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Ah!! Monsoon Season
By Mayank Jhanji, Fri Dec 9th

As dark gray clouds gather in the sky, it reminds me of eternalgifts that our Mother Nature has presented to us.

Truly, nature has her own subtle way of expressing love andaffection to us. During monsoon season, when tiny rain dropletsfall to the ground, the sky gives an impression of an estrangedmother who is shedding tears in joy on meeting her belovedchildren. Though, it seems like a philosophical illusion, yetportrays the kindness that nature has showered on us by creatingmonsoon season to enjoy.

If someone denies its desire to get wet in the rain, probably heor she is lying. A little kid in us who is lost in ages ofmaturity suddenly pops out when it sees tiny droplets falling onto the earth. The temptation to get wet and enjoy the raindropsfalling on our body is irresistible.

In metros and cities, we can see the joy of monsoon on everyonefaces. Kids dancing on streets, elders enjoying rain in thebalcony of their house and women preparing hot pakoras andcoffee for everyone in the family are hallmark of first monsoonrain. And what else the romantic lovers want better than therainy season to spend some intimate moments with each other. Wecan see them sharing a common umbrella on a local bus stand orgoing for a long drive to invoke those romantic moments thatwere kept in backseat thanks to scotching summer heat. In itsown elusive way, it somehow justifies the renowned MasterCardadvertisement that says There are some things that money cantbuy, for everything else use MasterCard. Truly, these momentsof happiness and sense of togetherness are priceless and cannotbe bought, rather felt and loved. Ah!! Monsoon Season.

In rural areas where agriculture is the primary source ofincome, the season of rains bears a special significance. Facesof hope gazing at sky towards smallest of cloud spread, anxiouslook of farmers at their fields on which their future dependsand community prayers in villages for timely rains are traits ofanxiety that people in rural areas show just before the monsoonseason.

In some manner, this ambience is explained rhythmically in asong from Aamir Khans internationally acclaimed movie Lagaanthat goes like Kaale Megha Kaale Megha, Paani to Barsaao. Andwhy not so when two-third of our population is directly orindirectly related to agriculture for its livelihood and nearlya quarter of countrys economy is dependent upon agriculture.For them, good monsoon not only brings the bumper harvest butconsequently also improved standards of living.

Indian Culture has a long tradition of using festivals as mediumto mark the beginning and conclusion of any season.Consequently, there are many festivals associated with the onsetof monsoon too. In Rajasthan, Teej festival is held every yearin July and August months to mark the advent of monsoon. Duringthis festival, women pray to almighty for good production andbuy new clothes and jewellery in anticipation of good monsoonthis year. People in Meghalaya also organize a festival calledBehdienkhlam to invoke the blessings of god for bumperharvest. This festival features religious ceremonies and dancingaround a water pool called eit nar.

One of the prominent Hindu festivals that mark the beginning ofrainy season is Naga Panchami. This popular Hindu festival isdedicated to Ananta, the serpent upon whose coils Vishnu (TheRain God) rested between universes. People offer milk andworship snake images in temples on this day to protect them fromsnakebites that are common in areas near to the riverbed.

But, the biggest of all festivals is Sri Jagannath Yatra thatis celebrated all over the country with much delight. Duringthis festival, the chariot processions of Sri Jagannath aretaken throughout the main streets. The biggest of theprocessions is held in Puri, Orissa where people from all overthe world come to this small city to participate in the megaevent.

The significance of Monsoon season is much more than giving usenjoyment. In India, rivers are the major life lines on whichthe countrys population is heavily dependent The rainfalloccurs during the Monsoon season fill these rivers and itstributaries with enough water to feed people all through theyear. This rainwater is used primarily for drinking and otheressential purposes and any shortage of it can create severeproblems like drought for us.

Also, good monsoons are a big necessity in our country wherefarmers rely more on divine help rather than governmentauthorities to bring water to their fields. Timely rains notonly solve their water woes but also help them raising a goodfood production that is so essential to feed such a hugepopulation like of us. With good monsoons, the level ofgroundwater also increases in urban areas and consequentlysolving water problems that occur during summer season. Thoughwe are still very much ignorant about water managementtechniques. With strategic planning like proper canalization,creation of man made reservoirs and water management techniques,we can utilize the natural rainwater in much more efficientmanner to boost our agricultural growth as well as solving urbanwater problems.

The romance of the Indian monsoon, with its abundant rains andlush green landscape that has been rhapsodized down the ages inverse and song, can be promoted as a "unique" touristattraction. Monsoon in India are exquisite and to fillip thetourist activities during monsoon season, the Confederation ofIndian Industries (CII) has mooted the idea of providingtourists a unique experience in the form of Special TourismPackages. A CII study paper has recommended states like Kerela,Jammu and Kashmir, Uttranchal, Sikkim, and Himachal Pradesh topromote themselves as Monsoon tourism destinations byintroducing special schemes to attract tourists within thecountry and all over the world. These schemes will generate newemployment avenues and also help government earn preciousforeign exchange that International tourists will spend duringtheir stay in India

Monsoons in Kerala are the most enchanting in India. With greenpastures at its best, it is the most sought after destinationduring rainy season. The state is promoting itself extensivelyin the field of health tourism especially Ayurveda. The equableclimate during Monsoon and natural abundance of herbs andmedicinal plants in its flora, Kerala is fast capturing theattention of International tourists as a prime destination tovisit during the Monsoon Season. With its abundant waterreservoir of waterfalls and natural lakes, Northeastern regionis also fast emerging as a hot monsoon destination among localas well as International tourists.

The phrase Expressions of love and happiness cannot be taught.They come to you naturally, says it all. Every living entityshows its love for the rains in its own magical way.Immediately, after the rain plants seem to be thrilled and growmuch faster and greener with new branches shot up. We can alsosee peacock dancing in the rain or scurrying of partridge ongreen fields to show their happiness on arrival of monsoons. Intrue sense, rains symbolize the life itself. When dark cloudscover the sky and start showering raindrops on us, I heardeveryone around me saying Ah!! Its Monsoon Season.

About the author:I'm a technical writer working with a software firm. Writignarticles is my past time and somewhat a part of my professionalcareer.