Can I mention about the ashram visiting when I apply a tourist visa?

Hi,

I have couple of questions about a tourist visa. I'm going to India to visit Amma's ashram for about 2 months. Than I might travel a month more. Well, I don't know anybody in India, but I have a reservation in ashram. Can I print out that page and present it with an application? Is it okay to mention that I'm gonna stay in ashram with tourist visa? and also even if I present the information of ashram, do I need any other connection in India?

Absolutely not.

It will raise the question as to whether you are really coming to India as a tourist or as some sort of volunteer or student, either of which would require different kinds of visa.

Never give too much information!

Just my take: others may disagree...

I think it depends on the country where you submit your application. I have applied for Indian tourist visas in the UK several times and gave the name and contact details of the ashram where I was going to stay; I always got the visas without any problems. In fact, the agent (I usually submit my applications through an agent because it is easier for me) told me that it is good to mention the ashram because it makes me look like a 'respectable' person visiting India for religious reasons.

But I met some travellers from Eastern European countries who said they had problems after mentioning ashrams on visa applications. If at all possible, try to find out what is the situation in your particular country. And whatever you do, do not mention any seva / volunteering / volunteer work, as this would definitely require a different visa. Nowadays, several ashrams function as retreat / recreational centres where Westerners can spend their holidays - I know Amma's is not one, but the people looking at your application are unlikely to know .

Also, the ashrams I have stayed at all required foreigners to fill in C forms, and they always accepted my tourist visa for these; there was never any question that I could not have stayed there with a tourist visa.

absolutely agree with Nick: absolutely not!

unless an ashram or yoga school requires a student visa or visa for religious purpose, then it's no one's business why you're going to India. stick with the tourist visa. sounds like you want to give them way too much information about yourself.

Guys, maybe there is a misunderstanding. There is the place on the visa form where they ask where are you going to stay and contact details for somebody who knows you in India, or something like that. Giving details of the ashram is an easy answer for both questions. It is not giving too much information, just the details of the place where you are going to stay - many ashrams are used just like that, a place to stay, like a hotel or guest house. But if OP thinks it is a safer option to give details of a hotel, she can do that too, probably nobody is going to check.

Thanks so much for all the opinion. I really appreciate it. Because I have to write down a reference name and contact information in India, I just worried about the situation I don't know anybody in India except the information about the ashram Thanks again!

Good luck, hope you are going to have a great time in Kerala and in Amma's ashram

I tend to agree with Nick
Have a feeling it is just for the paper work and if you put in a contact name will never be checked (don't quote me).Last time on the immigration form they asked for the hotel name (we were going to Mysore for Yoga - that we did not put in the visa application form!)told them we have no hotel but they insisted, so put down the Green Hotel , there is always a Green Hotel all over India. Transpired there was a Green hotel in Mysore but closed down quite a while back.
Good Luck

It's a tourist visa! Tourists do stuff like sit on beaches, watching the sun set, visiting great temples, looking round ruins, going to shops and buying souvenirs and, above all, getting on the plane and coming home. That's all probably a heap more respectable to a visa officer than visiting an ashram.

Issuing an India tourist visa is a rubber stamp job. Anything that pauses the rubber stamp is going to get the application passed to someone to think about. All visa applications should be honest, but they should not volunteer too much information.

OK... I guess Amma's ashram is world famous. the officers may not regard it as much different to a hotel. Still, I would avoid reference to anything other than pure sight-seeing.

As far as I know, the "reference" fields are not really necessary for a tourist visa. Please search this site for more up-to-date info on that --- and what people put in the where-staying fields.

Where are you flying into? For example, if it's Trivandrum then just goole hotels in Trivandrum & choose the name & address of a hotel there,no-one will question it any further,they will not check with the hotel.KK