Sumant Barooah

Among The Temples of China Sumant Barooah

As a curious onlooker, I was fascinated to observe the reverence of the people engrossed in their personal rituals at all the temples I had the fortune of visiting - an inner calm in their beliefs. Considering the jargon published and orchestrated by the western media, this open show of reverence was a phenomenon I want to share with you. There is a naively concluded misconception in the world that religious practices are suppressed in China, possibly drawing parallels with the Russian revolution where the Church was an instrument of the establishment and hence destroyed. This is far from the truth. In fact religious practices are a guaranteed right in the Chinese constitution. Today, China is possibly the only country in the world and definitely the biggest state spender, to resurrect and refurbish religious sites of all faiths. It is estimated that there are over 50,000 places of worship open today and more are in the process of being restored. I would think, it would take a whole lifetime in this beautiful country to see all of them.