Ok, I got the opportunity to visit this guy and guess I will have to unwind a bit of what I have learned online regarding beekeeping. Most of what I have learned so far is based on commercial beekeeping of a. millifera using langstroth or top-bar hive. This guy has all the equipments required for beekeeping - hive tool, smoker, veil, etc. But, the only tool he used ever was his bare hand. No veil, no smoker, nothing. He just simply broke off a bit of comb and asked me to taste it then and there. The honey was a bit sour and he mentioned that it was because there were lots of tamarind trees around his place. His bees were a. cerana indica. As for the hive, it was either a Newton hive or a Marthandam hive (What!!! never heard of them before?). These are hives used by locals here for organic beekeeping. All the big fellows use langstroth et all.
This guy has both a. millifera and a. cerana. But, seriously I could not differentiate between the two. Both looked about the same size to me.
I got to handle the frame - no smoker, no veil. Would you believe he was wearing dark clothes too. I went there clothed in light colors and expected him to be wearing same too.
Finally, I pleaded with him to let me get stung once. No alergies, not very painful. But, he warned that a sting from a angry bee would be more forceful and painful than this sting.
Now for the sad bit. I would have to travel over 800kms / 500miles south to purchase my first colony. No, they won't courier or ship it. No-one here does that and they all think I've lost my nuts for asking if they would ship it. Wish I was in US or Europe only for this.