New year, again

It begins in the morning, stacks of speakers being erected in main street as I sought out a second breakfast of banana and kitchori.
The first breakfast, at the guesthouse, was two milk coffees ans an omelette, my inner economist working out that at cafe prices this means that my real rate for my room is 5 rupees a night. The room 165, the breakfast 160. Then the realisation the the 12.5 pence a night shack in Gokarna has been undertaken, that it's 4.5 pence a night here and that's crazy. 
As for the city it just feels wonderful, utterly chaotic and full of ragged alleys where havelis in various stages of disrepair and renovation stop you in your tracks, reminding and forcing you to look up and take a breath. And rarely foresighted enough to carry a ball of string the morning wandered lost through the old town, pausing for many a chat and thinking that I've been lucky in landing here.
Back on main street after a detour for noori there are more speakers, being soundchecked at full volume with extra bass, flanking the street, not even thought possible to hear. 
Come back at four I'm told, 20000 people will be here, it's new year, big parade. Maybe too crazy though.
And at five it kicked off, somebody found an overdrive button for the speakers, internal organs were rearranged, the parade began, was soon interrupted by a desire to go upstream, find a narrower place and get the camera out. 
There I was beckoned by Powan, a policeman, with a look of are you mad as surge upon surge of floats and vehicles passed by with explanation. They come in from the surrounding villages, it get a bit crazy he says with a shrug as other police armed with rifles and other weaponry pass. Another shrug and a smile. Maybe main street is better. A shake if the head. Another shrug followed by a wide smile. 
The Rajasthani's are an amiable people he tells me at some point. It's the perfect statement, sums up my feelings about the place in a way that I never could. 
Hours later the parade ends and I return to main street and find that two banks of speakers are now playing some really nice trancy dub. 
Lunghi dance, lunghi dance being a part of the trips mantra what choice was there but to join in, a welcome guest within the crowd until the police came and the amp was shut down. 
Crazy and wonderful, two more nights added and feeling comfortable in this place.