This monsoon, it is a little different than usual. However, you can still derive the same magic out of it. Of course, while doing so, remember to maintain your distance and think about your health first. This monsoon, stay home, stay safe and stay jolly!
Even the most wild and most sophisticated person is forced to answer nature’s calling. For those who believe that the rains dampen their spirit, we have listed ways to make the best out of the day during this season. Whereas, to those who view rains as their saviour, we have also included fun activities to enjoy the rain in a spirited manner. Here’s a list of ten best ways to enjoy during this monsoon season in India! Don’t let the monsoon seasons make you feel cloudy, that’s their job.
Go For a Rainy Drive in the Woods
Long drives with the family or even friends are fun traditions to keep. This experience is further enriched during long rainy drives. With music blaring from the radio or Bluetooth and sitting on the warm car seat with torrents of rain on the outside is an exciting experience. You can opt to drive along the woods to witness the beauty of nature as the rains breath life into the stillness of the landscape. You can grab a couple of snacks and sit by and enjoy the moving scenery outside the vehicle. Watching the rain from the car is a lovely experience as it allows you to go out and watch the rain without getting wet. Munch on some chips and popcorn and sing at the top of your lungs during the drive. And watch the city lights fade in a blur as you enter the quiet and enchanting woods.
Head to a Solo Rain Trek
Another great way to spend the monsoon season is to go on a solo trek. India offers a list of treks that are best to do during monsoon season. There are certain vistas in the world that are enhanced further with the blessings of rain. To witness how nature adapts to this cycle of rain is only properly possible through a trek. We suggest you opt for a trek solo to maintain social distancing measures and avoid the risk of infecting yourself. We urge you to follow the instructions for travel during the pandemic time to maintain your health and reduce chances of infection.
One of the best monsoon treks you can choose is the Markha Valley Trek which is a moderate to difficult trek that spans over 6 days. The trek takes you along the Markha Valley in Ladakh and the high pass Kongmaru La with beautiful views of Mt. Kang Yatse II & I and quaint villages. It is one of the few tea-house treks in India. However, this year, Ladakh might not be a very safe option to opt for given the tensions along the border. You can explore many rain treks around your Kongmaru as well!
Relish Homemade Hot Chai and Pakoras
The steaming hot and fried pakoras bring respite from the cold and allow you to relish the taste of the food and enjoy the scenic beauty offered by the monsoon season. If you’re not much of a cook, then the best way is to google up a recipe for pakoras – aloo ka pakora, bread pakora, pyaaz ka pakora and more! Try to hunt for some age-old recipes from your family itself and try your hand at cooking. We suggest making some masala chai because the spices are best complemented with pakoras and drizzly weather.
Try Your Hand at Rain Photography
Photography is a popular activity people try to experiment with. Because it is an inherent part of our lives – the selfies we click, the landscapes we capture and the beautiful memories we wish to immortalize are all possible through photography. And an element deeply associated with photography is the aesthetic of the photo. In a gleeful monsoon season, it is your chance to bring your camera out to capture the best of emotions.
Rain photography is a beautiful theme to opt for if you’re trying your hand at photography. Plants holding dew drops, the damp alleyways, and the colourful umbrellas that bring life to the streets are some of the lovely scenes that the monsoon season offers. Try your hand at capturing the little droplets that fall your way before they plunge into the earth. Rain photography offers some of the most beautiful content to see!
Cosy up by the Window and Watch a Movie
Netflix and Chill is a fun activity. But watching a movie by a window while it rains is highly comforting. One can’t help but feel secure and comfy when good weather meets a great movie. People tend to keep tv shows as background noise for work. Let’s flip that and make rain the background music for your binge-watching sessions. Old movies and rom-com films make the perfect fodder for such an environment. Tuck yourself into a huge blanket on the bed and munch on some popcorn while watching the movie. You can’t help but pause the movie in between to gaze at the beautiful scene unfolding outside. Rainy days make the best cosy days. It is the best time to relax and enjoy some entertainment.
Play Wet Football
Usually, playing football is driven by a motivation to win. But the rain makes the grass more slippery and the game tougher than when the weather’s dry. Football in the rain is more enjoyable than usual because it comes with comical scenes of watching people attempting to run and pass the ball on the slippery ground. Drenched in the rain, there’s something more exhilarating and fun about playing a sport. Therefore, it is best to play football in the rain with a desire to enjoy with others rather than winning. Even the best of players will find themselves slipping and falling on the ground – laugh it off with friends as you take things a little less seriously! Life is also about the little joys and comedy that come with it. Gather your friends and let your laughter echo through the seasons.
Rain Dance and Paper Boats!
One of the best ways to unleash the child in you is to go out in the rain and get crazy. Rain dances are so incredibly fun. What makes it fun is something we really can’t pinpoint. Is it the fun of getting wet while dancing? Or the feeling of being one with the rain and stepping on puddles with no inhibitions? Whatever it is, rain dance is one of the best ways to experience rain. It is so popular that there are ‘rain dance’ parties that are conducted. But nothing can compete with the real experience. Another fun activity to indulge in is to make paper boats and watch them float in puddles or travel along the trails of the rain. Get your creative hands on the table and make tiny colourful paper boats. Name your boats and compete with your friends to see whose boat is faster.
Capture the Beauty on a Canvas
If you have an artistic bug in you, then the monsoon seasons are a blessing. The sombre and mellow aesthetic that rainy days bring not only to the environment but homes as well is so lovely to capture. Paintings capturing rain always have a tinge of melancholy associated with it. It evokes a sense of nostalgia that we’re unaware of. Therefore, if you see the rains cascading down on earth, make sure to capture it with your brush on canvas. Not many have the privilege of viewing nature with an artistic lens. Sometimes how the artist views a world is different from the rest – capture this unique perspective of the beauty of rains and let your creative juices flow! Art is highly therapeutic after all.
Pick up a Book and Get Some Reading Done
Monsoon seasons make the best atmosphere for some light reading. The lovely weather warrants a cup of coffee and some poetry or literary readings to accompany it. One doesn’t normally get the time to read books but the lethargy, a side effect of the rain, requires you to sit back and relax with a book in hand. Some of the best poetry to read during monsoon season is by Pablo Neruda and Rumi. They’re quite popular and if you haven’t had the chance to read – you must! Other lovely novels to read by the window are classics like the Austen novels, or gothic novels like Rebecca. The emotions brought forth by these novels are best blanketed by the pitter-patter of the rain outside.
Spot a Rainbow
Rainbows are such a delight and a phenomena that you don’t come by very often. Rainy seasons are the best time to look out for rainbows. Even while understanding the science behind it, it almost feels like a magical event. A sight like that evokes a childlike wonder in all of us! In just the month of June, Delhi witnessed at least two rainbows that people tweeted about. To see the plain blue sky, adorned with a natural bow of various colours is quite fascinating indeed. And this phenomena is usually associated with rains so gear up to see some lovely rainbows this season. And keep your cameras on standby!
- Must Read: Places to Visit in Monsoon in Uttarakhand
