of 1991, which was passed"to prohibit conversion of any place of worship and to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed" when India became independent in 1947.
Mishra, who is the head priest of the famous Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi, says Hindus and Muslims in the city have been taking part in each other's religious festivities for years. For example, the horseshoe used in religious processions during the Muslim holy month of Muharram is kept with a Hindu family, who are its custodians, he says. Muslims take part in Ramleela, a skit about the story of the Hindu god Ram performed during festivals, he adds.
Hindu and Muslim livelihoods are intertwined in Varanasi — in handlooms of the city's famous silk sarees, weavers are mostly Muslim whereas wholesalers and customers are largely Hindu.Hindu and Muslim livelihoods are intertwined in Varanasi — in handlooms of the city's famous silk sarees, weavers are mostly Muslim whereas wholesalers and customers are largely Hindu.
In the past, Varanasi has shown resilience. In 2006, the situation was ripe for sectarian violence after a bomb blast at the temple where Mishra is the head priest. He remembers how the community came together to defuse tensions."And the city was in peace even after the bomb blasts," he says."So I think that was a litmus test for Banaras."