The word monsoon comes from the Arabic word “mausim,” which means “season. When we talk of monsoon, we usually think of heavy rains that pour down for weeks. The rainy season is part of a monsoon, but monsoon is much more than just rain for India and Indians.

“What the four seasons of the year mean to the European, the one season of the monsoon means to the Indian. It is preceded by desolation; it brings with it hopes of spring; it has the fullness of summer and the fulfilment of autumn all in one.”

“To know India and her peoples, one has to know the monsoon. one has to know the monsoon. It is not enough to read about it in books, or see it on the cinema screen, or hear someone talk about it. It has to be a personal experience because nothing short of living through it can fully convey all it means to a people for whom it is not only the source of life, but also their most exciting impact with nature.”

― Khushwant Singh, in I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale