Chang drums thump through the lanes in the weeks before Holi, and circles of men sing the old dhamal songs late into the night. The rest of the year the rituals are quieter, like evening prayers at the dargah of Qamruddin Shah, below a rocky hill.
Beyond the festival, the old town keeps Khetri Mahal, a palace of open arches built for the wind, and Mertani Baori, a stepwell cut deep into the ground. Moda Pahar draws people up for sunset over the lake. Summers are fierce and dry, the monsoon is short and winter nights turn cool. A Local Friend can lead you through a gate you would never have pushed open.
