The next morning, I found myself roused from my sleep by Sanjay's call, with work staring me in the face and no desire to get out of bed. It was, after all, a holiday, one that I intended to spend watching American sitcoms.
But that's no fun and quite close-minded. After all, I came here to see India, not to watch reruns of Seinfeld's season six.
After uneventful rickshaw and train rides from the suburbs, we reached Charni Road, in an old Maharastrian district. We rounded turns and walked past crumbling store facades, approaching the faint din of rhythmic music in the distance, which all the while grew steadily louder and louder.
Sanjay mentioned that, "This whole area was once only Maharashtrian, but now many Gujaratis and Marwaris have come here to set up businesses. The Maharashtrians have all moved to the suburbs, because rental prices are much cheaper there," he said. "But still, we gather here for festivals."
Image: At the heart of the festival, police officers keep watch
Also read: Inside Mumbai's best pandals
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