Time for monsoon masti

INDIAN folklore is replete with images of the monsoon, the season of dancing peacocks and cooing papihas, occupies a lot of significance in Indian folklore. A number of fairs and festivals mark the coming of the rains, be it the Teej festival of the North, the Ambubasi mela of Assam or the revelry down South. Nature too is at its verdant best as the dust and grime of the scorching summer gets washed away with the showers. Earlier, from the tourism point of view, after reaching a peak in summer, the rains marked the start of the off-season. The monsoon was traditionally thought of as a damp squib that led to a sharp drop in hotel occupancy after the packed-to-capacity summer rush in hill stations and elsewhere. Not any longer.

Kerala and Goa, among other places on the west coast, have traditionally been monsoon destinations but other states have been slow in marketing themselves as such. Kerala beckons tourists with its special packages like ‘herbal rain holidays’ while Goa’s lush beaches are a big draw during the rains. Now, in a bid to cash in on the lure of the season, other states too are projecting themselves actively under the tourism industry’s ‘milking the monsoon’ concept. For instance, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have come up with a number of packages aimed at promoting sites along the Western Ghats that experience the monsoon in all its splendour. Heritage sites in Madhya Pradesh and even sanctuaries like Jim Corbett Park in Uttar Pradesh too are gaining popularity as monsoon destinations.

From the travellers’ point of view, this is a good season to avail of bargains that would be unthinkable during the peak season. Room tariffs are reduced, tour operators offer heavy discounts plus complimentary meals. It is time to trail the monsoon as it advances northwards, having hit Kerala ahead of schedule this year. Here are two stories for the season, one that takes you southwards as the rain clouds break over Goa and the other on a sojourn of the past.

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