Religion is so integrated into everyday life here. It's no secret whether someone is Hindu, Muslim, or Christian, and we have people of all those religions in our neighborhood. The mosque pictured below is just a few minutes walk from where I'm staying now, and you can clearly hear the call to prayer five times a day from my place. It sounds like a man singing right outside my window!
The local mosque.
In addition to the mosque, religious symbols abound. Little displays in front of individual homes may contain a crucifix or a Hindu god. In the mornings, I often see people touching the crucifix below my apartment as they walk by, as if for blessing--but I haven't figured out if they are Christian or if they have just incorporated Jesus into their polytheism.
A crucifix, the stairs leading up to my apartment, and my roommate.
Religion is also reflected in what people eat. Most restaurants around here do not serve beef or pork, so as not to offend Hindus or Muslims, and the menu is almost always divided into vegetarian and non-vegetarian sections.
It's great that religion is more out in the public square there. Hopefully all the religions get along OK in your neighborhood - do you sense any tensions under (or above) the surface there?
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