‘Atithi Devo Bhavah’ a Sanskrit verse which
means – consider the guest as God finds its place as the slogan of the Ministry
of Tourism of India in its attempt to improve the treatment of the foreign
tourists coming in the country. The campaign led by brand ambassador and
popular Indian Cinema Superstar Aamir Khan reiterates the fabled and Indian
hospitality where the host went to every extent possible to appease a guest.
As the CEO of two of India’s acclaimed
hospitality brands, Hotel Sahara Star and Aamby Valley City, I deeply value the
maxim of ‘Atithi Devo Bhavah’ and this article is an honest effort from my end
to give this age-old adage its relevance in today’s time.
The
origin of the word ‘Atithi’
“Atithi Devo Bhava” is part of the verse
mentioned in the Taittiriya Upanishad, Shikshavalli I.20 that reads in full as:
‘matrudevo bhava; pitrudevo bhava; acharyadevo bhava; atithidevo bhava’. The
literal translation of this verse brings out the sense that an ideal person
should strive to "become a person who considers the Mother as God, the
Father as God, the Teacher as God and the Guest as God."
“Tithi” as we know in Sanskrit or even in
Hindi language means a (calendar) date. “A-tithi” means who does not have any
date. It is interesting to know that in the olden times, when there were no
fast modes of communication it was impossible to intimate the arrival of a
guest and people paying visit to a household without prior information was
considered normal. The guest therefore was called “Atithi” one who does not have
any fixed time of arrival. Anticipating an unexpected guest was the norm of any
household and people according to their social and financial stature generally
cooked extra meals to ensure that the ‘Atithi’ was well taken care of. The code
of conduct to welcome guests and make them feel at home was also detailed
elaborately, the core sentiment being treating the Guest like God.
The Ritual
in invoking an ‘Atithi’
If a guest is assumed to be God-like, then
the way he or she should be treated can’t be any less. As the God is treated
with reverence and respect and there are proper rituals to invoke the God, similarly,
the guest should also be shown the respect through the same rituals. In
Hinduism, these rituals comprise of five-steps which is known as Panchopchara
Puja. These five rituals from the worship and became the five “code of conduct”
to be followed while receiving guests:
Fragrance/Incense
(Dhupa) - The rooms must have a pleasant fragrance
while welcoming any guest because a good fragrance will keep a guest in good
mood.
Earthen
Lamp (Deepak) – A lit earthen lamp looks beautiful and
fire, which is a source of light, is considered pious. The symbolic Deepak also
emphasizes that everything between guest and the host is clearly visible.
Eatables
(Naivedya) - Fruits and milk-made sweets were given
to guests for refreshments. Additionally special food was served to make them
feel satisfied.
Rice
(Akshata) – Tilak is considered not only a symbol
of warm wishes but also an expectation of well being of the person on whom it
is applied. Made from vermilion paste, tilak is put on the forehead and rice
grains are placed on tilak. This is the most respectable form of welcome in
Indian Hindu families.
Flower
Offering (Pushpa) - A flower not only symbolizes
freshness and but is also a gesture of good will. It symbolizes the sweet and
enduring memories of the visit between the host and the guest that stay with
them for several days.
From
an unplanned ‘Atithi’ to a planned ‘Guest’
If Indians were fabled for anticipating the
unexpected guest and ensuring that his or her treatment was God like, one could
safely assume that managing the planned Guest for the Indian Hospitality
Industry should be a cakewalk. I am disappointed to state that the same is far
from being true. The process of creating Standard Operating Protocols for the
Hospitality Industry has actually killed the art of personalization. There is
too much polish that makes the pursuit of Guest Satisfaction look fake and
rehearsed.
What differentiates a warm welcome from a
choreographed robotic performance is human sensitivity- the sentiments, the
care and concern with which we act or perform. We are unconsciously becoming
prisoners of processes and procedures. While protocols should always be
respected and adhered to the human touch of hospitality should reign supreme. Processes
and procedures should operate at the back stage, while the face of hospitality
should always be fronted by a human-to-human contact. One with
sensitivity, emotions, warmth and concern.
Small
steps make a big difference
How much does it take to know a guest’s
preferred fruit or drink, the fragrance he or she likes? Can the fruit basket
kept in the room with a welcome note then be tailored to the guest’s taste? Can
the welcome drink of Mr. & Mrs. Sharma checking in from Delhi be different
from the one offered to Mr. & Mrs. Robinson checking in from London?
It actually takes small things to please a
human being whichever part of the world he or may come from and more often
those are the areas that we conveniently neglect. Winning over a guest’s heart
requires just one quality- an intent to win a guest over. Once that is
ingrained in every person who is associated in dealing with a guest, winning
over a guest will cease to be an effort.
Look back into our glorious traditions.
Soak up on our puranas, parampara and kathas. There is every evidence of India
being at the forefront of hospitality and we Indians being the best hosts in
the world. It’s time we regained this status.
Because
‘Atulya Bharat’ is where ‘Atithi Devo Bhava”
