Temples between the shops

One of the prettier shocks in a Malaysian city is a gopuram, that stacked pastel tower of gods, rising behind a row of shops that sell bolts of cloth and phone cards. George Town\'s Little India does this in full color. So do streets in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, and Johor Bahru. The temple was not placed in a park. It was placed in the neighborhood, because the neighborhood was the congregation.

Flower sellers work the sidewalk. Jasmine, marigold, a string of blossoms you can smell before you see the gate. Remove your shoes if you go in. Keep your voice down. Photography of people at prayer is not a souvenir.

The lifestyle lesson is density. A beautiful religious building does not need a ceremonial approach. It needs to be near the people who use it on an ordinary Tuesday. If you live nearby you will learn the festival calendar whether you share the faith or not. The drums are the neighborhood, not a disturbance from somewhere else. Plan your errands around them, and the street makes more sense.