The Muslim Vanishes

The great poet Ghalib, part of a long tradition of eclectic liberalism, found Benaras so compelling that he wrote his longest poem on the holy city, 'Chiragh-e-Dair' (Mandir Ka Diya or Lamp in the Temple):
'Ibadat khaana-e-naaqoosian ast,
Hama na Kaaba-e-Hindostan ast.


(Devotees make searing music with conch shells,
This truly is the Kaaba of Hindustan.)

Take Ghalib and his myriad followers out of the equation. Will Hindustan be left with a gaping hole or become something quite new? The Mus...