Check what your host is doing at the door, if they’re not wearing shoes inside, take yours off too, unless they specifically tell you not to bother.
If you’re offered chai or food and you genuinely don’t want it, expect to decline more than once before it’s taken as final, the first offer is often re-extended once or twice as a normal part of hosting, not pushiness. “My stomach is full” (or the equivalent in the local language) is a clear, well-understood way to signal you’re genuinely done.
- A small gift is appreciated but not required — chocolates or something for the host’s kids covers most situations if you want to bring something.
- Accepting the first offer of chai specifically is almost always the easier, more natural move — it’s the most commonly offered item and rarely worth declining unless you have a real reason to.