One should worship the Mother, the Father, the Teacher and one's Guests as God. In ancient India, when communication was limited, guests were considered as Gods since they could arrive at any time without notice. The concept of "Atithi Devo Bhava" in Hinduism means that "the guest is God" and should be treated as such through a five step worship ritual involving offerings of fragrance, light, food, rice and flowers to welcome and honor all guests.

1. One should worship the Mother, the Father, the Teacher and one's Guests as God
In dia : At it hi De vo Bha va

2. In ancient times,
when means of
communication
were limited…

3. and it was not
possible for guests
to anticipate
their date of
arrival, …

4. A T I T H I
was coined to depict
a visiting person who
had no fixed date of
arrival or departure.

5. D E V O
means God and
B H A V
means Be/Is,

6. literally meaning…
„Guest
is
God“.

7. In Hinduism
G O D
is worshipped in
5 Step worship

8. These five steps are
Dhoop : fragrance
Deep : lamp
Naivaidya : edibles
Akshat : rice
Pushp : flower

9. „Shodashopchar Poojan“
is an
elaboration and
formalisation of
this ritual.

10. FRA G RA N CE
While receiving guests we must see that
rooms have a pleasant fragrance,
because this is the first thing that
attracts guests or detracts from their
visit.
A pleasant fragrance will put your
guest in good humour.

11. LAM P
Prior to the electrification of
India, a lamp was put between
host and guest so that
expression and body language
remain clearly visible and
there is no gap between
host and guest.

12. EDIBLES
Fruits and sweets
made of milk are
offered to guests.

13. RICE
It is a symbol of being
undivided. A tilak made of a
vermilion past is put on
forehead and rice grains are
placed on it. This is the
highest form of welcome in
Hindu Indian families.

14. FLOWER
Offering a flower has always
remained a gesture of goodwill
since the dawn of civilization.
When the guest departs, the
flower symbolizes the sweet
memories of his visit that
haunt him for several days.

15. In India this art of
hospitality is called
Atithi
Devo
Bhava
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