> I wonder why. My take on it : The level of chaos in India is extraordinary. It is ubiquitous: the traffic, the government, and the sheer number of people bei

> I wonder why. My take on it : The level of chaos in India is extraordinary. It is ubiquitous: the traffic, the government, and the sheer number of people being the top three things that come to mind. On top of this, the justice system is defunct. In such a situation, prayer comes naturally. Faith and arbitrary belief are mechanisms to alleviate the stress and restore mental order, to lend a semblance of "reason" and rhyme to the working of a world that seems so arbitrary and cruel. They dull the mind but they act as an antidote against the external chaos. I would guess that a sense of security and control over one's life and religiosity are anti-correlated, in any country. I would suspect that the poor, the indebted and the very ill are more likely to be religious.