What’s a cultural tradition from your country that you love?
Come with me today, and let me introduce you to a part of my country and my village’s culture—something that is not merely a tradition for us, but a part of our everyday lives.
And I believe that, just as deeply as we love this part of our culture, you too will feel connected to it once you know its story.
There is one beautiful expression in India that can introduce you to the spirit of our people in just a few words: “Atithi Devo Bhava.”
It means “The guest is like God.”
India has such a diverse culture that even if you travel from one district to another, you can discover a new experience, a new kind of happiness, and a new identity.
From North India to South India, and from East India to West India, every corner has its own way of life, traditions, and stories.
Sometimes, I feel that if someone travelled across the whole of India, it would almost feel like travelling through many different countries at once.
But today, I want to introduce you to one of the most beautiful values of India—one that has become a part of our identity: Atithi Devo Bhava.
Recently, I heard a story that made me feel proud of this culture once again.
A visitor from Australia had come to India to travel. He wanted to visit Jammu and Kashmir, so he booked a ride to take him there.
The person who accepted the ride was not highly educated. The visitor explained where he wanted to go, and the driver began the journey using a map.
But after travelling for almost four days, they ended up at the wrong destination.
Many people might have become frustrated or simply left the situation there.
But this man did something different.
He helped the visitor, took him to his own home, arranged a place for him to stay, and treated him with so much respect and warmth that the visitor was deeply touched.
He said that after many years, he had once again felt such genuine warmth and affection.
To me, this is what Atithi Devo Bhava truly means.
It is not simply about offering food to a guest or using respectful words.
It is about making another person feel:
“You are not alone here.”
And perhaps the best way for me to explain this feeling is to tell you about a tradition from my own village—one that does not depend on any particular festival.
It is not a tradition that feels like a burden.
Instead, it is a time of happiness that people wait for throughout the year.
Every year, a seven-day Bhagwat gathering takes place in our village.
But for me, the most beautiful part is not simply the religious gathering itself.
It is what these seven days bring with them.
People come home.
People who have not returned home for weeks or months make their way back to the village during these days.
Relatives come too—sometimes even relatives whom some of us may have never met before.
There are also people whose homes are no longer in the village, but who still want to return. They want to meet their people. Whether they live somewhere else in India or even in another country, these days give them a feeling of being home and belonging somewhere.
Whenever I see this, I feel incredibly fortunate.
Because in a country like ours, even if you no longer have a home in your village, you do not necessarily have to worry about being alone.
You can return—and somehow, your people are still there.
I have been a part of this tradition since childhood, and I have watched it year after year.
Another beautiful part of it is the food.
Every day, food is prepared for around 700 to 800 people.
And it is not prepared by one person.
The people of the village come together to prepare it.
The feeling is simple:
No one who comes to our village should leave hungry.
On the final day, the gathering becomes even larger.
Food is prepared not just for our village, but for people from around six or seven nearby villages as well. Including visitors from outside, food is prepared for around 5,000 people.
Preparing food for so many people is impressive, but what touches me even more is seeing the entire village come together to make it happen.
No one asks how old you are.
No one asks whether you are young or old, a man or a woman.
Everyone has a place.
Children are there. Adults are there. Elderly people are there.
We learn many things from our elders, and sometimes, our elders learn something new from us.
And somehow, these seven days pass so quickly that we hardly realise when they are over.
Every year, when I become a part of this tradition, I feel that perhaps this is one of the few times when we truly come together.
We meet our people.
We reconnect with them.
And for a few days, we step away from our busy lives and simply spend time with one another.
India has countless traditions like this—traditions that give us a chance to connect.
Some teach us to sit together.
Some teach us to share.
Some teach us to learn from those who came before us.
And some simply remind us how important the people around us are.
Perhaps that is why I love my culture so deeply.
Because it does not only connect us to our roots.
It connects us to one another.
It teaches us to respect the person who walks through our door.
Because that person is not merely a guest.
They are a human being who has come to our doorstep—and our culture teaches us to welcome them with the spirit of “Atithi Devo Bhava.”