I captured this picture recently at a traffic signal, waiting for the lights to turn green.

This extra wide-angle picture captures the mood of the skies before the monsoon season kicks in as well as the change of season. The eagle in flight, rain-laden clouds and the hidden Sun all makes for the dramatic scene. For the uninitiated, Monsoon is a rainy season in the Indian subcontinent.

It also popped up a question in my mind!

While reading books and watching movies from the West, I always had the impression that rain is considered a big nuisance and irritant in some countries. This is true especially in the UK,  in stark contrast to the perception of rain and monsoon among people in the Indian subcontinent. And why is this so?

With the temperature soaring up to 40-47 C during summers, rain is a big savior bringing the temperature down. Indian agriculture depends largely on rains especially monsoon season despite all technological advancements. Therefore, rains are vital for survival, even now. In stark contrast, many countries in Europe receive rainfall in winters which certainly is an inconvenience. Monsoon season is celebrated quite like a festival in India.

I would like to quote here the great writer Khushwant Singh on the importance of monsoon and rainfall in India.

To know India and her peoples, one has to know the monsoon.  It is not enough to read about it in books, or see it on the cinema screen, or hear someone talk about it. It has to be a personal experience because nothing short of living through it can fully convey all it means to a people for whom it is not only the source of life but also their most exciting impact with nature.

from the book – I shall not hear the Nightingale

What do you think?

Posted for Friday Skywatch  and Weekly Photo Challenge Delta

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