The tolling of temple bells, the sonorous call to prayer from a neighbourhood mosque. The bright orange and 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.