Mmmmm....Monsoons!
The freshness of Monsoon inspires joy, creativity
and optimism. This season does silliy things to us. Here is some Monsoon
trivia:
- The first monsoon came to India some 800 million
years ago when the Indian subcontinent collided with the Asian Plate to
give birth to the Himalayas.
- The monsoons have always been an asset to trade.
It is said, even legendary explorers like Sindbad and Vasco da Gama sailed
with the Monsoon winds behind them.
- Since the Vedic times Lord Indra has been worshipped
as the harbinger of rain. Legend has it that the demonVritra had wrecked
a terrible drought on the humans by imprisoning the cloud cattle. When
Indra heard their cries for salvation, he seized his father's thunderbolt
and after a long and arduous fight, finally defeated Vritra, whereupon
the cloud cattle were released and torrents of water flowed down to the
parched earth. It is believed that Indra repeats his act of heroism after
every summer.
- It is said that some raagas can move the rain
God enough to invoke showers. According to legend, Raag Malhar brought
rain and watered the parched crops.
- There exists a breed of rainmakers who can invoke
rain at will through mystic methods. Thomas Jacob of Kerala is one of the
best known. Some years ago he promised newsmen that he would bring rain
to drought stricken Trivandrum. And he did. There was such heavy rain that
power supply and traffic were dirupted. It took him 15 years to achieve
this skill.
- Bathing in the first rain of the season prevents
prickly heat.
- An Ittr(oil based perfume) is made out of the
scent of the earth after the very first shower and it is called Matti.
- The tarot card readers cannot give a correct
reading when there are clouds in the sky.
- In Bollywood films the symbolism of rain has
changed...Earlier rains were about missing someone you loved. Now it's
much more about giving into sexual passion. Either way, rain brings the
hero and heroine closer.
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