An Indian Temple Festival

A huge crowd thronged the temple premises Its vicinity, already bursting with color And bustling with people in hundreds streaming in The young and the old clad in festal attire With fire in their hearts and festive sheen in their eyes Not driven by piety, but mostly to enjoy the fanfare Festoons decorated the trees that lined the compound Colorful lamps were blinking everywhere Sacred bells kept chiming intermittent At the auspicious hour, as devotional songs rent the air The chief deity was brought out of the shrine And was placed on the caparisoned elephant Accompanied by pulsating percussion ensemble The devotees cheered witnessing the majestic entourage Within them the fervid spring of joy swelled Colorful umbrellas were being unfurled Drawing synchronized patterns in the air Under the glare and noise, the heat and sweat Amid the tumultuous beat of trumpets And the rhythmic sounding of cymbals The crowd swayed in psychedelic lassitude An army of hawkers had already set up shops Each made it a time to earn some bucks Selling knickknacks and goodies to tempt children From ice creams to popcorn and colorful balloons Children ran around licking cotton candies Some enjoyed blowing up soap bubbles And iridescent orbs landing softly on their hair and dress With dusk fall, the ceremonious fire work began The crowd stood aghast at the pyrotechnic display Scintillating colors and confetti of sparks painted the sky Shooting spears rose high and fluorescent rainbow colors Came dancing down while fire wheels swiveled on the ground Deadening roar of crackers and thunderous blast of balls Tore the sky announcing the sleepy world; ‘It was once again festival time for the people to rejoice! '