The first rain on parched earth is a national celebration. It brings with it a specific, addictive smell— petrichor —a mix of baked clay, wet neem leaves, and ozone. In June, hope is a liquid thing. Farmers in Maharashtra watch the sky with gritted teeth; stock markets in Mumbai hold their breath; children in Delhi abandon their textbooks to stand under open drains, arms spread wide.
In a land of extremes, the monsoon is the great equalizer. For four months, from June to September, rich and poor alike get wet, eat the same fried snacks, and look up at the same grey sky with a smile.
But this is also the month of , when ten days of chanting and drumming culminate in the immersion of idols into the swollen sea. The rain during this time is considered a blessing from the departing god.
Drainage Lancashire