Visas!

Here's the skinny on the visa process. Yes you need a visa to go to India unless your passport is from India, Nepal or Bhutan. You can't get a visa after you get there unlike countries like Japan. You have to get it stamped in your passport before you start your travels.

For Australian citizens, the information and application forms are available at http://www.vfs-in-au.net/.

For Canadian citizens, the information and application forms are available at http://in.vfsglobal.ca/.

For people applying from the US, the information and online application is available at https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/homepage.

These websites are for companies that the regional Indian consulate has outsourced the paperwork to.

John filled out an application online and then we went to the Chicago office of the travisa folks and dropped it off; along with the passport, photographs (without glasses), a copy of the birth certificate (weird, I know) etc. You can also mail it to them.

Once they receive it, they send it off to the local consulate and send you an email when they get it back from the consulate. They then send you another email with the tracking information when they mail it back. John got his passport back 2 days after we dropped it off, and overall it was very easy. If you are dropping it off in person, and if you do it early in the day, it is possible to get it back the same day (no guarantees, though). If you mail it, they say 7-9 days for processing from the date of receipt.

Check for the closest consulate, and send it off to the appropriate travisa center for your visas. In the US their locations are San Francisco, Washington D.C., Houston, Chicago and New York city. The following are the rates for the Visas, not including the mailing cost.
6 Months - Multiple Entry - $73.00
5 Years - Multiple Entry - $163.00
10 Years - Multiple Entry - $163.00

For purpose of visit, you can say "Attending a wedding", and you can use the India contact information in the wedding invitation for the Indian address. If you need any information and if anything is unclear, we are here to help.

I am still trying to get my thoughts together on the street food post... signing off until I get that together. Ciao!