‘Haryanvi women have sweetness in their hearts’: Viral video shows Gujjar family welcoming Dutch solo traveller with open arms
The family insisted she come inside their home to spend the night, gave her tea and home cooked food
A heart-warming gesture of a family from Haryana is going viral online where a Dutch solo traveller and biker is seen asking for a place to pitch her tent and camp for the night alone. The Gujjar family takes this chance to uphold the tradition of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ (Guest is God).
Meike Hijman, a solo traveller from Netherlands, with over 56K followers, who is currently documenting her solo two-wheeled trek across India found herself navigating through Haryana’s rural backroads.
There she approached a woman working in the field, asking if she speaks English. The woman quickly called her son, Tushar Gujjar to help translate. Meike had a simple request, she asked the family if she could camp in their garden.
The video of the encounter, which Meike posted on Instagram, quickly went viral. At a time when solo female travel is often talked about with fear and caution, her story shows the raw kindness of strangers. She shares that Tushar and his family insisted she come inside their home to spend the night instead of setting up a tent outside.
In a video shared on YouTube, Meike is seen relaxing and spending time with them. They offered her tea, homemade food, and a safe, comfortable place to stay for the night.
The comments appreciated the hospitality of the family. One social media user said, “Haryanvi people, especially Haryanvi women have sweetness in their hearts….” Another user said, “That’s our beautiful India!”
