ASIF KHAN

For a period of approximately four weeks beginning around the end of January each year, the city of Aligarh situated in north India comes alive. It has been a permanent fixture on the social calendar for 135 years, drawing not just the locals, but neighbouring towns too. From a time when the city didn’t have as many commercial establishments or entertainment avenues, to today’s age of hyper-commercialisation, it has stayed strong in the face of challenges. It continues to be one of the most telling presentations of culture in small town India.