MONSOON MESMERISMS
“A lifetime of showers moistens the soul”

SURGE – The Arrival

Messengers of rain gods crowd over in gray coats, thundering and swaying with the southwestern winds, as though awaiting every pore of life on the shores of the Arabian Sea to evoke the soulful raga of Amruthavarshini – a fitting reward for the travails they go through, the reversals they face on their windy chariots, to bring fresh life to sun-parched fields and the hearts sowed therein. Come June and the call of cuckoos, the rustle of palm leaves, the chirp of crickets, the cry of a mother, and even the honk of a bus all seem to coalesce into the notes of this propitiatory raga; to a thundering applause he – Mr. Monsoon, dressed in gray overalls and a white cap, with lightning for whiskers – begins his three month Earthly sojourn. His first stop – Kerala.

FLOW – The Stay

Mr. Monsoon brings with him nature’s bounties. He moves northward along the coast, unveiling a carpet of green, even as the rivers swell up with gratitude and follow his path, guided by the winds. Sometimes gentle, sometimes harsh on freshly bathed soil and the green canopy dripping with dew, Mr. Monsoon however, is quite the friend of Ms. Sun. We even have a saying for it: “Kurukkanum Kozhikkum Kalyanam” (when the Fox marries the Hen!), when it rains through the sun. That indeed is the specialty of Monsoons in Kerala. Even as the nature rebounds and breaks into joyous celebrations, Mr. Monsoon is quite the unobtrusive visitor and only enchants us throughout his stay.

Follow Mr. Monsoon’s itinerary here.

EBB – The Retreat

Having aided his hosts in the run up to an abundant harvest, by August, Mr. Monsoon plans a gradual retreat. Allowing his playful friend Ms. Sun to take up more space in the gray-blue sky, he partakes in the harvest festival, Onam, satiates his gastronomic desires with a power-packed sadya, and bids a tearful, yet calm, goodbye.