A Blanket

It was low season so he shut down his shop early and invited me to his evening round of prayers. There was durga mandir, hanuman mandir, ashrams, holy kunds…. After the first hour I lost count. I could only mimic his gestures uneasily. “You are Hindu, yes?” he asks me.

The old city is blanketed by religion. An orange seller takes my money and obtains blessing from the little murti (idol). The widows beg at every corner to collect money for their cremation. A temple crumbles in the decrepit courtyard that also houses my favorite restaurant. A middle-aged man rushing somewhere, stops and backtracks for a quick prayer. A sadhu sits on the pavement and blesses dentures for better fitting.