Need guidance in buying a telescope

[Pratap R]

Hi,
I am a resident of Bangalore ,India.I am currently on a buisnees visit in U.S.
When I go back ( which is around 3 weeks from now ) I want to take a telescope with me.My budget is around 400-500 $.
Which telescope should I buy ?
I read through some of the forums and found that a 6" Dobsonian will be a good one for starters.But how do I take it from U.S to India ?

Should I take it with me ? Should I ship it to India seperately ?

I also saw some compact Maskutov Cassegrain telescopes ( Bushnell ,Meade ) which are less bulkier than the dobsonian telescope.

Please advise as to what I should do .

Yours Sincerely
Pratap

[iceman]

Hi Pratap

Are there no astronomy stores in India?
A 6" dob is a great scope for a beginner, and I imagine it would travel fairly well in cargo if you left it in the original boxes after buying it.

[KG8]

http://www.opticsplanet.net/clstrn-c6-n.html

A little more challenging and a tad more expensive is this one. I'm sure UPS ships your way.