India- where everything is sacred and nothing is sacred

My current trip to India has highlighted to me, starkly, the contrasts in India.
On the one hand, all animals are considered to be holy in the Hindu land. Even the mouse is sacred- it is the vehicle for the god Ganesh or Vinayaka. However, nothing is sacred anymore in the real India. There is no space that is not covered by a poster or a sign or a billboard- even the surface of animals is covered. People are using animals for livelihood in many ways, including offering elephant rides. I attended a talk today where the speaker highlighted the meager amount of land covered by forests in India. In the cities, one barely sees any greenery at all.
Indians go to temples, mosques and churches and pray a lot- but not much of it translates into everyday actions. Actions speak louder than prayers.