While interviewing midwives outside the Dholka village, I saw this bright red sari drying on the rooftop. Hanging from the tree is a stack of earthen pots that are keeping the homemade cream and butter cool in the summer sun.

The country might be glitzy, sparkly, and singsongy in the big cities, but for me, India is best understood through rural eyes. Take a few days and hit the dirt roads toward tiny villages and connect with the heart of the country. A known philosophy will come to life for you - atithi devo bhava - divinity in all guests.