It’s mid-June. I’m back home in Bangalore. I’m wishing I could transport myself to the Malabar Coast to see the onset of the monsoon. But I’m already late and all I can do is await the rains here, unhealthy while getting caught up with work.
Around mid-night the curtains along the window start lashing out. A cool wind begins to stream through the house. I turn the fan off for the first time...
In India as in many parts of South Asia, ed this is the time of the New Year. This is the time when the northward transition of the Sun from Dhanu rashi (Sagittarius) to Makara rashi (Capricorn) takes place. Known as Makara Sankranti – the harvest festival – it is a time that marks the ending of winter and the beginning of spring. A very auspicious time in the Hindu calendar as it is the beginning...