Surat in Gujjuland
Surat in Gujjuland The dawn was quiet, the sun slowly rose in the hazy sky. With nothing to do so early in the morning, I picked up my crochet work to enjoy some moments of peace before Mani woke up. But that was not to be. Soon, the silence was broken by loud playing of Babuji zara dheere chalo, Jawan jaan-e-man, Nachch Punjaban etc., accompanied by drum beats. I ignored it for about half an hour before I got up to see what the ruckus was about. Down in the swimming pool were a few upright human torsos, mostly with bellies tending to pot, the arms of some moving with the rhythm and of most, out of it. Slowly I adjusted my eyes to the sun rays and saw two figures on the floor in front of the pool, demonstrating some kind of energetic dancercise. I was impressed, wondering at the healthy intentions and determination of the group. This continued for more than an hour - them exercising in the water and I sitting on my bed, continuously mumbling about their commitment. W...