Burns' Travels In India And Around The World

The adventures of an occasional world traveler

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Plugs

I know that some who are reading this are coming to India soon. I just thought I would tell you that the electrical plugs here are unique. The standard Radio Shack package does not include them. The picture (you may have to click on the little X rather than seeing it in-line with the text) shows the two Indian plugs (I suspect different amount of current) and a European adaptor. The center, and more common, plug has the same spacing as the European, but the prongs are bigger. In addition, the Indian plugs all have little shutters over the socket holes so that if the big 3rd ground pin does not go in, the other prongs are blocked. I don't know if Amazon or someone will have the appropriate adaptor. I made do with the European one for a couple days, (poking and prodding to open the shutters....not good) but they found be real Indian adaptor at work. I don't know how common they are.

(Note from 2009:  The plugs in India are mostly not as odd as I described.  In fact most are European standard.  I just had an odd set in my 2006 apartment.  The odd shape/size one is, I think, for high-current appliances)

I have a hypothesis that you can tell what technologically-adept country another country was friends with (or occupied by) during their technological development by looking at their electrical system. E.g. Hong Kong, Singapore, etc all have British-style plugs and power. India's plug actually is similar to what the UK used to have. South Korea has US-style. I wonder what Viet Nam has (European, i.e. French?) How about the Philipeans (US?). If anyone knows, I'd be interested. I think Nicaragua has US-sized prongs, but set at 45-degrees. I don't know where those originated. Posted by Picasa