At The Beginning There was This
I grew up in a multi cultural world. My grandfather was the Hindu Prime Minister of a Muslim state during the British Raj. It was the one state that retained its statehood. He espoused Muslim customs, married 6 Muslim women and one Hindu one, of unknown descent or heritage. It was largely believed she was Brahmin, but since she was also an orphan and unbelievably beautiful, everyone presumed she was royalty. My mother was the product of this Union and grew up in an atmosphere where Hindu, Muslim and British mingled freely and happily - Infact she herself refused to go to school and my Nana employed a British Governess to teach her the alphabet, a Hindu Poet to teach her the vernacular and a Sufi Saint who taught her Urdu and poetry. Her cousins were Muslim and her siblings Hindu and her beloved Nanny read her the Bible. Yet my mother grew up worshipping Krishna and singing his hymns, even while she reverently held the Quran and kissed the Bible. It was a choice she made, or perhaps on