Pen pals in India

India runs on a single clock. The whole country, from the Himalayas to the southern tip, keeps Indian Standard Time, five and a half hours ahead of UTC. That half hour catches out a lot of people arranging a video call, and it is one of the few things a pen pal in Kolkata and a pen pal in Mumbai will have in common. Almost everything else, from language to food to the weather outside, can be completely different.

Which India?

It helps to think of India less as one place and more as a collection of states, each with its own language, cuisine, festivals and habits. The Constitution recognises 22 scheduled languages, including Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and Urdu. Hindi and English are used by the national government, and English is common in higher education and many offices, but your pen pal's first language may well be something else.

That is also the most common misconception: that everyone in India speaks Hindi. Many do, especially in the north, but plenty of people in the south and north-east grew up with another language and use English as their bridge to the rest of the country. Ask which language your pen pal dreams in; it is a better question than it sounds.

If you are learning English, an Indian pen pal can be a fluent and thoughtful partner. If you want to learn an Indian language, ask which one they actually use at home before you buy a textbook.

Heat, rain and the school year

For much of India the year turns on the monsoon. Hot, dry months build up through spring, then the south-west monsoon usually arrives around June and lasts into September, bringing heavy rain, cooler air and, in some places, flooding. The north has a real winter, with foggy mornings in Delhi, while the south stays warm year-round.

Many schools, including those under the national CBSE board, start their academic year in April. Summer holidays then fall around May and June, with timing set by each state and often shaped by the heat. Board exams in February and March are a serious affair for older students, so do not be surprised if letters slow down then.

Festivals across the year

Dates for most Hindu festivals follow the lunar calendar and move from year to year.

• Holi, the festival of colours, usually falls in March.
• Diwali, the festival of lights, usually falls in October or November and is celebrated with lamps, sweets and family visits.
• Republic Day on 26 January and Independence Day on 15 August are national holidays.

Beyond these, regional festivals can matter more locally: Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Onam in Kerala, Durga Puja in West Bengal. Eid, Christmas, Gurpurab and many other occasions are celebrated too. Asking which one your pen pal looks forward to most will tell you a lot about their part of India.

Starting the conversation

• Which state do you live in, and what is it known for within India?
• Which languages do you speak, and where do you use each one?
• How does the monsoon change your day-to-day life?
• What is the festival your family puts the most effort into?