“Aji jhoro jhoro mukhoro badalo dine

Jani ne, jani ne, kichute keno je aaj mon lage na”

Rabindranath Tagore

Monsoon was Tagore’s favourite season. However, many Bengalis hate monsoon. Potholes, muddy water, water-logged roads and water-borne diseases make the hell of common people, especially the daily commuters and those living from hand to mouth. Things are different in rural areas. These places don a new look in rainy season. Hence, those willing to enjoy the real feel of monsoon should visit Indian villages.

Tamoghna Purkayastha

Swarup Kumar Chakraborty

The charm of rainy season is not same in all places across the country. This uniqueness makes India so beautifully diverse. Kolkata, the City of Joy, gets a lively makeover during the rainy season and despite being much hated for its poor drainage system, looks breathtakingly beautiful after a few hours of heavy shower. Finally, summer is bidding adieu and now it is time to get drenched in the rain. Oh, the very thought gives me goosebumps!

“Asarashyo Pratham Dibase”

Great poet Kalidas started his Meghdutam (an acclaimed literary work) with this line. Monsoon in Bengal comprises two months – Ashar and Shrabon. Though these days, summer stays a little longer than it should have, the onset of ashar makes us hopeful that days are numbered for sweltering heat and our plight coming to an end. A patch of grey cloud at the far end of the sky gets me humming “Barsho re megha barso” while I’m having a lazy walk on my office terrace or enjoying the rustic charm in a far-away village of Bengal. 

Pratim Raj Ganguly

Soumyajit Dey

A gust of cool breeze trespassing through my car window blows my all stress after a work-loaded day. Suddenly I realize that the grey patch I saw just an hour ago has now snowballed into black, dense cloud hiding the setting sun under its heavy blanket. Sky-splitting lighting followed by loud sounds of thunder fills my heart with fear and fun. It starts drizzling. Driving on a Kolkata Street during shower has thrills one of a kind. After a few turns, I see the hawkers hurrying to wrap up things so that these don’t get wet in the rain.

Soon it starts raining. The windshield is busy wiping the screen. The rain-drenched city, with greens on its both sides, looks happy and healthy once again. I see a group of boys and grils splashing water at each other on their way back to home. Those happy faces brought by their carefree attitude! Nostalgia grips me; I feel like stopping my car, getting down and dancing in the first shower. The scenario is no different in villages where nature looks more vibrant and glamorous after a heavy shower.

Nilanjana Nandy

Soumyajit Dey

In Kolkata, the droplets of shower look mystic in street lights. I pull my car at a roadside, take an umbrella and get into a tin-roofed city stall. Nothing can beat the romance of sipping from a cup of bhad (made of mud) when it’s heavily pouring outside. I pity on them who is yet to know or misses the pleasant muddy feel of the first shower after a dry summer. In villages, you have a richer experience of rustic nature and plain adda with chai pe charcha.

A few young boys are playing football. It is hard to explain the fun of playing football in the shower. You get wet, slip on the muddy field when juggling ball or tackling an opponent player and discover yourself rolling on the mud with others. The joy is beyond words! The lighting streaks above the tall coconut tree look horrifying yet mesmerizing.

Soumyajit Paul

Sukalpa Sarkar

I get past Victoria Memorial. The iconic structure appears like a vignette beauty from a distance. Some rainy days, I drive to the Ganges to see the ripples all over the water body and a few steamers making their way to the jetties whereas a few lovebirds enjoy some cosy moments under the umbrellas at a far-away corner. Kolkata, my City of Love, looks naughty and nubile in monsoon. On weekend, I head towards a village where lots of greens welcome me with open arms. Some days it rains cats and dogs; I feast my eyes on nature's watershed panorama.

Kolkatans prefer sitting inside their rooms when it rains. They miss the beauty and fragrance of nature. With dirt and dust washed away in rain, it is pleasant to take a walk by the lake or the river. When in a village, I prefer bathing in the pond, fishing or enjoying its beauty during rain. I love watching nature unfolding itself like petals of blooms. With the vibrant palettes blossoming all over, the blue canopy overhead changing its colours from crimson red to black and an exciting cocktail of smells soothing my soul, I whisper a few words of gratitude to monsoon.

Pritam Sarkar

Pritam Sarkar

Thanks for your glory; Thanks for your grand visit!