"Madam, Kalaghoda ke paas nahi jayenge" the kaali-peeli taxiwallah flatly refused my consistent pleas, adding that it was next to impossible to get anywhere close to the landmark, thanks to endless queues and inexplicably longer traffic jams made worse by the ongoing Metro work and the Esplanade Mansion barricade.

The taxiwallah was right. I made my way to catch a bit of the action on the penultimate day of the festival only to be appalled by what I saw as I negotiated my way on foot via the backlanes en route to the David Sassoon Library for a session. Crowds that extended into the gullies off MG Road were growing longer by the minute, and mind you, this was just to enter the main section that led into the stalls and installations. The sight was something I hadn't seen before at the festival.