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 ...

) – 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) – 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 exc ...

. "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.

References

{{Reflist Indian hospitality Tourism in India Ministry of Tourism (India) Sanskrit words and phrases Hindu practices

Ritual or Puja

Campaign by the Government of India

See also

References