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All religions are weird - so many rules - especially when it comes to clothing. When visiting some "holy sites" you have to take off your shoes before entering. Some you have to take off your hat. Some, both shoes and hat. Others want you to cover your head but shoes they don't care about. With yet others, men have to take off their shoes, hats and shirts while women must be completely covered head to ankle. Who thinks this shit up?

But when it comes to madcap religious iconography no one can outdo the Hindus. Their temples are blanketed with images and sculptures of outlandish, larger than life, fantastical beings in garish colors. It's difficult to discern whether they are gods, demi-gods, avatars of gods, heroes, or just someone's whimsy. And that's before you get to the animals. Cows, monkeys, elephants, lions, peacocks all add to the pageant. I sometimes feel I'm entering an amusement park except that there, at least, I can keep my shoes on.