Atithi Devo Bhavah

Awesome phrase is it not???? Ministry of Tourism , Government of  India has introduced  “Atithi Devo Bhavah Program” that aims in sensitising key stakeholders towards tourists through a process of orientation and training….

Undoubtedly this program is creating awareness among the common mass of people.. This is something the tourism ministry is doing to promote tourism in India……..

But in our everyday lives does Atithi Devo Bhavah mean only foreign nationals… Atleast not for me….. Anybody who comes as a guest to my house.. anyone who comes to my hometown as a visitor are  also people to whom I can equally apply this phrase….

Respect has always been a part of the Indian soul….We have always respected our teachers, our elders, our parents and our guests…….Its the same nation even now… But now people are changing ironically!!!!!! We have lost the attitude of hospitality we were once famous for ……

Let me take the example of my own hometown which is just thronged by visitors from different places.. How kind and polite are we towards them???? I wish to quote few instances which I have actually visualized…. My hometown, Udupi is known for temples….. Most of the times the temple and adjoining areas  is filled with people… People who are visitors stand in a never ending queue for that one glimpse of  the LORD….. But we do have people who are  locals coming from the other end and doing Darshan… Result???? The queues is never moving ahead.. Visitors which includes young children and elderly people keep waiting and just waiting…… I have seen it not just once but several times…. I personally have raised this issue but just as expected could find nothing changed…

Whats the solution to this??? I have made it a point that either I stand in the queue or if the queue is huge then at-least not to enter from the other end….. Just stand far away pray and come out…..

Another incident is related to the parking issue… It happened so that I had once parked my vehical near a tourist vehical.. There was  no NO PARKING sign board at all….. We had actually parked our vehicals in front of some houses.. When I came back, to my surprise I saw a traffic police collecting a huge sum from the tourists.. And me??? I was politely asked not to park here anymore !!!!!!! Why this distinction?? Because I am a local…. I should have have been equally treated or the other party should not have been fined…..

Its not just the temples or incidents related to parking.. Even hospitals are no exceptions… And its not something that is acceptable…..

I am not generalizing this rude behavior.. Many of the locals have openly shown their resilience to such behaviors (parking issue is one such example) and  hats off to them…..

Its a simple logic… If someone in a house is rude to you wherein you are a guest, you don’t encourage others to go there….. Let us not make our place a hostile environment.. Its not just my hometown, if every individual everywhere incorporates the attitude of compassion and hospitality then the world would be a much better place to live in….  Let us not become  literates who are totally uneducated….

Advertisement