The promise of rainbows

There’s something comforting about the annual onslaught that the monsoon brings to our subcontinent.

Much like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and its now signature stadium trumpet horn, the sound of the first big monsoon rains brings with it much joy and relief — from the heat — and also a sense of impending doom — thinking of the traffic jams and humongous puddles. Trees turn green, the air no longer feels humid and muggy, and there seems to be a rainbow behind every other cloud.

This year has been especially warm; a firm reminder that global warming is a reality, as much as we’d love to ignore it in our happy corner of the earth. Farmers across the country have watched parched soil crack as urban commuters wiped sweaty brows when they jostled against each other on the bus to work. Cricket grounds and lawns have gone unwatered and the heat seemed almost relentless this summer. The odd shower can be a much-needed respite, but nothing beats the cool monsoon winds — the puddles notwithstanding.

The wait is over

From its impact on our electricity to the economy (think agricultural produce and markets), the rains mean so much to our lives. They more than just bring down the temperature by a couple of degrees. Come May and we start looking out for the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecasts on when the monsoons are due. Bets and discussions on the IMD’s accuracy make for the most entertaining arguments at parties, while every dark cloud in the horizon seems like a herald for the rains.

Seasonal winds, ocean and atmospheric temperatures, ceteris paribus, there’s something addictive about waiting for the monsoons. Nearly three decades after Alexander Frater went ‘chasing’ the rains as they came crashing down on Thiruvananthapuram (then Trivandrum) shores through Goa all the way up to Cherrapunji, not much seems to have changed.

There’s not a Keralite on the planet who won’t know when the monsoons are going to set in or remember to carry an umbrella when he leaves the house. We still depend on the rain for our equity markets and elections; happy farmers lead to happy politicians.
 
A uniting force in every community, the monsoons are now so much a part of who we are. There’s nothing you can do to avoid the monsoon madness when it does begin. Pictures of children jumping headlong into lakes as the first drops fall cover the front pages of every daily and staying home with a book and hot chocolate (or coffee, if you so please) seems like the most natural thing to do.

However, as with the rest of nature, there’s nothing predictable about the rains. Seasonal winds or not, 69 years since independence and India’s main water supply remains subject to nature’s idiosyncrasy. A little bit of extra rain and the city’s roads get clogged, as much with traffic as with water.

Tempers run short as everybody rushes around in an attempt to avoid the rain, forgetting umbrellas in malls and arriving at destinations half drenched. A good monsoon is the ideal dream, where low pressure doesn’t build up and the rains don’t lose strength as they travel across the subcontinent. When rivers don’t overflow and lands don’t slide, when drains don’t get clogged and cars don’t stall.

Making it better

While infrastructure could fail on the odd day, as it invariably does, there are always enough people who get things back in working condition soon enough. And if things do get terrible, we can be rest assured that our diehard Indian social spirit will never let us down — there’s always a neighbour whose doors will open or a Samaritan on the road who will help push your vehicle over to the side.

Way back in 45 AD, Greek traveller Hippalus figured out how to use the monsoon winds to traders’ advantage. Strong monsoon winds aided the course of vessels travelling to India’s western coast that used the rainy season to collect spices.

Tea and spices ultimately went around the world from India but traders did spend some time wondering what it was that they could bring to the subcontinent instead of sailing empty vessels here. Along came a man named John Walker, a teetotaler and grocer whose son apprenticed blending tea with a tea merchant in Scotland. Unstable markets and the need for a new business venture led to a well-known illustrator named Tom Browne’s logo of a man with knee breeches and a cane walking in a frock coat and hat. Old Highland Whiskey finally made its way across the world to our shores, and Johnnie hasn’t stopped walking since.

Inspiring poets and artists through the centuries, monsoons have a lot to offer. Often considered an auspicious season — never mind that the roads are less travelled and flights invariably delayed — slushy roads and overflowing streams do actually make for the most adventurous of holidays. More than anything, superb discounts make travelling so much easier on the wallet. Besides, a good rain needn’t dampen holiday happiness in any way, you know!

Of course, the best thing to do this season would be, as Alexander Frater thought he could, to bottle some of that wonderful smell of wet earth — “Monsoon! The aroma India adores! Give it to your loved ones this Christmas!”

When it rains…

Head out for one of those spectacular picnics out of town. Aamir Khan perhaps had no clue what he started with aati kya Khandala!

How about an Ayurveda session in Kerala with a good dose of yoga and meditation thrown in? Because there’s nothing better to rejuvenate your mind and senses this season.

In case travel isn’t a feasible option, fret not. Stay home for a day; don’t head out anywhere. Just enjoy the warmth of your home on a rainy day.

 Monsoon mania is at its liveliest best on India’s beaches. Take time off to enjoy the rains in Goa or Gokarna — which, contrary to popular belief, is one of the best seasons to visit these tourist hotspots.