What’s a cultural tradition from your country that you love?

This is a beautiful answer because you have two layers to it: the traditional idea of Atithi Devo Bhava and the way you actually see that tradition lived out through Attukal Pongala. The second part makes it personal rather than just cultural information.

I would also keep your slight criticism of modern tourism. It shows that you aren’t romanticizing your culture—you love the tradition and recognize where society is failing to uphold it.

One cultural tradition from my country that I deeply love is the idea of Atithi Devo Bhava—the belief that a guest is like God.

Growing up, I always understood hospitality as something sacred. When someone comes into our home, we don’t simply open the door. We welcome them. We offer them food, a place to sit, whatever they need, and we treat them with respect.

But sometimes I wonder whether we are slowly losing that spirit.

With the growth of tourism, I have seen instances where visitors are not treated with the same warmth. There can be unnecessary financial exploitation, people taking advantage of tourists who don’t know the local customs or prices, and a lack of proper cultural guidance. Qualified tourist guides who can genuinely help visitors understand a place and its traditions are not always easy to find.

And yet, there are moments when I see the old spirit of hospitality very much alive.

One of the most beautiful examples is Attukal Pongala in my hometown, Thiruvananthapuram.

Every year, thousands of women gather for Attukal Pongala and prepare pongala, a sweet offering made as part of the temple celebration. Women come not only from different parts of Kerala and India, but also from different parts of the world.

For several days, the city almost transforms itself.

And what touches me most is how ordinary people welcome these visitors.

People open their homes. They offer food. They provide a place to stay. They help with whatever is needed. There is a beautiful sense that these women are not simply tourists who have come to visit our city.

They are guests of Attukal Amma.

And therefore, they are our guests too.

I have seen this spirit around me, and I have also participated in it myself.

For me, that is the most beautiful expression of Atithi Devo Bhava.

Not simply treating a guest politely because it is a cultural rule, but making someone who came from somewhere else feel that, for those few days, they belong here.

In a world where tourism can sometimes become transactional, I love the idea that hospitality can still remain human.

Because perhaps the true meaning of welcoming someone is not asking, “What can I gain from your visit?”

It is simply saying,

“You have come to our home. Come in. Let us take care of you.”