Asan atheist, I no longer see belief as a wall that divides. Rather, I see it as a path that can be walked with respect — even if I don’t share the same destination.
One of the reasons that makes India unique is the diversity of religions, cultures, states, and landscapes. In a span of six months, I celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi (the Hindu festival revering Lord Ganesha) in Maharashtra and Christmas (the Christian festival commemorating the birth of Jesus) in Kerala. Apart from that, I also had an opportunity to savor a communal meal at the Golden Temple (one of the holiest Sikh temples) in Punjab.
Recently, I got to be a part of Ramadan (a holy month in Islam) in Chennai, which concluded within the same span. Chennai is a metropolitan city in the state of Tamil Nadu, on the eastern coast of India.
Historically, the presence of Islam in Chennai dates back to the 9th century CE. One of the oldest known mosques in the region was built in the 10th century CE. Since Chennai is also a port city, there was an intense exchange of culture through trade. Hence, I wasn’t surprised to learn that St. Thomas…