How bookings work
- The Hindu Book is a marketplace. Each yatra is run by the operator named on the package. We verify operators before they can list, check every package before it is published, collect your payment and pay the operator in two parts: half the day before departure and half two days after the yatra ends.
- All charges are shown before you pay: the package price, GST on the package, our platform fee and GST on the fee. There are no hidden charges.
- Paying in parts. For departures more than 30 days away you may pay a 25% advance and the balance by 30 days before departure. Otherwise the full amount is paid at booking.
- Confirmation. The operator confirms within 24 hours. If they decline, everything you paid is refunded, including the platform fee.
- Your details. Your name, phone, email and travellers' details are shared only with the operator of a booking you have paid for, so they can run your yatra. Government ID numbers are never stored on our site; carry your ID for the operator to see at departure.
- Travel insurance is not sold by us. We strongly recommend buying it directly from an IRDAI-licensed insurer, especially for Himalayan yatras.
Cancellation and refunds
Each package shows its cancellation tiers before you book; they are fixed on your booking when you pay. Unless the package says otherwise:
| When you cancel | Refund of the package price |
|---|---|
| 45 days or more before departure | 90% |
| 30 to 44 days before | 75% |
| 15 to 29 days before | 50% |
| 7 to 14 days before | 25% |
| Less than 7 days before | No refund |
- The platform fee and its GST are not refunded when you cancel. They are refunded when the operator or The Hindu Book cancels.
- If the operator cancels a departure, or cannot run the yatra as described, you get a full refund.
- Refunds go back to the card, UPI or bank account you paid from, normally within 5-7 working days.
- Weather, landslides, government orders and temple closures can change a Himalayan itinerary. The operator will offer the nearest alternative; if the yatra cannot run at all, the package's cancellation tiers apply unless the operator or the team decides otherwise.
Reviews
Only pilgrims with a completed booking can review, within 7 days of returning, one review per booking. Reviews with low ratings or links are read by the team before they appear. Operators may reply once, publicly; replies are checked too and cannot contain contact details.
Operator code of conduct
- Deliver every yatra as described in the package.
- Talk to members through the site until a booking is paid; never ask for payment outside The Hindu Book.
- Answer questions within 4 hours and confirm bookings within 24 hours.
- Share vouchers and joining details at least 7 days before departure.
- Zero tolerance for safety lapses; report every incident to the team at once.
- Keep GST registration, licences and insurance valid.
- Show every cost in the package price — no hidden charges at the destination.
- Honour the cancellation tiers published on the package.
- Never post, buy or arrange fake reviews.
- Disclose any sub-contracting of transport, stay or guides.
Operators are delisted for fraud, not running a booked yatra, taking payment outside the platform, fake reviews, three or more unresolved complaints in 90 days, or covering up a safety incident.
Help and grievances
For any problem with a booking, raise a support request from My Yatras. We acknowledge every request within 24 hours and aim to resolve it within 15 days. The operator is given 48 hours to respond; if it is still unresolved, it goes to the Grievance Officer.
Grievance Officer: The Hindu Book team · [email protected]
Last updated 2026-10-26. These terms sit alongside our privacy policy.