Good Juma-day Holi Krishna

On Friday, 21 March, the planets aligned (well actually it was the moon) and six major religions shared a holy day:

• Good Friday commemorating the crucification of Jesus Christ


• Eid al-Mawlid an-Nabawī commemorating the birth of the prophet Mohammed


• Guru Purnima commemorating the birth of Krishna

• Nowruz the new year celebrated by Zoroastrians, Sufis and the Baha'i


• Holi the Hindu festival of colour welcoming the arrival of spring


• Purim commemorating the deliverance of the Jewish people from annhilation in Persia

March 21 also happens to be a secular day of special importance to me. It is the international day for the elimination of racial discrimination.

What better way to celebrate the holy day than by visiting the religious landmarks of Bangladesh and what better way to engender harmony amongst the races than by answering, with embelishment, the favourite Bangladeshi question: "Desh kotai?" (Which country are you from?)

Celebrating Krishna's birthday with some new friends.

Buddhist ruins at Moynamati. Now I realise that no Buddhist holy days were mentioned but it is the closest I could get to a Zoroastrian or Baha'i landmark in Bangladesh. Even so, I think it's also in keeping with the anti-discrimination theme. Why should I deny Buddhists a spot on my blog just because 21 March doesn't figure highly for them?

The Sitara (Star) mosque in old Dhaka.

The Armenian church in old Dhaka. Perhaps one of the most peaceful spots in the city (mostly because it is surrounded by a huge wall and you can only be let in if the Hindu caretaker - he is very proud of the fact that a Hindu is the guardian of a Christian church in the centre of a muslim city - thinks you are worthy.)

A mother bestowing a blessing on her daughter at Dhaka's oldest Hindu temple, Deshwana.