At the Bellanwila Buddhist temple in Colombo, a young woman is preparing a basket of fruits as an offering to the Hindu resident god in his shrine which is next to the Buddha’s. She is asking success at exams for her brother. Yet, she is a Buddhist!
-Why don’t you ask the favour from the Buddha?
-We keep Him for prayers and meditation
-And if the Hindu god does not grant the favour?
-We will come back with the same offering as often as necessary… until he does!

Hindus of Tamil origin are a mere 13% of the population of Sri Lanka, but their gods are everywhere, often in their own shrines next to...