13 November 2018. 3 PM. It is a beautiful afternoon with enough clouds to soften the sun. Delhi’s pollution doesn’t seem very harsh either. Walking towards the India Gate on Rajpath, you see a line of barricades, which is not usually there. Spread out on the left-hand side pavement are fans, kind of like the big hand-held fans from the medieval era swayed by two courtiers on either side of the king. On them is written “Phool Waalon Ki Sair 2018”, with two photos below: the first one, an image of the Hindu goddess Durga, next to a photograph of the Green Dome at Medina, which houses the grave of Prophet Mohammed.

Before you even turn to the front, you hear drums, along with the murmurings of the crowd. You turn, and there is a bright splash of yellow moving amidst the crowd. Drawing closer, you see a band of old men playing the drums in sync and dancing with dandiya, dressed in bright yellow.

You are not quite done appreciating this tableau when another sound elsewhere beckons. Follow the strains of shehnai and you reach another band up ahead! These men add another visual and auditory element with their red turbans, cream coloured sherwanis and shehnais. The music from these two bands comes together, even as another set of people picks up those fans mentioned above and themselves fan out in a semi-circular formation. Then the procession begins, with white-clad nagada drummers leading, followed by the drummers and dandiya players in yellow, then the shehnai players, and then finally the fan-bearers. The procession gradually moves around the India Gate, all the while stopping at intervals to play newer tunes and engage the crowd with different theatrics. There is an occasional shower of rose petals. Everything looks very colourful and visually appealing. This is proven by the curious onlookers who cannot help but be drawn to the festivities.

You are not quite done appreciating this tableau when another sound elsewhere beckons. Follow the strains of shehnai and you reach another band up ahead! These men add another visual and auditory element with their red turbans, cream coloured sherwanis and shehnais. The music from these two bands comes together, even as another set of people picks up those fans mentioned above and themselves fan out in a semi-circular formation. Then the procession begins, with white-clad nagada drummers leading, followed by the drummers and dandiya players in yellow, then the shehnai players, and then finally the fan-bearers. The procession gradually moves around the India Gate, all the while stopping at intervals to play newer tunes and engage the crowd with different theatrics. There is an occasional shower of rose petals. Everything looks very colourful and visually appealing. This is proven by the curious onlookers who cannot help but be drawn to the festivities.