Learning to Read Hindi (and a Book Review)

I'm less than a month away from my trip to India and have started learning Hindi. I learned to write in Hindi in 8 days using a book by Rupert Snell called "Read and Write Hindi Script: A Teach Yourself Guide" and it's just what I needed to learn to read Hindi! The book lays out each character step-by-step, provides transcription exercises and vocabulary along the way. I highly recommend it.

The script is called Devanagari (देवनागरी) and is used to write many of the signs in India. It's also the de facto script for Sanskrit, which I'll be studying during my yoga training.

I studied for 2-3 hours every afternoon at the library, sounding out the characters in whisper and practicing exercises in a notebook.

I love languages. I studied French and Japanese for a number of years and lived in South Korea for a year on a Fulbright grant. Devanagari/Hindi has elements from all of these languages that made it easier for me to pick up but it was still challenging. 

Now, onto the script! I'll show you similar characters together for comparison and give you some tips on memorization.

Firstly, this how I categorized some of the characters in my mind as I was learning them. This is how my brain categorized them; you might see entirely different groupings:

The 3 shape in figures: अ, आ, उ, ऊ

The E shape in figures: घ, ध, छ

The S shape in figures: ड, इ, ई, झ, ङ,  and ह

The r radical in figures: र, स, ख, ए

The m radical/wrap in: म, स, भ

The P-shaped ones: त, प, ष

The y ones: य, थ, 

The k ones: क, फ
The d ones: द, ढ

Here are some other mnemonics and tricks I recall from my studies:

• If you add more to a "j" sound you get a "ch" sound. ज when added to becomes च! It's ज with a bit extra. 
• द and ढ make similar but different sounds. द = d and ढ = retroflex d
• The sounds of ब and व are related so it makes sense they would look similar, too. A b isn't allowed to be a v, so it gets a bar through its character, ब. 
• "Sh" looks like 21. "Sh" is श!

Hindi borrows many words from English, making it a little easier to learn.

And lastly, some notes about Hindi compared to other languages like French, Korean, and Japanese:

• Devanagari is an "abugida" type script, with each character built with an inherent vowel. Japanese has vowels inherent with it's characters, too.
• か な だ; क न द
• Hindi romanization is more convoluted than Japanese (with 1 modern system) and Korean (with 2 systems). I prefer the IAST system used in India and South Asia (and the book).
• The word order of Hindi is Subject Object Verb (like Japanese and Korean) and consonant-based (like Korean). Consonant-based languages are harder to learn because it's harder to clear-cut syllables!
• Nouns in Hindi have gender and adjectives are conjugated, like French. Unlike French (but like Japanese and Korean), verbs don't change form based on the subject.
• Vowels in Hindi are added in a way similar to Hebrew.
• Pronunciation of unaspirated/aspirated/retroflex consonants reminds me of Korean and it's between voiced, unvoiced, and tensed consonants. Difficult!
•  ㅈ vs ㅉ vs ㅊ ; ज vs झ vs च 
• Nasalized vowels in Hindi reminds me of Japanese ん and nasalized vowels when speaking to your superiors (はい、そうしま(ん)~~す！). Especially हैं.

The sign to the right reads as "Rishikesh" in English. Less than 30 days now...!

I hope that was helpful in some way!

नमस्ते,
Tyler

The India Visa Application - How to Apply via Post

I haven't found a good, comprehensive guide to mail your application to BLS in Houston, so I wanted to write one and help others along their way.

My entire process took 13 days from applying to receiving the visa.

This article pertains to the BLS Houston office and the requirements on their website. The info here may not apply to the office in NY, SF, etc.

Since Mid-2013 US citizens applying for their visa to India must go through BLS International to do so. BLS doesn't have the best track record, and it made me pretty nervous at first. There's a reason they have those bad reviews - their website contains a lot of redundancy and hidden requirements for your visa application, among other things. The India Visa Application website is labeled a security risk by my browser, Firefox, and I had to make an security exception just to see the webpage!

But never fear, it is possible. And hopefully in 2014 you won't have to go through this at all thanks to some upcoming changes in visa policy.

Below are the things you need to send to BLS in order to get your visa. This is compiled from their website and my phone conversation with a representative at BLS Houston. You'll need to send in a trackable envelope:

1. Your passport (obvious, perhaps, but they don't actually mention this on this website) with at least two blank visa pages
2. A completed, printed, and signed (twice) version of the Online Visa Application Form
1. Reading my tips for the form first is recommended.
2. PASTE a 2" x 2" passport-style photo where indicated on this form. Don't paperclip.
3. An extra 2" x 2" passport-style photo 
1. The rep said this was just in case. Clip to the application or your BLS form.
4. Proof of address
1. For me this was a scan of the front of my driver's license.
5. Cashier's check designated to "BLS International"
6. Photocopy of said cashier's check
7. Filled and signed Postal Application Form
1. This is NOT the "Requisite Documents for Tourist Visa" form. You don't need that one for some reason.
8. Filled BLS form (provided to you after you finish it on their website)
9. Self-addressed Trackable Envelope (from FedEx or UPS preferably)
1. This one is folded and goes inside your envelope and is for the return shipment.

Now here's the thing. You have to get your trackable envelopes BEFORE you fill out the BLS form. They ask for your "air bill" (tracking) numbers for both sending and returning envelopes.  I went to UPS with items 1 through 7 and had them weigh that + with two envelopes and a small stack of blank pages just to make sure it would be properly paid for. I purchased 2nd Day Air for my sending envelope and Next Day Air for my returning one (at a cost of $60). Not taking any chances.

After that I went back to my house and finished the BLS form using the tracking numbers I purchased. I printed out the "BLS order form" and put it inside the envelope. I went back to UPS, taped the BLS shipping label on the outside of the envelope, and wrote "Visa Department" above it in Sharpie. Then I sent it off and I'm done! I hope...

UPDATE: I received my visa in 13 days after sending it off. Wonderful!

Tips for Completing the India Online Visa Application Form

Long title, but a short post! There are just a few things to think about when filling out this form.

I filled out the online form three times before having a satisfactory application that I (hope) won't be rejected. Why three times? Well, read my tips below and find out!

1. Read the sample form and its helpful comments first
2. Read this guy's helpful article second
3. Read my tips

I'm applying on a tourist visa but I'm headed to India for my yoga certification. This is okay to do! Don't lie on your application but do phrase things smart. Don't raise any red flags that might get your request denied.

• Don't put "Cameraman," journalist, writer, reporter, or anything remotely journalist-y for your occupation on the form. I put fitness instructor (and not yoga teacher) just in case they would be suspicious about my reasons for coming. I was a student once, so I put former occupation as "Student." Don't put unemployed, I've heard.
• I did NOT put Goa, Mysore, or Rishikesh on my list of places I'd be visiting. No need to raise red flags. I put "Agra" and "Delhi" for me.
• Put the city AND state where your parents were born. Slipped my mind the first time around.
• Your reference in India must have, according to BLS, a street and the 6-digit zip/post code specification. Just to be safe I used a hostel in Delhi (that I may or may not stay at) just to play it safe. I had to really search hard to find an actual address for a hostel in Delhi...!
• Name: Pulkit Katyal
• Address: Hotel The Spot
  867-868 Pahar Ganj New Delhi 110055
• Phone: +91-11-23580168
• If you go back and edit your application be careful as some fields will reset to YES and can wreck your application (you don't have Pakistani grandparents, do you?).
• Save your application as PDF, keeping and noting the filename. The first twelve characters of it (starting with USA and ending just before AA) constitute your application number.
• Sign the front page, just below your photograph
• Sign the back page where indicated
• PASTE a photograph, don't clip or tape it to the application.

After that, read my tips on actually applying for your visa with BLS here. I hope that helps, and let me know what worked for you!

नमस्ते!

Namaste! नमस्ते!

Hello, and welcome to my blog!

My name is Tyler, and I'm going to Yog Peeth ashram in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India for my RYT 200 certification in late January for 6-7 weeks.

I'm really excited and have been preparing since October for my journey.

Talk to you all later!