Jamun, and Mango, summer delights. Mangoes come in infinite varieties and sizes.
Ice apple, called Tadgola - a palm fruit, in the summer.
Corn, fresh, in the monsoon? Remember eating roasted bhutta on the way to Mandu on the roadside.
Strawberries are also seasonal, probably during the rainy season or winter.
Guavas are also seasonal, in July August.
Hurda, the raw grain (usually jowar), roasted, is available in winter months. Eaten with jaggery and spice, it's delicious.
Some pics of recent rains.
Is it the monsoon? Too soon to tell. It's still the last week of May. But since hot weather began in mid-February, it's likely the rains will also come earlier than usual. It rained today, quite a lot, and the clouds seem set for a longer stay.
It's already rained heavily in Bangalore, Delhi and Pune (last 3 days). And Goa. Monsoon is officially in Kerala too, as per Met dept.
So, chances are that we are into an early monsoon. That may be good news for the rain-parched areas, if the rains get there.
This is one of the best seasons in Indore, and much of India. The greenest, certainly. Some pics that
prove a point.
Near Indore, this viewing spot is quite a sight during the season-monsoon. Great views of the surrounding valley and lakes. You can feast on bhutta (corn), bhajiya, and so on while enjoying the atmosphere.
One of the most anticipated events in India is the onset of the monsoon rains from the South-west. This usually happens around June 1st in Kerala, and over the next two to three weeks, spreads across the country. This year, there has been a delay, though there were unseasonal rains in April and May at many places including here at Indore, in central India.
Housing about a sixth of the world's population, we need to grow a lot of food. And the crops are diverse, including the major grains we consume. Though irrigation has improved, the rain influences the output significantly. Therefore, the importance of rains during this season, which support the major growing season.
Also, a relief from the hot summer! What fun it is to smell the earth in the first few showers! And for kids, to play in the pools that form everywhere naturally, or make paper boats and float them in the water. Wo kagaz ki kashti, wo baarish ka pani, as Jagjit Singh once sang.. a reminder of our own childhood, for many of us.
In a day, I mean. That's Bangalore for you.
Most of the last six months, it's been raining here, mostly in the evenings, but occasionally in the day. Also, overcast for many days in a row, even though the Southwest monsoon went away long ago. There has been a series of storms that battered Chennai and had after-effects or side-effects here.
Strange weather pattern this year, with lots of rain. The constant road-digging (building?) is not helping much, but then, that's been the lot of the Bangalorean for years.
So, all is well.
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