Atithi Devo Bhava, also spelt ''Atithidevo Bhava'' ( sa, अतिथिदेवो भव:), English translation: ''A guest is akin to God'', prescribes a dynamic of the host-guest relationship, which embodies the traditional
Indian Hindu-Buddhist philosophy of revering guests with the same respect as a god. This concept of going out of the way to treat guests with reverence goes even beyond the traditional Hindu-Buddhist common greeting of
namaste
''Namaste'' (, Devanagari: नमस्ते), sometimes called ''namaskar'' and ''namaskaram'', is a customary Hindu non-contact manner of respectfully greeting and honouring a person or group, used at any time of day. It is found on the In ...
(I bow to the divinity in you) used for everyone.
The mantras are from the
Taittiriya Upanishad
The Taittirīya Upanishad (Devanagari: तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद्) is a Vedic era Sanskrit text, embedded as three chapters (''adhyāya'') of the Yajurveda. It is a ''mukhya'' (primary, principal) Upanishad, and likely co ...
, Shikshavalli I.11.2, which says: ''matrudevo bhava, mitradevo bhava, pitrudevo bhava, putradevo bhava, acharyadevo bhava, atithidevo bhava''. It literally means "be one for whom the Mother is God, be one for whom the Friend is God, be one for whom the Father is God, be one for whom the Child is God, be one for whom the Teacher is God, and be one for whom the Guest is God". ''Matrudevah, mitradevah, pitrudevah, putradevah, acharyadevah, and atithidevah'' are one word each, and each one is a
Bahuvrihi
A ''bahuvrihi'' compound (from sa, बहुव्रीहि, tr=bahuvrīhi, lit=much rice/having much rice, originally referring to fertile land but later denoting the quality of being wealthy or rich) is a type of compound word that denotes ...
''samasta-pada''.
Ritual or Puja
In
Hinduism/Sanatana Dharma personal God is worshipped in five-step worship; this is known as ''Panchopchara Puja''. The "Shodashopchar Poojan" is more elaborate and formal, and involves 16 steps.
The five steps from the worship become the five formalities to be observed while receiving guests:
# Fragrance (
Dhupa
Dhupa (धुप) is, in Indian religions (such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, etc.), the ritual offering of incense during puja to an image of a deity, or other object of veneration. It is also the Sanskrit word for incense or perfume itself. ...
) – While receiving guests, the rooms must have a pleasant fragrance because this is the first thing that attracts or detracts guests from their visit. A pleasant fragrance will put a guest in good humour.
# Lamp (
Dipa) – Prior to the electrification of India, a lamp was put between host and guest, so that expression and body language would remain clearly visible, and therefore no gap would be created between host and guest.
# Eatables (
Naivedya
200px, Prasad thaal offered to Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad ">Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad">Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad
Prasada (, Sanskrit: प्रसाद, ), Prasadam or Prasad is a religious offering in Hinduism. Most o ...
) – Fruits and sweets made of milk were offered to guests.
# Rice (
Akshata) – It is a symbol of being undivided. A ''
tilak
In Dharmic culture, the ''tilaka'' ( sa, तिलक) () is a mark worn usually on the forehead, at the point of the Ajna chakra, or sometimes another part of the body such as the neck, hand, chest or arm. ''Tilaka'' may be worn daily or for ...
'', often made of a vermilion paste, is put on the forehead,
Tikak
I Love India. Retrieved February 3, 2011. and rice grains are placed on it. This is the highest form of welcome in Hindu Indian families.
# Flower offering (Pushpa
''Pushpa: The Rise – Part 01'' is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language action drama film written and directed by Sukumar. It stars Allu Arjun as the titular character alongside Fahadh Faasil (his Telugu debut), and Rashmika Mandanna while Jagadeesh ...
) – A flower is a gesture of goodwill. When the guest departs, the flower symbolizes the sweet memories of the visit, which stay with them for several days.
Campaign by the Government of India
India attracts millions of tourists each year. To further enhance the number of tourists traveling to India, the Tourism Department of India started the ''Atithi Devo Bhava'' campaign with the theme Incredible India
Incredible India (stylized as ) is the name of an international tourism campaign maintained by the Government of India since 2002, to promote tourism in India. The "Incredible India" title was officially branded and promoted since 2002. The excl ...
.
"Atithi Devo Bhava" is a social awareness campaign that aims at providing the inbound tourist a greater sense of being welcomed to the country. The campaign targets the general public, while focusing mainly on the stakeholders of the tourism industry. The campaign provides training and orientation to taxi driver, guides, immigration officers, police, and other personnel who interact directly with the tourist.[
]
See also
*Culture of India
Indian culture is the heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, belief systems, political systems, artifacts and technologies that originated in or are associated with the ethno-linguistically diverse India. The term als ...
*Hospitality
Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, chevalier de J ...
* Incredible India
Incredible India (stylized as ) is the name of an international tourism campaign maintained by the Government of India since 2002, to promote tourism in India. The "Incredible India" title was officially branded and promoted since 2002. The excl ...
*Puja (Hinduism)
''Puja'' ( sa, पूजा, pūjā, translit-std=IAST) is a worship ritual performed by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains to offer devotional homage and prayer to one or more deities, to host and honor a guest, or to spiritually celebrate an event. ...
* Stranded in India
References
{{Reflist
Indian hospitality
Tourism in India
Ministry of Tourism (India)
Sanskrit words and phrases
Hindu practices