Why rains in India make so much noise - Reason 3

Technically the rains in Mumbai are supposed to end soon after Ganpati leaves. But global warming is nothing short of a reality and climate is simply going haywire! So if winters in Mumbai can dip to 7 degrees it is no wonder that rains sometimes prolong way into October as well. But this was just about Mumbai. In Tamil Nadu, AP, and even West Bengal the rains are caused by the North Eastern winds. And so, they get rains from October till December. So the rains in India continue to make a lot of noise!!!

The third reason is Navratri and Dashera. Soon after Ganpati, comes Sharad Navratri. During this time, similar to Ganpati, people bring in idols of Goddess Shakti or Durga. They worship her for the nine days of Navratri and then take her also on Visarjan. Till a few years ago, the number of Sarvajanik Pandals for Durga Puja were few in Mumbai. But of late, even those have mushroomed to a great extent!


Durga Puja Pandal at Chembur, Mumbai. Pic Courtesy Ms Payal Dutta.. You rock babes..


Durga Puja is a huge festival for Bengalis. Even bigger than India's biggest festival Diwali. All Bengalis shop specifically for Pujo as they call it. During Ashtami and Navami, almost all Bengalis are out about the town, visting Pandals, socializing, dressed in their best, and thoroughly enjoying themselves! The traditional hooting, drums, Arti - all complete the varied aspects of the festival. Meeting, greeting, treating - the high point of this period is people coming together. This time in fact, the number of non Bengalis at Pandals was a lot more than the Bengalis!!

Another part of the story is the annual Gujju dating festival! No offence, but Dandiya and Garba places all over Mumbai are meeting places for all eligible guys and gals and quite a few alliances get fixed soon after Navratri! People buy tremendously ornate clothes - Kedia, Ghagra Choli, ornaments, the works. Special artists perform for these functions and there are competitions on who can dance the best, and prizes also include a trip to the US!!!! People from all over India come to participate at some key places, and the amount of preparationthat goes into these acts is humongous. And if you have Garba, Dandiya, and music - the concoction is enough to be Reason 3, Why Rains In India Make So Much Noise.........