36 content creators from BRICS and partner countries are exploring Kerala, capturing its culture, food, and hospitality. The visitors praised their experiences, from the traditional sadhya to the warmth of the people, documenting their journey for social media.
As India’s BRICS engagement extends beyond summit halls and official meetings, 36 content creators from BRICS member and partner countries are exploring Keralam during a three-day visit, capturing the state’s food, colours, culture and everyday experiences through their lenses.
Travelling together as a group, the creators are experiencing India beyond its formal diplomatic setting, documenting their journey and sharing their impressions with audiences back home.
'More Than Amazing': Creators Praise Food and Hospitality
The delegation visited the Kerala Arts & Crafts Village in Kovalam, where the creators explored traditional arts and crafts, interacted with local artists and captured their experiences for social media platforms.
Speaking to ANI, the visitors spoke about their experiences in India and Keralam, with several highlighting the state’s culture, food and hospitality.
A content creator from Egypt, Iman, who is based in Saudi Arabia, said she was visiting Keralam for the second time and described the state’s culture as amazing. She said the BRICS Summit was a new experience for her and that she had the opportunity to meet several important leaders. “It's more than amazing. I am in love with the Kerala culture. Yes, it is not the first time for me in Kerala. It is, I think, the second time,” she said. Talking about food, she said traditional sadhya was her favourite, particularly during Onam.
Jamie, a content creator from China, said she was overwhelmed by the welcome she received. She recalled having a traditional thali comprising 32 dishes and said the experience was special. “I had the best ever thali in my life. It was so good. Like a mixture of different things. We ate 32 dishes together, and here we received warm welcome. People are playing drums for us, having this special ceremony. Everything feels so special. Like, well, I feel a bit overwhelmed. I don't know how to describe it. It's awesome,” she said. She added she was making videos to tell her Chinese friends about India and encourage them to experience the country’s hospitality.
Another creator, Shah from Malaysia, described Keralam as beautiful and praised the warmth of the people and the hospitality. He also spoke about his experience of eating regional food served on a banana leaf. “Oh my god, it was so beautiful. You know, people here are so warm, and the hospitality here was so great. We had a regional food experience where we ate on the banana leaf. It was so delicious,” he said.
Beyond Tourism: Reflections on India and BRICS
Abdul Hafeez from Nigeria described the hospitality in India as “one of a kind” and said he had experienced the culture and food from New Delhi to Keralam. He said the food in Keralam had some similarities with Nigerian cuisine but offered a different experience. On the BRICS Summit, Hafeez said it was important for countries to come together and share culture, economics and political perspectives. “Every part of India has its own speciality. In Kerala here, it's colourful, it's a lot cultural, and it's a bit warmer with the people; you know, connecting with the people here is, I feel like I'm in Nigeria right now,” Hafeez said.
Qasim Makka from Ethiopia said he had watched Hindi films since childhood and that actors including Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan had inspired him to learn Hindi. He said attending the BRICS Summit fulfilled a childhood dream after more than 20 years of effort. “I have been watching Hindi movies on my satellite TV since childhood; stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Amitabh Bachchan are all inspirations to us. That is why we watch their films and try to learn the language. Consequently, I took up translation work—translating Hindi movies. I still do this today, including sharing content about Hindi movies on social media,” he said.
Sultan from Kazakhstan described India as a beautiful country and praised Keralam’s culture, while also highlighting the food.
Rahina Muhammad from Nigeria described her experience in India as a dream come true and praised the hospitality she received after arriving in Keralam. She also spoke about experiencing traditional dining and eating rice and other dishes by hand.
On the BRICS Summit, Rahina said the grouping represented countries coming together for unity and peace and expressed pride at being among the content creators invited from across the world. “From the name BRICS, you could know that it's a combination of countries coming together to to to form unity, peace. From what I've seen, we've seen a lot of leaders come to the country already,” Rahina said.
Derek Sanyonya from Uganda said his experience in India had changed his perception of the country. He highlighted the people, history, monuments, art, culture and hospitality as major aspects of his visit. “I think I had known India, I had the idea of India, but I feel like people were misrepresenting it. What I've seen, what I've experienced, uh the people, the kids, the kids, oh my goodness. Everyone is smiling wherever you go. And then when it comes to the hotels, the hospitality in India is top notch.”
Sanyonya also said India’s hosting of the BRICS Summit had made a significant mark and expressed optimism about the future of the grouping. (ANI)
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