Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Slovakia on Sunday night in the second leg of his two-nation tour. He will stay here till June 16. On reaching the hotel in the capital Bratislava, PM Modi was warmly welcomed by the people. People of the Indian community arrived in large numbers and raised slogans of Modi-Modi and Bharat Mata ki Jai. Everyone looked very excited during this visit.
Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanar welcomed Prime Minister Modi and presented him with bread and salt as per the traditional Slovak custom, which is considered a symbol of respect, goodwill and hospitality there. The PM accepted it with folded hands. This bread and salt attracted everyone’s attention. Let us know about this unique tradition.
Slovak cultural tradition
In Slovak culture the traditional welcome with bread and salt symbolizes hospitality, respect and goodwill. According to the information, in Slovak and other Slavic cultures, welcoming an honored guest with a small bowl of freshly made bread and salt is considered the greatest symbol of hospitality, respect and goodwill.
#WATCH | Slovakia | Prime Minister Narendra Modi given a traditional welcome with bread and salt upon his arrival in Bratislava.
In Slovak culture, the traditional welcome with bread and salt is a symbol of hospitality, respect, and goodwill. Guests, especially honored visitors pic.twitter.com/aYYwxtW5xi
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2026
Why bread and salt are important
According to tradition, bread symbolizes prosperity, sustenance and sharing the blessings of the earth, while salt symbolizes value, unbreakable friendship and security. Giving bread and salt to a guest is one of the biggest traditions of showing respect and belonging. This custom has deep roots in Slavic traditions. It shows how much Slovak people value welcoming others warmly and sharing the joys of home and community.
This custom is prevalent in these countries also
Now the question arises whether the tradition of welcoming guests with bread and salt is only in Slovakia, then it is not so at all. Apart from Slovakia, this custom is prevalent in many countries also. In Eastern European countries like Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia and Serbia, this custom is the highest honor given to the guest.
Great enthusiasm in the Indian community
Talking about PM Modi’s visit, this is the first visit of any Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia after the independence of Slovakia in 1993, for which there is great excitement and enthusiasm among the Indian community living there. During his visit, PM Modi will meet Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico and President Peter Pellegrini. During this, there will be talks between the two countries on promoting trade, investment, defence, automobile and railway construction.
PM Modi shared the post
After reaching Slovakia, Prime Minister Modi shared a post on social media and said, ‘The welcome received in Bratislava last evening was really very special. I am grateful to the Indian community for its affection and warmth. Such sentiments reflect the strong bonds that bind our people and further strengthen the India-Slovakia friendship.
Yesterday evening’s welcome in Bratislava was truly special.
I am grateful to the Indian community for their warmth and affection. Such gestures reflect the enduring bonds that connect our people and strengthen the India-Slovakia friendship. pic.twitter.com/R49NpexLMg
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 15, 2026
To make the welcome of Prime Minister Modi very special, the famous Slovak cultural group Lusnika Ensemble presented Vande Mataram. During this time a unique confluence of Indian culture and Slovak folk traditions was seen. The Prime Minister also met the artists and appreciated their presentation. The artists of the group described it as a memorable moment of their lives.
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