Shiva Festival

There was always something going on in our street. Whenever we heard a band we raced to the balcony to see the latest offering. Once again the bandsmen in white uniforms were marching or shambling up our street. With drums, bugles, tubas and cymbals they were in full discordant form, encouraged by their dark suited musical director waving his trumpet.

Statues of Shiva, bedecked with garlands, tinsel and bunting moved slowly behind in an open backed truck. The noisy generator towed behind provided power for the ten huge chandelier lights held aloft by uniformed bearers flanking the Shiva tableaux.

Dancing and cavorting adherents gambolled behind, watched patiently by two brightly painted elephants slowly lumbering along, bearing golden howdahs and parasols.

The next band wore red uniforms and were distracted by motorbikes trying to progress up the crowded street. They in turn were weaving to avoid kids rushing to catch sweets scattered from a large trailer also bearing an effigy of Lord Shiva, pulled by a tractor.

As twilight descended the lamp bearers came into their element. Gleaming shafts of light caught the excited expressions of adults and children alike, as small snacks were distributed from other canopied carts hauled by large white bullocks with long horns. The atmosphere was electric. Surging crowds pressed in on a phalanx of eight white camels draped in richly ornamented blankets with swinging tassels.

From a carriage drawn by four magnificent white horses more goodies were thrown to the swelling crowd.

The procession took hours to slowly parade past our balcony.  Bands stopped and went through their repertoire. Camels snorted, horses nodded their heads and elephants grabbed high leaves with their trunks.

To the music of many marching bands and the cheer and clapping of excited people dancers on slowly moving flat bed trucks performed traditional temple dances. Huge fantastic shadows were thrown onto the walls of adjacent buildings expanding the whole extravaganza from glittering street levels to the very tops of the surrounding buildings.  

As the last stragglers danced from the scene fireworks blossomed in the night sky in a glittering display of sparks and colours that mirrored the spectacular parade that had just reached the temple.