Tales from a street of mosques, synagogues, churches and temples
Source: Aljazeera
![Siraj Khan is a caretaker at the Beth El synagogue. Kolkata's synagogues have always had Muslim caretakers, most of whom come from neighbouring states [Jenny Gustafsson/Al Jazeera]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/mritems/imagecache/mbdxxlarge/mritems/Images/2018/7/9/95ca2c4e134240feb0ea251086366cf9_18.jpg?w=667&ssl=1 "Tales from a street of mosques, synagogues, churches and temples")
Kolkata, India – In Kolkata, the old capital of colonial India, one street – Brabourne Road – is home to many abodes of God, with churches, synagogues and mosques side by side with temples of all faiths.
Up a flight of stairs in a yellow building in old Kolkata, at the back of a room decorated with gold and fine wood, is a small, hand-carved idol: Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy and a beloved deity in Chinese folk religion.
A garland of fresh white flowers hangs around her neck, a typically Indian way of paying respect.
“What you get in India is not what you get in China,” says Michael Ho, a member of Kolkata’s Chinese community. “The way we celebrate religion here is more like it was in the old days, and with some added Indian traditions.”
Categories: Asia, India, Multiculturalism, religious freedom, The Muslim Times