Party attire (pooram part 2)

From 1p until 5p there was nothing much to do but to sit in our plastic seats, drink boat loads of water and constantly alter our positions and our umbrellas in an attempt to stay out of the sun.
There were drum demonstrations back inside the gate but the line snaked forever and would have required standing out in the sun so we passed and kept our seats.
Just around 5:30p the umbrella competition, the highlight of the evening, commenced. The two biggest temples compete (although there is no declared winner). One temple's troupe of elephants comes through the south gate out on the street preceded by drummers, horn blowers and oil lamp bearers. The horns and drums provide rhythm (and lots of it) but certainly no melody. The elephants come through the gate single file and then line up 15 across, 3 riders on each elephant. One holds the umbrella, one holds the yak tail tassels and the last one holds the peacock fans. The last two guys stand up from time to time to execute some showy maneuvers with their tassels and fans. Always the same routine that they've been doing over and over and over all day long in the sun, wearing dhobis (long sarong skirts), and balancing by their toes on the bare backs of the elephants.
The first line of elephants slowly works its way down the street and the crowd pours in right behind them. Somehow the elephants manage to turn around in the crowded street (all 15 of them) and line up again facing the gate where their competitors emerge to form their line. And the duel begins.