A strong sense of wellbeing in New Zealand and Turangawaewae
- Henna Shah
- May 8, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 25
When planning a New Zealand honeymoon from India, most travellers envision snow-capped mountains, breathtaking fjords, and adventure activities like bungee jumping and skydiving. But there’s a deeper, more spiritual side to New Zealand that often remains unexplored, its indigenous Maori culture. This blog post is about discovering that soulful layer and what it can teach us about belonging, identity, and inner peace.
New Zealand, or Aotearoa in Maori, is not just a destination for stunning landscapes, it's a land where ancient traditions still thrive alongside modern life. The Maoris of New Zealand, its indigenous people, have lived here for centuries before the British colonised the islands. Much like India's colonial history, New Zealand too became independent in 1947, the same year as India, marking a pivotal moment in both nations' journeys.
Today, the cultural fabric of New Zealand is a vibrant mix of Maori heritage, European settlers, and growing Asian communities — particularly Indian and Chinese immigrants. Despite these diverse influences, the Maori people have preserved their language, rituals, and beliefs with resilience and pride, and these have become a crucial part of what makes New Zealand one of the happiest countries in the world.
We have covered our trip to New Zealand in 5 Chapters from the lens of travelling from India, best time visit New Zealand, experiences to include in your itinerary across New Zealand cities, adventure activities to include in your travel plan, availability of vegetarian food in New Zealand and exploring the indigenous Maori culture with takeaways for our own wellbeing.
Chapter 4: A Vegetarian’s Food Guide to New Zealand
You are reading Chapter 5.
Table of Contents
Ancestor worship and nature worship
The foundation of Maori culture is deeply spiritual, rooted in ancestor worship and a profound reverence for nature. Like many Polynesian cultures, the Maoris believe in the sacredness of the land, water, and sky.
These natural elements are not separate from life, they are extensions of the self.
One of the most powerful concepts in Maori philosophy is Turangawaewae, which literally means "a place to stand."
It refers to one’s spiritual and physical connection to a place, usually an ancestral home or land — that gives a person strength, identity, and belonging.
In a way, this echoes the Hindu concept of Kuldevi/Kuldevta, where a clan or gotra is believed to be under the protection of a specific ancestral deity associated with a region or native place in India. Many Indian families, despite living in urban cities, still travel to their ancestral village to pay respects to these deities during important life events — a practice not unlike Maori pilgrimages to their whenua (land) or marae (tribal meeting grounds).
Turangawaewae: The Maori Concept of Belonging
Turangawaewae is not just a location; it’s a state of spiritual rootedness. It’s the sense of peace you feel when you're in a place that feels truly yours — where your ancestors walked, where your family stories began, and where your cultural identity finds expression.
For the Maori, the hills, lakes, rivers, and forests are not just geographical features. They are living ancestors and part of one’s genealogical map. A mountain is often referred to as a forefather, a river as a guiding mother, a worldview where nature is family, not a resource to be exploited.
Similarity with the Vedic world view
Despite the physical distance between New Zealand and India, there are profound philosophical similarities between Maori traditions and Vedic culture. In the Vedic worldview, nature is also considered sacred. Rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna, and Narmada are worshipped as goddesses. Trees like the peepal and tulsi are honored in daily rituals. Just as Vedic wisdom is passed down through generations via oral traditions, Maori knowledge (Mātauranga Māori) is also preserved through storytelling, chants (karakia), and ceremonial performances (haka).
Unfortunately, in modern urban India, many have lost touch with these ancient practices. But in New Zealand, many Maori still maintain a direct spiritual connection with their ancestors, often guided by their marae-based communities and rituals that ground them. There’s a lesson here for us: in a fast-paced world, ancient practices offer not just nostalgia, but a roadmap to emotional well-being and groundedness.
Impact of colonisation and the back to the roots
Colonialism left deep scars in both India and New Zealand. For decades, Maori language (Te Reo Māori) and customs were actively suppressed in schools and public life. Indigenous names were replaced, and traditional governance structures dismantled.
However, in recent years, there’s been a powerful resurgence of Maori identity and pride. Te Reo Māori is now one of the official languages of New Zealand. Children learn Maori stories and songs in schools. Place names are being reverted to their original indigenous names. And the haka — once a tribal war cry — is now an international symbol of strength and unity.
Interestingly, this cultural revival in New Zealand parallels what’s happening across the Indian diaspora. More people are reconnecting with the Vedic lifestyle, practicing yoga, Ayurveda, reading the Bhagavad Gita, or even learning Sanskrit — not out of compulsion, but from a desire to feel rooted again. These efforts are not about nationalism; they’re about cultural healing, about feeling whole in a fragmented world.
What is New Zealand ranked in world happiness?
New Zealand is consistently ranked among the top 10 happiest countries in the world, according to the World Happiness Report.
The usual reasons cited include:
High life expectancy
Stable GDP per capita
Low corruption
Strong social safety nets
Freedom to make life choices
Community generosity
But there’s an intangible cultural factor often overlooked in global reports, the deep sense of belonging and respect for indigenous traditions. Many non-Maori Kiwis have embraced Maori practices, recognizing their value in building community and fostering emotional wellness.
From corporate meetings beginning with a karakia (prayer) to mainstream adoption of Maori proverbs in daily conversation, this fusion of ancient and modern is what makes New Zealand special, a rare example of cultural coexistence and mutual respect.
Last word: Which brings me to this burning question.
So, here’s a question for you: Where is your Turangawaewae?
When you close your eyes and think of "home," is there a village, town, or natural place that comes to mind? Is it your grandparents’ home? A family temple? A childhood treehouse?
If not, maybe it’s time to explore it. Reconnect with your roots through travel, stories, food, or even old family photographs. Talk to your elders. Visit your ancestral land if you can. These acts of remembering don’t just honour your past — they stabilise your present.
In Eastern cultures, wisdom and age are celebrated, not hidden. While Western societies often chase youth, cultures like Maori and Indian traditions teach us to cherish our lineage and seek strength from it. As modern life pushes us into endless to-do lists, burnout, and mindless scrolling, Turangawaewae is the anchor. It reminds us of who we are and where we come from.
As you wrap up your New Zealand honeymoon or travel adventure, take home more than photos. Take home the feeling of being grounded. Let the spirit of Maori culture inspire you to:
Reconnect with your own ancestors
Honour nature as sacred
Live a life of values passed down generations
Find your own place to stand, your Turangawaewae
And if you haven't found it yet, maybe it’s time to begin that journey.
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