The Summer Season || Grishma Ritu || Indian Seasons

THE SUMMER SEASON

Summer is the predominant season in India – Which months are the summer season ? a dreaded season Midday is unbearable-earth presents a sorry look – Morning and evening-fear of sun-stroke-school hour changes-blessings of the season- conclusion)

India is a tropical country. So summer is predominantly felt in India. India is situated in between 6° to 37 latitude towards the north of the Equator. So it lies close to the Equator. The Tropic Capricorn intersects India approximately at its middle at 23 latitude. For this peculiar geographical feature India receives straight rays from the sun for most part of a year. This makes India a hot country and summer the dominating season here.

April and May are known as the summer season. In our calendar Vaisakha and Jyestha are known as summer months. Geographically there are only two seasons-summer and winter. We receive rain towards the end of the summer and dew at the beginning of the Winter. Summer is the most dreaded season in India. In most parts of India the temperature rises from 40″ centigrade to 50 centigrade. At some places of Odisha like Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda, Angul, Sambalpur and Rourkela the mercury rises from 45 centigrade to 50 centigrade. A strange silence descends over the earth. After 9 in the morning roads and streets become deserted. Trees look parched. Even birds and dogs take shelter in shady places. Fear of sun-stroke keeps people arrested indoors.

Midday is the most unbearable part of a Summer day. Even people feel like being roasted at home. Of course science has equipped people with appliances like air-conditioners and air- coolers to ward-off the inconveniences of high temperature. But in a poor country like India these are the luxury.of a few rich ones. Some bureaucrats enjoy these luxuries at the cost of the people’s money.

The earth presenta sorry look in summer. Rivers narrow down to trickles. Ponds and wells dry up. Ground water level sinks down. Men, animals, trees, all look weary and lifeless. Both in towns and villages availability of drinking water becomes an urgent problem.

The most enjoyable period of a summer day is early morning. In the early morning temperature remains somewhat cool. So labourers try to do much of their work before the sun starts scaling the sky. The irritation of hot weather also cools down after the sunset. rush out to river banks and sea-beaches to enjoy the refreshing cool wind of a summer evening. School and office hours also change in summer. Schools start to sit in the morning from the first of April. Morning classes continue till Summer vacation.

Sun-stroke becomes a formidable challenge in summer, People are advised not to venture oil to sun in between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. If in urgency they have to come out then they are advised to wear light cotton clothes, shoes, goggles and to wrap their heads with wet napkins. They are also advised to drink cold water or rice water or curd sufficiently before going out. Such preventive measures help one to fight back dehydration caused by high- temperature.

Summer has its own attractions also. Rich people rush out to hill stations to enjoy summer. Summer provides us with many delicious drinks and food. The “lassi”, “jal-jeera”, “colas” and “sherbets” quench our thirst on hot days of summer. The demand for flavoured ice-creams, “ghola dahi’ and “makhan” also go up. Benevolent nature provides many sweet and saucy fruits like cucumbers, melons, mangoes, jamrols, pineapples and jack-fruits. The glucose and water they contain help us to revitalise us by compensating the glucose we have lost through perspiration.

There are many disadvantages in Summer. We don’t get water to drink, a little work exhausts us, forests get burnt, many thatched houses also catch fire in Summer. Due to the rise in humidity and temperature bacterias remain active. Contagious diseases like chicken-pox, cholera and typhoid spread rapidly.

God, the creator of the universe is all love. He can never be cruel to his children. Covertly, the Summer prepares a suitable Condition for rain. The sun rays raise the temperature. Water vapours go up and remain stored in the clouds. In rain they come down as rain drops. Each season is designed to sustain life.

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