ON THE second occasion, Bank Holiday Monday, they could have filled the bus twice over, says Riaz Ravat, the diocesan faith regeneration officer in Leicester.

He was telling me about the Discover Leicester Faiths bus tours run free as part of the Leicester Expo 04 festival.

About 50 people, including clergy and city officials as well as families, joined the first bus tour on the Thursday before the Bank Holiday weekend, and they were taken past the places of worship of the eight major faiths in Leicester: Christianity, Hindu, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Sikhism, Jain, and Baha’i.

As they paused at each, the passengers were given a brief history of the faith and of the building, and the main stop, on that occasion, was the Hindu temple of Shree Sanatan Mandir, where they were shown round by the Hindu priest, and given the opportunity to ask questions.

On the Monday, the stopping place was the mosque of Masjid Ul Imam Il Bukhari, where, again, the passengers were shown round (having removed their shoes), heard a short talk about the Muslim faith, and were able to ask questions.