The First Drop of Rain in the Heat Burnt City
It's been a long and uncomfortable summer in Kolkata and every year the temperature is getting higher by one or two degrees. With no sign of rain in the sky and certainly no hope for less degrees of temperature, it's been a crazy and intolerable summer this year. As we waited desperately for the rain to come, it showered and declared its arrival last Wednesday (15th June). The dry and heat burnt city witnessed its first seasonal rainfall, as it woke up to dark clouds covering the heat of the sun.
After a scorching sunny day or may be after some torturing hot days of summer when those first little drops from the heaven pours into your skin, it does makes you feel a little excited and thrilled all of a sudden. I don't know why but every year the first drop of rain after a long drought of summer makes me feel excited and evokes a mysterious happy feeling. When those little drops from heaven falls into the ground and evokes the sweet smell of the parched grass, and the wet ground, it fills our senses with an ethereal purity and pleasure. In Kolkata, the city of joy, the rainy season is always a welcome change from the hot humid summer.
So as I gazed towards the sky as the first few drops of rain came down, I saw the thick dark clouds covering up the bright omnipotent sun; I smelled the wet ground; I felt the cold wetness of the wind; A sense of joy and immense pleasure filled my heart. I saw people of every age enjoying and welcoming the rain with open heart. As I stood and watched their happy faces, I saw their eyes which were filled with excitement as they walked or ran through the first monsoon rain.
But if you think about it these rainy days are surely an inconvenience... the wet roads the water logged streets, the transportation delays and the list goes on. So why do we love these the monsoon? Why is it that we can't help but get excited at the sign of the first rain? I guess the answer to all these is the fact that rainy days make us nostalgic...days like this transports us to our childhood self and we feel like a child again. I remember my childhood days when I'd wake up to a gloomy day and would wish that it rains all day so that I could skip school and play with my friends. Also those endless requests to God to make it rain before school and the disappointment when the rain would just fizzle out to an annoying drizzle. Or worse that when it starts raining just as we reach school....waste of a perfect rainy day! Growing up I remember my college days when I would intentionally forget to take the umbrella so that I could share one with my girlfriend; I remember sitting in class, looking out of the windows and wondering when the rain would start so that we can hop into the muddy fields for an exciting game of football; I remember sitting in the college canteen, watching the rain, sipping a cup of tea and listening to the rainy day songs. And of course who could forget the telebhajas and chops, munching while adoring the rain outside. I believe everyone has some sort of memories attached with the rainy season and hence till today in spite of all the inconveniences we still adore the monsoon and all that it brings. Especially the monsoon snacks....My advice is when it's raining outside get a cup of hot tea and indulge yourself with mouth-watering treats like the delicious spicy pakoras, telebhajas, singaras with chatni or ketchup...and so on. You can also try your hands at some new recipes; maybe a twist on the traditional khichdi or beguni? And in case you don't want to cook order something from a restaurant near you. If you do not know the numbers of these restaurants search the internet. For Kolkata I like a website called www.urbanzing.com where I found almost all the restaurants of Kolkata, and the best thing about it is that you can see the menus of the restaurants. It'd be so easy to see the menu and order. Besides there are plenty of other similar sites like justdial, yellopages, burp and others that provide information on all restaurants around you.
But whatever you do, wherever you go and whatever you eat do not forget to enjoy the monsoon while you relive your childhood memories.
After a scorching sunny day or may be after some torturing hot days of summer when those first little drops from the heaven pours into your skin, it does makes you feel a little excited and thrilled all of a sudden. I don't know why but every year the first drop of rain after a long drought of summer makes me feel excited and evokes a mysterious happy feeling. When those little drops from heaven falls into the ground and evokes the sweet smell of the parched grass, and the wet ground, it fills our senses with an ethereal purity and pleasure. In Kolkata, the city of joy, the rainy season is always a welcome change from the hot humid summer.
So as I gazed towards the sky as the first few drops of rain came down, I saw the thick dark clouds covering up the bright omnipotent sun; I smelled the wet ground; I felt the cold wetness of the wind; A sense of joy and immense pleasure filled my heart. I saw people of every age enjoying and welcoming the rain with open heart. As I stood and watched their happy faces, I saw their eyes which were filled with excitement as they walked or ran through the first monsoon rain.
But if you think about it these rainy days are surely an inconvenience... the wet roads the water logged streets, the transportation delays and the list goes on. So why do we love these the monsoon? Why is it that we can't help but get excited at the sign of the first rain? I guess the answer to all these is the fact that rainy days make us nostalgic...days like this transports us to our childhood self and we feel like a child again. I remember my childhood days when I'd wake up to a gloomy day and would wish that it rains all day so that I could skip school and play with my friends. Also those endless requests to God to make it rain before school and the disappointment when the rain would just fizzle out to an annoying drizzle. Or worse that when it starts raining just as we reach school....waste of a perfect rainy day! Growing up I remember my college days when I would intentionally forget to take the umbrella so that I could share one with my girlfriend; I remember sitting in class, looking out of the windows and wondering when the rain would start so that we can hop into the muddy fields for an exciting game of football; I remember sitting in the college canteen, watching the rain, sipping a cup of tea and listening to the rainy day songs. And of course who could forget the telebhajas and chops, munching while adoring the rain outside. I believe everyone has some sort of memories attached with the rainy season and hence till today in spite of all the inconveniences we still adore the monsoon and all that it brings. Especially the monsoon snacks....My advice is when it's raining outside get a cup of hot tea and indulge yourself with mouth-watering treats like the delicious spicy pakoras, telebhajas, singaras with chatni or ketchup...and so on. You can also try your hands at some new recipes; maybe a twist on the traditional khichdi or beguni? And in case you don't want to cook order something from a restaurant near you. If you do not know the numbers of these restaurants search the internet. For Kolkata I like a website called www.urbanzing.com where I found almost all the restaurants of Kolkata, and the best thing about it is that you can see the menus of the restaurants. It'd be so easy to see the menu and order. Besides there are plenty of other similar sites like justdial, yellopages, burp and others that provide information on all restaurants around you.
But whatever you do, wherever you go and whatever you eat do not forget to enjoy the monsoon while you relive your childhood memories.