Autumn season in India is synonymous with “Hemant Ritu.” The presence of Autumn season in India remains for almost two months- September and October. It is a period of transition from rainy season to the winter.
In this season hot and humid weather of rainy season starts disappearing (Retreat of Monsoon), temperature slides down, and trees and forests change their look in a way – special to this part of world.
It is greatly exhilarating to write about the Autumn season in India and how it descended around me this year – in my garden, in the countryside and in my heart.
Those First, Night Blooming Jasmine Flowers of Autumn.
Cleanliness has its own aura.
Just a few days back in early September I had hired a labourer to clean my garden and give it a facelift. The garden had turned shabby due to haphazard growth of weeds and opportunist shrubs during the last spell of rains.
This monsoon we had a deficit rainfall but still there was no deficit of unwanted growths in our garden. It took whole of the day to make it clean but still pruning of rose shrubs remained incomplete. This I will have to do myself in the coming weekend.
Anyway the garden is now clean and weedless. Next morning I couldn’t resist to have a walk inside it to enjoy its trimmed look and charm, to feel the earth, air and the freshness of this micro ecological unit!
The weed free garden looked so inviting from a distance. I had just only opened the small gate of its fence to enter it, that I spotted new guests in the garden. My goodness! White tiny beautiful Harsingar flowers(Night Blooming Jasmines)!
Then suddenly my eyes caught view of morning sun beam piercing through the foliage above and kissing the garden bed at slant angles.
All climatological indicators were echoing, ” Here comes the Autumn….Here comes the Autumn.” I welcomed these flowers and the new season by taking their pictures in my mobile phone camera and with an heart that was brimming with joy and excitement.
I came running inside my house to announce it to the family members that first Harsingar flowers (Night Blooming Jasmines) have blossomed in our garden!
Everyone was in the awe of noticing the season’s first arrival of these cute white Jasmines which looked so beautiful with their orange hued stalk. The sweet fragrance of these nascent flowers was diffusing into the characteristic morning chill of the Autumn.
Autumn has elements of all Seasons.
A famous Japanese proverb says, “A woman’s feelings and the autumn weather are as fickle as each other.”
Yes, to some extent I also feel likewise about autumn the way it expresses itself in my vicinity or, in my geographical region. Sometimes it is really hot during parts of the day, but mornings and nights have a kind of chill which gives wintry feel and thrill.
This is the season when retreat of monsoon is underway. Scattered big white clouds against deep blue sky, look as if giant sized white ships were navigating a deep blue ocean.
And when the sun rays get trapped in these clouds, they cast an aura of diffused light under which all the trees and greenery around us just look pristine and heavenly. The variation in shades of daylight is just amazing and can leave anyone spellbound.
Chill of mid-autumn is very instrumental in stimulating many biological functions in seeds, plants and trees. Continuously receding temperature and chill of the night, assign distinct smell and flavour to the fruits and vegetables.
When autumn advances further with time, petals of roses grow in size and thickness, and feel more velvety when you touch them.
A Morning of The Autumn In The Outskirts.
Our township is situated in the flood plains of river Kosi which emanates from near the Mount Everest in Himalayas.
One morning, in this autumn, we planned to have a trip to the outskirts, which we often do, to spend our time solitarily in the lap of nature. But our plan for this trip extended a bit further towards the river embankment of river Kosi.
Himalayan rivers, often during autumn return back to their original bed limits and vacate the flood plains to be reclaimed again by the farmers. Farmers have robust food crops and vegetables on them.
Swampy tracts of these regions are dotted with numerous shallow waterbodies in which flourishes the magnificent aquatic life.
The most prized thing here, in this autumn morning, was the spectacular view of colony of blooming Lotuses with their long stalks and beautiful petals. The pristine beauty of lotus instantly captivated me. Its aura of purity and grace was spreading all over.
For them(the Lotuses), this is the last blooming of the year. Because with the onset of winter, they will die, and their seeds will lie dormant in the mud below, to wake up again to life in the April, next year!
The famous Hindu festival Durga Puja takes place in autumn. Night Blooming Jasmines and Lotuses both are favourite and dear to the Goddess. Both these flowers are offered to Goddess Durga with great reverence. And both these flowers have special connection with Autumn – the eternal connection of arrival and of departure!… And also the connection with Goddess Durga!
Is there anything between the lines, for you there, reading this post ?
Autumn Season Signifies the Eternity of Transition!
I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Autumn season, which created in me a deeper sense to understand the beautiful emotions that a phase of transition (like Autumn) can create.
Transition of seasons, transition of daylight, transition of food, flavour and aroma, transition of dress and fashion, transition of colours, transition of age and understanding – all these makes a person thrilled about the next and forthcoming; and at the same time, makes him or her nostalgic about the previous and passing.
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