Shashank Sharma sets record for visiting most houses of worship in one month

[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnMUMBAI, India (RNS) — Shashank Sharma walked past the green sign that said “Imamia Hall” and pushed the metal gate to enter a tree-filled compound. The white Shiite mosque inside was latched and padlocked, so someone came to open it for him. He entered, surveying the prayer space, the light flooding through the windows, the green carpeted floor. He silently said a prayer.“It was unbelievable that I am a Hindu, and the mosque is being opened just for me to enter it,” Sharma, 34, said of his visit to the mosque in Delhi, where he is based. “It was an overwhelming feeling being in a big mosque all alone. It was a very touching experience.” 
This is one of 76 houses of worship that Sharma visited last year in June as part of his effort to visit the most places of worship by anyone in a month. In May this year, Guinness World Records certified his record. Sacred spaces Sharma visited included Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples, Sikh gurdwaras, mosques and churches, as well as a Baha’i place of worship. 
“I don’t want to make any political statement, but I have been troubled by the way that communal harmony has taken a hit in the past few years,” said Sharma, who works as an education consultant and researcher. 
India is officially a secular country, with a majority Hindu population (96 …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]