Told to avoid India, Australian woman experiences 'Atithi Devo Bhava' instead
India Today
An Australian traveller, Bec McColl, shared her positive experiences in India after being warned not to visit. Her story shows the contrast between preconceptions and firsthand encounters with local hospitality.
She was warned. She was discouraged. She was told not to go. But when 25-year-old Australian traveller Bec McColl finally arrived in India, the reality she encountered looked nothing like the narrative she had been fed.
In a post that has gone viral, Bec wrote, “I’m confused, is this the India people told me not to go to?” Reflecting on the warnings she received before her trip, she added, “Before I came, I heard the warnings, the rumors, and the fear-based stories. What I experienced instead was hospitality, warmth, curiosity, and generosity again and again.”
Her video features moments from Udaipur, Pushkar, parts of Gujarat, and even Mumbai’s Dharavi. She is seen interacting with locals, sipping chai offered by families, and being guided by strangers through unfamiliar streets.
Rather than hostility, she says she encountered openness and kindness. “Travel teaches you this quickly. The loudest opinions often come from people who have never been,” she wrote. She concluded with a broader message: “A reminder to question narratives, travel with awareness not fear, and let your own experiences shape your beliefs.”
Watch the clip here:
A post shared by Bec McColl (@bec_mccoll)
Over the past week, social media has been abuzz with rumours claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was killed in an Iranian missile strike. However, there remains no credible evidence. It coincided with his reported absence from cabinet meetings. However, Israel has released videos and images to assert that Netanyahu is alive.
Norwegian Ambassador May-Elin Stener shared pictures of her travelling on the Delhi Metro for the first time in a now-viral post on social media.
Trump claimed Iran's retaliatory strikes on Gulf nations were unexpected. But intelligence reports and experts had warned in advance that Tehran could escalate by targeting regional countries.
Sri Lanka has moved to a four-day work week to conserve fuel as the Middle East war disrupts oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, while Bangladesh has begun rationing fuel and Pakistan has shifted offices to remote work to ease an emerging energy crunch.
The story began with America as Iran's saviour but ended with America as its Satan. The rivalry written over decades in oil and blood is catastrophically being settled with fire that can singe the world.
According to a report by The Telegraph, Israeli ballistic missiles struck the compound soon after Mojtaba left the building, killing Ali Khamenei along with dozens of senior officials and relatives.
Trump demanded warships. He threatened allies. He warned NATO of a very bad future. The whole world watched, nodded politely, and walked away. Here is exactly what that means.
An incident involving a promotional robot in Macau has raised safety concerns after a woman was startled, prompting police intervention and renewed focus on robotics in public spaces.
Laylatul Qadr is considered one of the holiest nights in Islam. The Night of Decree, when Muslims keep up late into the night for prayers, is different this year. It is a sombre Laylatul Qadr night amid fears for life and safety amid the US-Israel-Iran war in the Middle East.
A group of Rajasthani folk artists delivered an impromptu musical performance during a security screening at Jodhpur Airport.
The newspaper, citing officials familiar with the conversations, said the Saudi leader has been in frequent contact with Trump during the conflict and encouraged him to "keep hitting the Iranians hard" as the fighting intensifies across the region.
A video showing a woman holding a child near a moving train window for him to urinate has gone viral, stirring public outrage over safety risks.