Though this is an unashamedly Hindu country there are more Muslims in India than in Pakistan, making up about 11 percent of the Indian population. The Muezzin cry from the Mosque can be heard in most Indian cities. Even in the village where I am staying, next to the Narmada river, the sound of the prayer leader cries out every morning and seems to carry down the Narmada Valley. Vadadora is a city of some 1.5million people. It lies on the outskirts of the earthquake area that flattened parts of Gujarat earlier this year.
Few tourists come here, and a white person stands out.
I'm peering through the window of the Special Refund Office when an orange-coloured reflection appears behind me. From his garb I see that he is a Swami, a Hindu holy man. He wears no shoes, has designer specs, and when he speaks it's a shock to hear the accent of the west coast of America. His name is Swami Joseph, and he hails from San Francisco. Rather than flowers in his hair he wears beetroot coloured garlands round his neck and carries Vishnu in his soul.