When Sunita pulled up in a silver Toyota Innova, sirens blaring, the crowd went berserk, cheering, waving, edging closer en masse, trying to get her autograph or great shots of her on their cellular phones. Fifty-odd cameramen mobbed her.

Sunita, casually clad in a pink blouse and jeans, and wreathed in flowers and khadi garlands, was reverently seated on the dais, as a series of local leaders and dignitaries made speeches feting the Jhulasan ki beti (Sunita's dad hails from this village in Mehsana district, close to Ahmedabad) and reminding the audience that she was a child of India, and more important, a daughter of Gujarat.

Sunita looked a tad bemused by her elevation to pop idol status but made brave and sporting attempts go with the flow. Beaming, she waved every few minutes and nodded respectfully, accepting the flowery, over-the-top compliments showered at her in Gujarati.

Sunita addressing the crowd