However, Indians generally keep their love affairs private and don’t randomly dance everywhere on the street for the sake of love.
Want to know Facts about Indian culture? Check out our post ” 50 Amazing Facts About Incredible India That Nobody Told You“
13. India is Always hot and Humid
One of the famous myths about India is its climate?many assume it’s always hot and humid, with the entire nation falling under a tropical climate.
Most people know about the Himalayas and India’s beaches. if you’re one of those who think India is either cold and dry in the Himalayas or hot and humid on the beaches, you’re wrong.
While sweating profusely in Salzburg in August, a café owner was surprised to see us struggling in the heat. “Aren’t you Indians used to this heat? 35°C must be normal in India. Why are you feeling hot?”
When I disagreed, he ignorantly said, “Oh, you live in the Himalayas or something?”
I had to explain the different climates in India, altitudes, and mountains other than the Himalayas that keep many parts of India cooler.
India has six climatic zones. So the entire India isn’t always hot and humid. Not every part of India has tropical climate.
The Thar desert, Himalayan mountains, beaches, waterfalls, rocky mountains, lush green forests – the geology and geography vary drastically between North and South.
As per the International classification, we are an almost tropical country. But when you plan your visit, consider India’s six different climatic regions.
14. Hindi is the national language of India
What if I asked people in Canada if they speak Canadian or in the U.S. if they speak American? Sounds weird, right?
The same way, India is a nation, and there’s no language called “Indian.” If I listed how many times people have asked me if I speak Indian, it could go on and on.
There are 22 official languages and hundreds of variants in each language – And Hindi isn’t our National Language. Many Indian states won’t even use Hindi.
So knowing Hindi isn’t a must to travel in India. English takes you a long way than Hindi for a traveller in South India. In every state, the signboards are in regional language and English if you don’t know Hindi – No worries.
15. India is Chaotic, unsafe and not worth your time
The way India operates is quite miraculous with vast diversity ?Multilingual, religiously pluralistic, hundreds of ethnicities, with various climatic regions, a vast area and the highest population.
With diversity comes poverty, some chaos, a lot of garbage, and a disorganized way of living.
The most famous myth about India is that it isn’t safe for travel because of all this. It isn’t true.
The way other countries operate and how India functions are very different. There are few things you can only experience in India. Honestly, you will never see such a diverse country functioning as a democratic nation anywhere else.
In India, science coexists with superstition, harmony coexists with diversity, value with disparity and despite differences of opinions, people not only live together but also celebrate together. You’ll encounter both scammers and friendly Indians.
While tourists are advised to wear conservative clothing in India, you’ll see Indian women flaunting shorts and skirts. Many Indians are K-Drama and Japan anime fans – So you do find many girls embracing Japanese Kawaii Style Clothing.
Despite being home to the highest number of vegetarians in the world, there is plenty of meat available in India, including beef – So India is absolutely worth your time.
Which of these myths about India did you think to be true? Let us know in the comment section below.
