They are loud; they are flashy; they are usually off-beat and out-of-tune: they are street bands. I love them for many reasons, but mostly for their contrast – the volume, the uniforms and the spectacle demand attention, but when you look closely, the musicians are just regular men, with holes and stains on their bright, sparkly overcoats and streaks of exhaustion in their eyes despite the loud noises coming from their instruments.

These musicians were part of a parade on Dussehra (October 22, 2015) that snaked it’s way around Lajpat Nagar.