Why not: मीरा पिता भारत में रहता है
I think the plural is to show respect
Precisely.
So we honor our parents by pluralizing them?
Not just parents, also aunts, uncles, teachers, gurus, etc. Mostly for elders I would say, or people in positions of respect and/or authority
when do you use हैं with a dot, and when without a dot ? Thanks for any guidance
how would you translate "your father lives in India" ?
आपके पिता भारत में रहते हैं for the formal version, or you can switch out आपके for तुम्हारे