In the UK it is generally thought rude to honk one’s car horn – it’s almost considered ‘road rage’. No such reservations here in India where honking is considered a normal part of driving. In fact it is actively encouraged. In the UK many lorries have stickers on the rear advising cyclists not to get caught in the drivers ‘blind spot’ or saying the vehicle is restricted to a certain speed. Here most lorries have a sticker saying ‘honk your horn’, not that anyone needs any encouragement!

It’s like an organised chaos with everyone driving in the most erratic way but somehow mostly managing to avoid hitting each other or anybody else. The honking is almost like a kind of automobile bird song, as if the vehicles were all talking to one another. It also has an almost contemporary symphonic rhythm to it – if Philip Glass or Steve Reich did honking, it might sound a bit like this.