By Azera Rahman, IANS
New Delhi : The slight chill in the mornings and nights may not officially spell winter yet, but, for residents in the capital, it has brought in its wake the festive season complete with good food and attire as well as merriment.
Eid-ul-Fitr, which was celebrated Oct 14, set the ball rolling. And now the five-day Durga Puja festival too has started.
“It’s very ‘Durga Puja’ weather,” said Sanchari Das, who works with an NGO in Delhi. “The chill in the air as well as an overall pleasant weather is typical during the festival.
“In this weather you can dress up in all your finery – you won’t feel uncomfortable because of the heat, neither is the cold so severe that you have to cover yourself up completely. It’s perfect!”
With Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali and, at the far end, Christmas, on the festival radar, the weather perfectly complements the mood of the people.
“In India we have longer summers than winters. Those muggy days, when you keep perspiring and feeling dehydrated all the time, are something we never get used to,” said Sulakshana Sharma, a professor at Delhi University.
“But come October and the weather starts mellowing. With the dip in the temperatures, the mood lifts up. It also ushers in all the major festivals and is the time for merriment. That’s why the sudden nip in the air boosts the spirits of people.”
Wasim Khan, a student who celebrated Eid with great gusto with his friends, said the cool weather, besides being a blessing for all those who want to dress up in the festive season, also allows one to gorge on food without feeling sick.
“Can you imagine enjoying a steaming plate of biryani or gorging on kebabs which have been tossed on your plate right from the fire on a hot summer day?” he asked.
“All I can say is that this weather helps you enjoy the festivals by not hindering you from tasting a variety of fare prepared on special occasions!” he said.
And Das couldn’t agree more with him.
“I have bought several saris to wear on different days of Durga Puja, as I go pandal-hopping with my friends every night during the festival.
“I can’t imagine wearing all my accessories, feasting on kobi raji cutlet, meat rolls and fish fries, for instance, on a hot day,” she said.
After Dussehra, which will be celebrated on the 10th day of Durga Puja, Oct 21, the festival of lights, Diwali, will come calling in the second week of November.
For many like Deepika Verma, who works in an advertising firm, the first image of Diwali that comes to her mind is that of a row of tiny, burning lamps piercing the evening darkness.
“In Diwali, the beauty of the tiny diyas (earthen lamps) throwing their light through the mist is beautiful,” Verma said.
“At that time the weather is chilly and the fog seems to engulf everything in its white blanket, but the outlines of houses stand out thanks to the lamps lining the balconies and porches,” Verma said.
And no sooner will Diwali go than the merriment of Christmas begins. By that time, the chill will mature into a freezing winter and it will be the season of endless wine, plum cakes and colourful woollies so typical of the season.
Although many would like to believe that winter has already come knocking on their doors, officials of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) say the dipping temperatures are very normal for this season and it’s not winter as yet.
“The minimum temperatures have been hovering around 18 degrees Celsius while the maximum has been around 33 degrees, and both are quite normal. The sudden chill is typical of the transition period in the weather,” an official of IMD told IANS.
“Winter, however, is still quite distant…not until November,” he added.
But as Richa Misra, a student, said: “Winter or no winter, we love the weather. And with the number of festivals lining up, we couldn’t ask for more!”