red of fresh flowers laid reverently at the feet of an adored
idol and the scent of yak butter lamps burning in groups of
seven, below the gold-plated figure of a serene Buddha.
The joyful strains of a group of carollers,
celebrating the birth of a child 2000 years ago, in far-away
Israel and the faith of millions of people- a faith which
has helped shape everything from politics to philosophy.
India is nothing if not spiritual. The home
of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, this country has over the
ages welcomed religions- Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism,
Judaism and the Bah’ai faith- and has embraced them
with as much enthusiasm as it has for its own home-grown faiths.
A country which literally seems to subsist on religion, where
incense and prayers, hymns and temples are as much a part
of daily life as eating or drinking.
The spirituality of India is something you
just can’t miss on a vacation to the land. Whether you
confine yourself to admiring the architecture of edifices
like the beautiful Lotus Temple in Delhi, or decide to spend
time in yoga and meditation at a quiet ashram along the banks
of the sacred Ganga- you can’t distance yourself from
the religions which rule India. |
