I want to understand India’s religious diversity, both within major religious communities as well as between religious communities. Becoming familiar with Bede Griffiths and his Christian ashram accomplishes one of… Read more

If a person has no familiarity with India, then that person might be surprised at the range of Christian communities in south India. One morning, Annamalai drives me to St.… Read more

To repeat myself from the previous blog. What does one do in Tamil Nadu? One visits temples! Not just me. I see young individuals, middle age individuals, and elderly individuals.… Read more

During our 1990 seminar’s three-week stay in Tamil Nadu, I am eager to return. So much to see! With the help of Annamalai, my driver, I want to view some… Read more

Like Delhi and Madras (Chennai), Kolkata shows its colonial past. Whether walking or using a taxi, any person will see the buildings of the British “Capital of the Raj.” From… Read more

A question: who is Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu? Here is another clue: she is born on August 26, 1910. If you guess Mother Teresa, then you are correct. Although I visited… Read more

My 1990 visit to Kolkata occurs during a monsoon. Carl and I leave a bookstore. As we crossed a road, the water on the road went above our ankles. We… Read more

I’m in Bodh Gaya. I arise at 6AM. By 7AM, I and a large Japanese pilgrim group are through with breakfast. By 8AM, I enter the stupa grounds. Two immediate… Read more

So much to see and learn about Varanasi. Since Jai has guided me on one walking tour, he recommends that I should take his colleague Mayank’s night walk. “He’ll show… Read more

Jai inspires me to see Varanasi beyond the ghats. Both with and without his presence, I visit sites off the usual visitors’ path. I hire a tuk-tuk driver to take… Read more