Sikh Temple and the Friday Mosque - It seems that there is something vaguely humiliating about what the pious faithful require the infidel to wear in order to enter sacred spaces.
The Friday Mosque, Jama Masjid, has an enormous impressive courtyard with colonnades on three sides and a wall of raised areas for prayer under five impressive cupolas/domes that face Mecca. There is something medieval about the way the surrounding city presses in on the walls of the mosque area and business is furious in the narrow streets that feed to the steps to the three entries. The day after we were there some misguided individual drove by the spot where Felix is sitting and fired a couple of shots that hit two Japanese tourists. It is hard to imagine how the perpetrators could made a swift exit, but apparently they were on a motorbike. The unfortunate Japanese tourists are stable. Felix fairly shocked.

Mr. Singh, rickshaw driver of good repute, took us to see the Sikh temple, Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. A guru was murdered on the spot by a particularly unpleasant Mogul emperor, Aurangzeb, and the guru's tomb and the very holy book are venerated here along with neon flashing signs. We had a lengthy, very articulate explanation of Sikh philosophy which raised more questions than it answered, and were amazed by the vast kitchen and lunch facilities. Apparently every Sikh temple cooks to feed everyone at lunch. Rich or poor, regardless of their faith, everyone is welcome. Bert, not one to refuse good food, partook. Felix and I were not so brave. We'll have to seek out further enlightenment as the explanation for this generosity was not clear.