India has an historic homosexual tradition. Surviving texts from as early as the 1500s mention the subject and sacred imagery depicts same-sex interaction between women. Both Muslim Nawabs and wealthy Hindus were recorded as having harems of young males. Tantric rituals are also known to have included homosexual acts.

However, both Brahman/Hindu laws and buggary-obsessed British colonial laws have maintained punishments for gay and lesbian activities. The result is that India's GLBT scene is perhaps Asia's most secretive and difficult to uncover, even for those within its queer communities. Still subject to legal penalties, discrimination, violence, and religious and social bigotry, this is hardly surprising.

Generally gays and men who enjoy the company of other men may be found in urban public places, such as bus/rail depots and facilities, gardens and parks, cinema balconys, etc. Be cautious, as authorities abound.

Male-to-female transgenders and hijras (eunuchs) have widespread, yet ambivalent, visibility in many local communities.

India's newly emerging LGBT communities, along with its variegated sexual behaviors that defy easy categorization, provide substantiation of the diversity of human nature; a diversity that is more visible than ever as the social freedoms sweeping through Asia erode irrelevant strictures of British colonials and organized religion.

• Being A Eunuch by Siddarth Narrain
• The Law and Homosexuality in India by Sherry Joseph
• Men in India message forum
• India Gay Scene Updates message forum
• Travel in India message forum
• Why should homosexuality be a crime? an article from The Times of India
• Additional links for India GLBT information.

• Bombay Dost
  Influential and long-running GLBT magazine.

• AIDS/HIV organizations and information
• The Humsafar Trust
  Serving the spectrum of MSM community in India since 1994. They take a holistic approach to the rights and health of sexual minorities and promote rational attitudes to sexuality.

• Injapink
  B-91, 1st Floor Lajpat Nagar - I, New Delhi - 24, (91-11) 4652-9883, (91) 935-001-3934, email. Unique custom gay tours that are difficult to arrange and require extraordinary insider connections with remarkable local people. Open the door to gay way of life and deeper insight into the soul of Indian culture and gay India. Hand-picked accommodations in select destinations. Stay at a luxurious independent and boutique hotels, fully staffed for your comfort and convenience - the perfect mixture of authenticity, luxury and comfort. They arrange for travelers to have private vehicles, gay or gay-friendly guides, spa treatments, and a 24/7 ability to contact their staff. Be a part of some of the most exclusive gay parties in India.
• Yatrik
  Rainbow travel and tours in India.

Agra (Uttar Pradesh)

• Idgah Bus Stand facility
  MSM frequent here from dusk onwards.
• Park in front of Fort Railway Station.

Ahmedabad / Karnavati (Gujarat) -- area code (91-79)

The population of Ahmedabad is over 7 million people (that's close to 300,000 Utopians).

• CCD Coffee Place
  Ashram Rd (at the gas pump opposite Nehru Bridge). On Wed.

Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh)

• Company Garden
  After dusk at the inner circle.

Bangalore / Bengaluru (Karnataka)

• Ching Lung
  Residence Rd. Reported as a popular local gay hang-out on weekends.

• Majestic Bus Stand.
• Corporation Bus Stop.
• Corporation Library (Kubban Park Extension).

Bareilley (Uttar Pradesh)

• Gandhi Park after dusk.

Bidar (Karnataka)

• Try the parks and bus stands.

Bijapur (Karnataka)

• Barah Kaman, in and near the monument.

Calangute (Goa)

• Edan (mixed)
  On the right side of the main road heading to the beach. Name in big letters on the building exterior. Sit at the bar and cruise the dance floor and seating area.
• Paradise (mixed)
  Paradise Village (close to Calangute Circle). Best on Tue and Sat (karaoke nights) from 10pm onwards. Gay-friendly crowd. Mainly mature men.

• Baga Beach
  Near the Andrew's and Lucky Star beach shacks. Favourite gay gathering point for sea and sunbathing.
• Entire stretch of beach from Calangute to Baga, especially the section near Tito's. Evening and nights, particularly on Sat.
• Hysons Beach
  Near Gaura Vaddo St. Head for Candolim Bardez. 100m on the left after the church in the middle of the road, take any road down to the beach. Best from8am-6pm. All ages.

• Neomi salon
  Panjim and Colva. Also offering massage. Closed Mon.

Chandigarh -- area code (91-172)

Chandigarh is the capital of two states: Punjab and Haryana. The population is over a million people (that's more than 40,000 Utopians).

• Down Under (mixed)
  B/F SCO 196-97, Sector 17C, 272-3000, 272-3001. Located in the posh shopping area of Sector 17. Down Under is the downstairs bar of the large Hot Millions food complex. Western music. Menu offers Italian, TexMex and Indian food. Popular on weekend evenings. Mostly for lesbians, but gay men are very welcome. Warm and chatty, especially the owner.

• Blue Ice (mixed)
  SCO 7, Sector 17E, 270-3338, 501-7966.

• Sector 17, evenings. Young crowd.

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) -- area code (91-44)

The population of Chennai is over 7 million people (that's close to 300,000 Utopians).

• Men Community Development Society (MCDS)
  2618-4392, 5551-5742. Formed in 1992 with with technical support from the Indian Community Welfare Organisation, this NGO works with homosexuals to educate about sexually transmitted diseases and also addresses the violation of the rights of homosexuals.

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu)

• Arts College Gate
  In front, between 6-8pm.
• Delite Theater
  Balcony. Decent gays.
• Gandhipuram
  Near the RV Hotel, the RR towers and opposite to it. There are Net shops in RR towers and gays standing outside to pick up partner as they chat online.
• Krishnaveni Theater. Best on Sat evenings at 6:30pm. Reported very active.

DELHI / NEW DELHI (National Capital Territory) -- area code (91-11)

The population of Delhi is over 14 million people (that's over half a million Utopians).

• Delhi MSM Group
  Weekly Wed meeting at a restaurant called Baristta GK 2 located at M Block, Greater Kailash. Many English speakers.
• Naz Foundation Humnawaz
  Drop-in center, geared more for economically-challenged sexual minorities (please call for directions), 2981-2287, 4172-4636. Support group for Hindi-speaking gay men and other MSM meets every Sat from 6-8pm.

• Boyzone Delhi
  Polka - The Club, 1/F HS-4 Kailash Colony Market (near Greater Kailash Part 1, next to Maxims pastry shop). +91-921-273-5569, email. Sat nights come unwind and be yourself at Boyzone, a place for gay men (and women) to become closer in Delhi. Check their website for current events including nights out, parties, exhibitions, events, current news and gossip in the circuit. Gain strength as a community to remove homophobia in India. Utopia Member Discount
• Concorde (mixed)
  Sat gay nights.
• Kuki (mixed)
  GK-II (Greater Kailash Part II, adjacent to Mainland China). A trend-setting lounge. Purple and pink butterflies float above glittering mirror balls. Delhi's upwardly mobile gays and lesbians come to the bi-monthly Fri night party at this chic place.
• Pegs N Pints (mixed)
  Chanakya Lane, Chanakyapuri, (behind Akbar Bhawan, next to the Chanakya Cinema, towards the end of the road), 2687-8320. Tue is gay night at this small disco. G/F with bar stools is noisy, but good for people who like to dance and hook up. Mezzanine with sofas is better to socialize. Almost half of the patrons are Asian.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "A bit hard to find by our 'tuk tuk', but it's at the Grand Forte behind the Egyptian Embassy. At 10:30pm there were 15 persons. At 11:30pm it was really crowded. Fun, nice people, lots of couples, easy to chat and more... great place." -- Ronan, Jul 5, 2009

• The Royal Mirage
  Crowne Plaza, South Delhi. Regular Thu gay night party.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "There are many changes in Delhi. Bars such as Elevate, 24X7 at The Lalit, Taman Gang at the DLF Promenade, and Liquid Kitchen have all marked out at least one night as 'gay night' in the past couple of months." -- emantas, Sep 9, 2009

• Nehru Park
  Chankyapuri. At the corner which is closest to the Ashok/Samrat Hotel. Favorite cruising spot (particularly on Sun evenings), although be cautious.
• New Delhi Station
  Outdoor facility towards the Pahar Ganj side. Very cruisy day and night, all ages, professionals and working class. Be aware of roaming authorities.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "If you arrive by Metro, get out at the Delhi Station gate (not Ajmeri). Enter the stairs via the security. Ascend the long and elevated gangway/passenger distributor where you may traverse all platforms below. At the last, Platform 1, do not descend onto the platform, descend in front and exit via the next security in front. Exit the Delhi railway station, on the right, you will see the red and blue sign for Railway Protection Force Post, New Delhi. The facility is directly opposite the sign, towards the right, and shielded by brickworks." -- Oriental88, Mar 20, 2009

• Park close to Lado Sarai.
  Enter from the gate next the Wholesale Flower Market on Mehrauli-Gurgaon Rd. The park has some nice monuments and wonderful walks. Easy encounters.
• Park on the Ring Rd close to the Hyatt Regency, on the same side as the hotel.
  Look for Fire Brigade office. The park gate is just opposite (next to the taxi stand).
• Rail Yatri Niwas
  Next to the New Delhi Railway Station, Ajmeri Gate side, 2/F facilities. Reported to be a safe spot to meet local guys.
• Shahdipur Metro Station
  Just 20 or so steps away there is facility where West Delhi gays meet from 8:30pm - midnight. Be aware of roaming authorities.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Exit via the stairs beside the apple green sign for Oriental Bank and walk along the Gate 4 and Gate 1 side towards the traffic junction. The convenience facility is sheltered by a white tiled wall with light blue tile borders, opposite column P242 and 243 of the rail track structure above. In doubt, try both traffic junctions at the station." -- Oriental88, Mar 20, 2009

Dehradun (Uttarakhand)

• Gandhi Park
  Near Ghantaghar/Paltan Bazaar, adjoining the Clock Tower (Ghantaghar) on Rajpura Rd. Lots of MSM throughout the day. Cruisy after dusk. Be discreet. Cops patrol. Go elsewhere once you meet a friend.

Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) -- area code (91-575)

• Cherryin Restaurant
  Sector 2, Raj Nagar. Well known as a meeting place for gays (friends, not cruising), especially on weekends.

Gulbarga (Karnataka)

• Corporation Garden/Park
  Opposite Hotel Aditya. Cruising until 8pm (afterwards it's too dangerous).
• SB Lake (Kera)
  Cruising the footpath.

Jaipur (Rajasthan State)

• Bouncer Bar (mixed)
  MI Rd, near the Nerosi restaurant. A two-floor bar where some gayss go. Just observe what is going on and you may be surprised. The three barmen are very cute and open. Live Indian music almost every night.

• Maharaja Ranjeet Singh Park

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh)

• Park opposite the Kanpur Medical College, after dark.

Kochi / Cochin (Kerala)

• GCDA
  On the right side of the jetty through the fences. Walk along the marina. Cruisiest at the GCDA shopping area. The public facility there is busiest from 8:30-10:00pm. Crowd is 20s-40s. Walk near the Taj Hotel to the end near Asoka Flats.
• Subash Chandra Bose Park
  On the left side of the jetty as you face the water.
• Thrissoor Park
  Cruising in the evenings, particularly Sat.

Kolkata / Calcutta (West Bengal State)

The capital of West Bengal. Kolkata is the 3rd largest urban area in India. With an urban population of almost 5 million, and an extended metropolitan population of over 14 million, there are close to 750,000 Utopians in the area.

• Aqua Cocktail Lounge (mixed)
  Park Hotel. This place attracts a middle and upper-class hip gay crowd on Sat. Tends to be more expensive with its drink and food (keeps away the rough trade).
• Olympus Bar
  Park St. An inexpensive place for food and drink, popular among travelers and locals alike. Mixed crowd on Sat.
• Sam's Bar
  Russel St, inside the Floriana Restaurant. Gay men hang around here any day of the week, but especially on Sat.
• Someplace Else (mixed)
  Park Hotel. Attracts young, gay music lovers on Sat for its live bands, though its largely a mixed crowd.

• Mintoo Park at the T junction of AJC Bose Rd and Sarat Bose Rd is quite popular with gays every evening from 5-8pm, especially weekends.
• Lakes (as it is popularly known among Kolkatans), located on Southern Ave. Quite infamous among gays for nightly rendevous (after 7pm). Beware of plain clothes authorities. Go elsewhere once you make a new friend.
• Nandan Theater. Kolkata's cultural hub. Quite popular with the young, gay crowd, especially on weekends. Most of them hang outside the theater, opposite the coffee joint.
• KC Das. This famous sweet shop is located in Esplanade. Outside the shop is a bus stand and in the evening it tends to become a pickup joint/ Beware of plain clothes authorities in this area.

Kota (Rajasthan)

• CV Garden (Chattra Vilas Uddyan) at Nayapura is a gay cruising area.

Kozhikode / Calicut (Kerala)

• Calicut Beach (famous).
• Cinemas in the city center.
• Kappad Beach.
• KSRTC Bus Stand facility.
• Manachira Square
  The park in the city center. Cruising happens below the trees.

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)

• Capital Cinema park
  Park and bus stand opposite Capital Cinema.
• GPO park.
• Jhandewala Park in Aminabad.
• Maqbara Park
  Near Pariwartyan Chowk. The majority of men in this park are MSM.
• N E R Railway Station
  The facility outside is also known as an MSM meeting place.
• Niboo Park in Chowk.

Mangalore (Karnataka)

• Beaches
• Facility opposite Poonja Arcade on KS Rao Rd, evenings.
• Tagore Park from 5-9pm.

Margao (Goa)

• Aga Khan Municipal Garden
  After dusk.

MUMBAI (Maharashtra) -- areacode (91-22)

Mumbai, India's financial capital, is probably the most progressive city in the country and appears to have a thriving scene. A good time to visit is in late Aug/early Sep for the Festival of Ganesh, when Hindus bathe Ganesh images in the surf. There are usually spontaneous gay gatherings along the beaches since gay men identify closely with the elephant-headed deity, who is known for destruction of obstacles.

The population of metropolitan Mumbai is over 14 million people (that's over half a million Utopians).

• The Fabulous Laboratory Bombay India
  Email, (91-98)2191-1420. This queer film and video production house was launched in 2001. FabLab focuses on projects relevant to sexuality, gender, popular culture and politics. It is the only organization in India that employs its proceeds to fund queer film/video, new media and literature.
• Gay Bombay
  Namaskar! Welcome! Community support group that organizes a gay party in a local venues every month. They also host "Sunday Meets" and other occasional gatherings like beach picnics. Tons of useful info on their website where you may also join their email list for news about future events.

• Voodoo (mixed)
  Colaba Island (a major tourist area in South Mumbai). It claims to be the "only gay bar between Istanbul and Bangkok" although it's gay only on Sat nights. The crowd often spills out onto the beach. There are quite a few expats living and working in Mumbai, so Voodoo is a good mix of locals and westerners.

• Beach promenade
  Opposite Taj Mahal Hotel. The city's most popular cruising area.
• City bus stop
  In front of Z.P. Ground in Arunagabad, near Aurangapura. A good place for fun for all types of gays.
• Facility at Shipz
  Andheri East. Becomes an exciting gay spot from 8-11pm.
• King's Circle (Maheshwari Udyan)
  Matungas hang out. It is relatively safe but goes without saying that, like any other cruising spot, be cautious and use common sense.
• Mumbai Station
  Andheri MacDonalds and station ticket counter and the bus stop directly behind MacDonalds.
• Parel
  Near Apna Bazaar at Hindamata. Facility near playground at the corner.
• Public facility on East Street.
• Public facility on Mg Rd (happening all night)
• Suburban Railway platforms
  Santacruz and Dadar facilities.
• Thane - CIDCO
  Near CIDCO bus depot there is a facility MSM use in the evenings.
• Western Express Highway
  Cruising on bikes or in cars from Borivli to Malad after 10pm.

Noida / New Okhla Industrial Development Area (Uttar Pradesh) -- area code (91-577)

• Barista Coffee Shop
  Sector 18 (close to McDonalds). Popular with gay men.

Panaji / Panjim (Goa)

• Campal Park
  On the right side of the main road leading to Miramar beach. Best in the evenings, after 5pm, in the dense trees and dimly lit promenade with benches along the beach.

Raichur (Karnataka)

• Park near Hotel Nrupathunga.

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala)

• KSRTC Bus Station
  Across from the Railway Station. There are two facilities, one on G/F, but the active one is elevated on a podium across the railway. Also, near the rubbish dump next to bus station.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Any time, always someone there...be discrete! There are two facilities, one G/F, the other further behind the 2nd row of buses is elevated on a podium via stairs, with cubicles (this is the active one)." -- Oriental88, Mar 4, 2009

• The museum lawns at Thiruvanandapuram are hunting grounds in the evenings.
• Sree Bala Theater
  On the main street near Eastfort. Best times: during evening shows (but day shows see some action). Cruisiest area is the balcony seating. Also during the day check the facilities at back.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Weekend nights: unexpected and very hot activities can happen at the furthest back end of the external facility behind G/F of the cinema. Just pretend to go there to use the tap to wash your hand. The walls facing the open urinals could have activities going on. Be discreet as the older security guard can get irate." -- Oriental88, Mar 4, 2009

Trivandrum (Kerala)

Comments from Utopians:

"If you visit Trivandrum don't miss going to Kovalm Beach, about 15km from the city. Lovely (very clean) and loads of nice restaurants, gift shops and Ayurvedic clinics. Best of all, are the loads of nice, friendly guys walking and playing on the beach. Some are hustlers, but most are just ready to chat. Prices are a bit high for taxis and rickshaws. Don't stay at Bakers Resort -- it is the pits. Plenty of nice rooms on the beach for as low as R$400/night. Upscale 5-star resorts are also around. Enjoy!" -- prema4luv, Sep 22, 2009

Vadodara / Baroda (Gujarat) -- area code (91-265)

• Bus depot facility.
• Kamati Baug (Sayaji Baug) facility, after 8pm.

Varkala (Kerala) -- area code (91-470)

• Kerala Konnections
  Janardhanapuram Rd, 215-7661, +91-9946-069770, email. A lovely, rainbow-owned homestay welcoming gays and lesbians, just a short distance from the beach and the tourist facilities. Onsite restaurant, laundry service, massage and art room. They also offer tailor made tours within Kerala.