A charming feature of towns in Italy, is the informal shrine dedicated to the Madonna and Child or Patron Saint, on a street corner, sometimes at head height, low enough for a votive bunch of flowers, to be left by someone in passing. In India this is taken a step further, every shop has a shrine with burning incense and the shop keeper has a daily ritual of blessing, before opening for business.
With security an ever present necessity, the bigger shops and malls, require a bag check and pat down, for everybody, on entry and on check out, your shopping bags are numbered and bags tied with plastic tags, to prevent shop lifting. At the exit to the shop, your cash slip is stamped by the uniformed security guard, who checks the number of bags you are carrying. Another uniformed guard will cut the plastic tag for you as you leave, if requested.
In the general melee of the exit to the large supermarket, I'd never noticed before that in this busy and unlikely place of coming and going, there was a little shrine on the wall. My attention was drawn to it this time, because a woman stood perfectly still before it, in prayer, with her eyes closed, an aura of quietness surrounded her. After a few moments, she picked up her shopping and went on her way !
With security an ever present necessity, the bigger shops and malls, require a bag check and pat down, for everybody, on entry and on check out, your shopping bags are numbered and bags tied with plastic tags, to prevent shop lifting. At the exit to the shop, your cash slip is stamped by the uniformed security guard, who checks the number of bags you are carrying. Another uniformed guard will cut the plastic tag for you as you leave, if requested.
In the general melee of the exit to the large supermarket, I'd never noticed before that in this busy and unlikely place of coming and going, there was a little shrine on the wall. My attention was drawn to it this time, because a woman stood perfectly still before it, in prayer, with her eyes closed, an aura of quietness surrounded her. After a few moments, she picked up her shopping and went on her way !
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