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Ayuda puja occurs once a year. It is a blessing of vehicles and tools of all kinds. Here Myanna, who has been the Van Ingen chauffeur for over half a century, performs puja on one of the cars.

It involves decorating them with garlands of flowers and stalks of banana leaves. They are also daubed with white and red stripes. Limes and chile peppers are attached in places and puffed rice is strewn over the top and hood. Finally incense and flames are lit and Gods are invoked with a short recitation of prayers. In the end, sweet pastries, bananas, coconuts and puffed rice are offered to all human participants.

This ritual is performed, not just for cars, motorbikes and bicycles, but for every tool in the house - from tape measures to pickaxes. For the rest of the day almost every car, bus, truck and rickshaw we saw showed signs of puja, some were so festooned - it was a wonder the driver could see out!