Monsoon

The monsoon season here is winding down. The rains in Goa have been plentiful this year so everyone, from farmers to poets, has much to be thankful for.  In India, the monsoon is a major event that is greatly anticipated. It is the only time of year that significant precipitation falls in most of the continent. The whole economy of India is dependent on the monsoon in one way or another, for without water livelihoods and the quality of life suffer. Even though the rains often bring flooding and disruptions, Indians welcome the monsoon and celebrate its arrival.  When the rains start falling, monsoon parties follow. Monsoon casts its spell on all people, regardless of age, caste, creed, or social status. It brings relief from the scorching summer heat which lasts from March through May.

In India, Varuna is worshiped as the god who bestows the rains and regulates the seasons. He is the god of waters, clouds, oceans and rivers. In the Rigveda there are hymns dedicated to Varuna. If there is scarcity of rain, priests perform the "Varuna Japa" while standing in water. Indian music is also closely linked to the monsoon. Singing the 'Raag Malhar' is believed to coax the water from the clouds. Local folklore is chock full of stories and legends about the monsoon. When the cuckoos sing and the peacock dance, the arrival of the monsoon is believed to be immanent.  

The word “monsoon” is derived from the Arabic word mausim which means “a time” or “a season”. In India there is the southwest and the northeast monsoon, each delivered by different patterns of trade winds that modern meteorological science now knows are affected by global weather patterns, such as ice in the Arctic and the El Nino in the Pacific. The southwest monsoon usually “bursts” onto the state of Kerala from the sea, near the city of Thiruvananthapuram, during the first week of June. Goa starts to receive the rains shortly after that. The monsoon then moves up the western coast to Maharashtra (Mumbai) and Gujarat.

Monsoon is considered to be the time when creativity flourishes, possibly because people are spending more time indoors in a reflective or inward frame of mind. In Kerala and Goa in particular, the start of the monsoon season is also a time for deep healing.  Kerela is renowed for its Ayurvedic treatments known as Panchakarma therapies. Panchakarma is the systemic cleansing of the body using five types of therapeutic measures such as oils, massage, herbs, steam, diet and other purgative therapies over a period 10-14 days. It takes advantage of the climate that fires up the body’s ability to release its imperfections-- the moist, dust-free air means that the body’s pores are open and receptive. Panchakarma seeks to restore the vital strength of the body by eliminating accumulated toxins.