• Indians 'turn to religion to cope with city life'

Rural migrants flock to cities like Bombay and New Delhi at the rate of 500,000 a year, with the majority living in slums while eking out a perilous existence away from their families. "In the process, religion changes from a personal experience to something that is more public and congregational," Mr Kumar added, saying this explained the proliferation of public places of worship.

In the depths of societal stress, it helps to transcend it all, or at least to look for meaning to it.