Why Indians need an Excuse to Relax

I’ve often noticed something curious about the way some of them travel.

A trip begins with Sabarimala or Melmaruvathur or Tirupati—and then, almost naturally, it flows into Ooty, Kodaikanal, or Munnar.

I once happened to be in Ooty when the town seemed almost entirely black—filled with Ayyappa devotees.

And I wondered— Why are these two always clubbed together? Faith and fun seem like very different intentions.

Why does rest feel acceptable only after austerity?Why do we need to prove our capacity to suffer before allowing ourselves joy?

Religion, in this context, doesn’t just offer faith. It offers moral cover.

May be it’s not about mixing religion and tourism at all. It’s about permission.

The Guilt Around “Just Resting”

Many people I know don’t easily take a vacation just to relax—even when they have the money, the leave, and the need for it. Somewhere inside, there’s a quiet discomfort.

Am I being wasteful? Selfish? Indulgent?

So rest needs a reason. A higher one.

If the trip is “for God,” spending money feels less guilty. Taking leave feels justified. Enjoyment becomes a side effect, not the goal.

How We Were Conditioned

Most of us grew up watching our parents postpone pleasure endlessly—“after this responsibility,” “after that obligation.” Leisure was never normal; it was rare and conditional.

Work was virtue. Endurance was respectability. Rest felt suspicious.

Even today, especially for middle class people and women, visible leisure can attract judgment. Devotion, on the other hand, earns approval.

Why the West Feels So Different

In many Western countries, vacation is built into work life. People don’t explain why they’re taking time off—they simply are. Rest is seen as necessary maintenance, not indulgence.

Here, we often feel the need to justify it—to our families, to society, and sometimes to ourselves.

The Question I Keep Coming Back To

Should we really feel guilty for spending time on ourselves?

What if rest didn’t need a spiritual, medical, or moral excuse?What if joy didn’t require justification?

Maybe we don’t need to stop going on pilgrimages. But maybe we need to stop believing that pleasure needs an excuse.