Scarlett I would suggest Goa for an initial holiday. India is a beautiful country filled with beautiful people but the poverty is quite disturbing.
If you go to Goa, which is geared toward holiday makers, you can travel around very easily and cheaply and stay in various resorts. But be prepared even the better establishments are fairly basic.
I stayed in Mumbai (bombay) for a while and found it very disturbing, I have never seen poverty like it first hand. I still have the images of things I saw there in my mind and that was 13 years ago. So maybe don't go there if you dont feel up to it.
As for food, well before I went various people said dont eat this, dont eat that, dont drink the water, basically all the things you would expect to hear! So I and my two friends were careful with what we ate, one friend was a veggie so she didnt have any meat and to cut a long story short, we were very careful, we all ate different things and we all ended up with the sh*ts!!!! So take from that what you will!
If you go to Goa then everything is farily relaxed and they are very tolerant of western clothes and culture, although I don't recall anyone going topless on the beaches. In Mumbai one of my friends got hassled by men and we think it was because she had a shortish dress on and her sholders weren't covered, or maybe she just looked like a hooker!
Anyway best thing to do is buy a guide book and have a read so if you do decide to go at least you know what to expect. It is a truely beautiful place. If you do go hope you have a great time.
warpig