If you are planning a trip or just waiting for the weather to turn, mark your calendar for for the mountains and hills, and mid-November for the northern plains.
The culinary shift is the most delicious sign of winter.
Ask a meteorologist when winter starts in India, and they will point to a calendar. They will tell you about the retreat of the monsoon, the onset of the northeast trade winds, and how the mercury officially dips below 20°C.
There is a specific joy in waking up in an Indian winter. The mornings are misty. The water in the tap is freezing cold, waking you up faster than coffee. It is socially acceptable—and encouraged—to stay wrapped in a razai (quilt) for an extra hour.