Up front by the band, with the crowd around you and the circle clapping behind.
The place
A society's garba in the lane between the houses. House fronts with windows glowing through coloured curtains, carved doors standing open under torans with શુભ and લાભ either side, a parked van, a haveli at the end of the lane with jharokhas and the society's projector screen, and a canopy of bulb strings over the mandap with star kandils down the lane. The band plays on a takht.
- The sound
- Bright flutter off the walls, a short tail.
- The floor
- Dark street stone in Kadappa-style slabs, with a powder rangoli.
- Watching from far off
- You sit on a bench brought out onto the lane, neighbours on plastic chairs beside you and children on the ground in front.
- Arriving
- The view drops in between the rooftops.
- From the air
- The view swings to and fro along the lane.