Roadside stand selling tassels for trucks. The typical Indian truck driver will spend ten months a year on the road. Separated from family for months on end and driving as much as eighteen hours a day, he will live in the narrow quarters that diametrically stretch from the backrest of his seat to the protruding steering wheel. Drivers embellish their vehicles as a rite of passage and, perhaps, an act of rebellion. The truck’s transformed, kaleidoscopic exterior, canvassed in motifs and memorabilia, sharply contrasts the grey and dusty roads it is bound to travel. ndented metal panels that confine the truck’s cargo are coated in multicoloured paints. Each boxed panel is given a border and centre colour resembling badges or photo frames. Artisans then fill each frame with landscape art, arabesque patterns and unique icons that span patriotic, religious and cultural symbols. The truck’s front facade is often densely covered with textured accessories. Tassels, bundled together or strung from side to side, hang off rearview mirror handles. The metal grill is adorned with sequined fabrics and marigold garlands. Their painted slogans are among the most memorable sights on Indian roads, ‘GOODS CARRIER’, ‘ALL INDIA PERMIT’, ‘HORN OK PLEASE’.