These days, all I think of is the persistent, omnipresent heat. I know that we in India love our sunshine being tropical beings. And that I have spent my childhood in the hot, baked plains of North India where the hot loo blows in the summers. Yet as kids, heat never deterred us. We would be out playing hide and seek and cricket in the scorching heat in our nana’s huge home. We would run in to gulp down water and be back out and about. And mind you in those days there was no a/c. We did have air coolers. I can still close my eyes and breathe in the earthy, heady aroma of khas from khas ki chatais that the cooler emanated. I remember that in Lucknow our entire family would sleep in the largest room that had the air cooler. This was our routine for the summer.
Then we came to Mumbai where the heat never became unbearable though the humidity did sometimes. Gola, nimbu paani, and cold water were our saviors. The heat never deterred me from going out or doing things. Then I moved for a couple of years to Ahmedabad. The place is a desert. Lots of sand and intense heat that could really burn your skin in hours of sun exposure. Just using the restroom in the morning could drench you completely in sweat. Try cooking in that heat. The kitchen feels like an oven. I remember taking my bath just before going to work and really looking forward to the air conditioned comfort of my office. The only saving grace, you had no power cuts in Ahmedabad even 15 years back!
But, moving to Bangalore many years later was a godsend. The weather in Bangalore is really moderate. And when we reach 34 degrees in the summer, we start complaining of the heat. When parts of India are baking under 40+ temperatures, we are enjoying our intermittent rain showers and cool breezes. Oh yes, these days the temps do go up to even 37 degrees.
And so suffice it to say that I miss Bangalore the most when I travel anywhere else in summer :). Currently in Hyderabad, the 40+ temperatures are constantly driving me crazy. I don’t know if I have lost the habit of tolerating these high levels of heat or have become used to the cool comfort of Bangalore. But the heat simply seems unbearable. The heat seems to be on my mind all the time and does make me listless and moody. Yep, really looking forward to heading home soon.
How are you suffering this summer?
Pic courtesy: Freedigitalphotos.net
Great post Rachna.
Echoes my thoughts.
Thank you so much Rashid. And welcome to my space :).
45 degrees today. All roasted and stir fried.I am dreading the humidity of July. Yes, Bangalore is a blessing climate wise.
What more can I add:)
I know I read about Delhi’s temperatures. It must be so awful for you. I got back to Bangalore this morning and can’t tell you the relief I felt :).
The last subject I want to read – considering I am going to Delhi on June 5 – away from the cool climes of Bangalore 🙂
Ah, all the best, Suresh :). Perhaps a trek to Himalayas will give you both mann ki shanti and tann ki shanti ;-).
Slowly and steadily melting here in Delhi .. I actually ordered a few things online because I just don’t want to go shopping in the heat ! Missing the mountains ! Having loads of aam panna, buttermilk and roohafza and off course Glucon C !
I can understand. I anyway prefer to shop online :). Yes, I love the mountains too. Have pretty small ones here in the South though.
It is 43 degrees right now at Jaipur. I just went out for a few minutes and I feel like my skin has been roasted…
Aam paana and Tang is what keeps us going. I loved the khas coolers… I see them functioning at a few places but guess they dont have that magical charm as we experienced in our childhood.
Yep, they are hardly the same now — the coolers. And, I just hated venturing out in the Hyd heat.
I am in India for a few days. The only thing I love about this weather is that awesome new ghaaas smell from the cooler :))
Some things are soooo North 🙂
hehe Nisha! Hope you are enjoying the mangoes too :).
Arrey we are still better off from North. My Mom tells me it is 46 degrees there!!!!
How do i beat the heat??? I love chilled nimbu pani but it has so much calories 🙁
Absolutely, North becomes an oven these days :(. I just cannot go and live there now.
Yes, you are lucky that way. Here in Kerala, it’s the humidity that drives you nuts. Head back home, soon. 🙂
Just got back to Bangalore this morning. Bliss :).
Totally agree with you on Bangalore spoiling folks. I know so many people who just want to settle down in Bangalore when you think of the weather condition in Delhi/ Mumbai/ Chennai etc. There is no denying that Bangalore is truly blessed with great weather and the intermittent summer showers make things so much better and easier to handle.
Truly Aathira. There is no place like Bangalore that can match its weather. I just love the city.
Like you i too don’t remember feeling the heat in my childhood or staying indoors because of it.But today the scene has changed completely.Heat is a great de-motivator & Kota is scorching.
Heat really does sap our energy and acts as a demotivator too. Dimag garam ho jaata hai :).
No power cut was there in Ahmedabad even so many years back? It is like that even now, I heard!
Hmmm….we are in Chennai! You know how it is! But nowadays summer sets in late and the hot days are becoming lesser and lesser for the past few years. And the sea breeze sets in after 2 pm. Or maybe we are used to this heat!
Lucky you if the afternoons become bearable. And yes, Ahmedabad does not have power cuts even now! I heard Gujarat sells surplus power to neighboring states :). Lucky them.
Even to Chennai, via Amma!
Aha.. Now you know, how tolerant we Hyderabadis are..Though we do talk about heat atleast 50 times during the day.
hehe And you have a right to talk about the heat that often :).
Yeah, north is unbearable in summers but Bangalore is a lovely. 37 is still bearable and evenings are always pleasant there. East coast is lucky this year, it’s only today that we will touch 26.
You lucky people! And the scorching temperatures are made worse by powercuts. It really is crazy!
I grew up in summers with temperatures 40 and above all my life. The weatehr never bothered as kids…Still, my skin is unable to bear the Foslom temperatures….:( So, now you know how AP is 🙂 Hyd is lot better re…the place from where I come, there are coal mines and it crosses 50 many times..just that the govt doesn’t declare correct temps.
hehe government con huh? :). Seriously, India is getting so difficult with all this global warming stuff. I just hate these extreme weather conditions.
Oh I hate Delhi during summers. The worst part for me is travelling for 4 hours in this heat every day. 🙁
Oh Gosh! That must be horrible. That kind of commute in any weather is draining.
It is really miserable in Summer. Y3sterdat the temeraturein Delhi was 46 and the forcast is that it will rise further. We have guests staying with us from Bangalore. They feel that Blo is heaven as compared to Delhi. Rachna, you are lucky to be settled in BLo.
Bangalore is heaven. Just yesterday, it rained and we woke up to beautiful weather this morning. I do feel blessed that I came to live in this lovely city.
Sorry for so many typing errors. Bad job.
No problem :).
Your heat travails left me sweaty and hawt 😉 And I so agree that as kids we never minded the heat or the sweat but today neither we nor the kids can bear the heat. Well, I don’t mind the heat, it’s the sweat that bogs me down. Some people just don’t sweat even when the temps raise but me, I sweat even in the cool summers of UK. Beat that? I guess being in Chennai, the heat has become part of one’s system. In Goa the temps go up to 32 or 33 and still people complain. As long as I am not sweating, I don’t complain.
Joy always,
Susan
Yep, the sweat gets my goat too. I normally don’t sweat but in Hyd I was sweating bucketloads. I hate that sticky feeling. And very high temperatures seem to just make us listless and unproductive.
Even Pune is hot this time… the weather is not as pleasant it was last year…. so nimbu paani, ice creams, kulfis and lots of aam panna is helping out 🙂
Pune can get pretty hot in summers. At least it did in the one year that I lived there.
I will be heading for Delhi this weekend. Seeing all the comments, I am re-thinking whether I should leave the comforts of Bangalore and head to the frying pan capital of our nation.
Do it at your own risk, TF. Unless, you are going to be cooped up in airconditioned comfort, it is a trip worth avoiding :).
You reminded me of those days when we would be all playing outside and simply go knock on the door of whichever home was the closest and the lady of the house would happily come give us cold water to drink 🙂 In Chennai, at my grandma’s place, they would always keep a pot of chilled buttermilk laced with ginger, chillis etc at the steps to the house for the postman, paper vendor etc who came to the doorstep. After spending a whole lot of time in absolutely chilly weather, I am more a summer and a high temperature person but I have to see how long I can last 🙂 It’s the humidity which kills me!
Yes, when we go abroad, we miss the sun. But the sun at not its harshest best :). And wow, keeping buttermilk that is so thoughtful. In Ahmedabad, people keep bowls of water on their terrace tops for birds. That is so sweet na. Now the summers have become so unbearable. I shudder to think what is in store in the years ahead.
buddy y dont u visit here and have a taste of sharjah summer:) cheers and wishes
Do you suffer powercuts too? Yes, the Gulf must be something else. I haven’t been there but hope you guys are coping well with the heat.
Today in Bangalore it is raining hailstones :-p and last night there was hailstorm here in Brno,CZ
Ah nice. Last night the rain was beautiful. But there were massive powercuts because of the storm and heavy rain.
typical 🙂
And imagine commuting with overflowing sewers and fallen trees! Rain has its own problems unless you are at home :).
I loved Bangalore’s summer, but couldn’t bare their winter and chill mornings in the 2 years that i lived there! But chennai is home,.I’ve roamed around in that 12 o clock noon sun, yet never complained! But when I go back now, I feel like where did my resistance go? Have lots of buttermilk, and coconut water to keep yourself hydrated! And if possible, do send some sun to this part of the world 🙁
I love the winter here too not as severe as in the North but beautiful enough to give you some cold. Yep, all those did not seem to help. But I am back in Bangalore now and it sure feels so nice :).
Delhi is like a furnace we touched 46 degrees yesterday ;))!, Bangalore weather is just so so awesome 🙂
It is Vandana, it is :).
Its getting increasingly hotter by the day here in Doha as well! I hate this time of the year, when venturing out is just so exhausting and stressful!
Ah that heat must be something else. Never have been to the Gulf but I guess you don’t have power cuts there. It is stressful going out in the heat, true.
Hi rachna
Heat can get crazy in Chennai but summer brings along a lot of goodies – juicy mangoes , ripe water melons and musk melons and crispy juicy cucumbers 🙂 in Singapore weather is the same throughout the year . Hot humid and then suddenly there will be rains and thunder .unpredictable island climate !
Yep the goodies especially the mangoes are a treat. But I wished that the heat could go down a few notches :).
36 and we complain and when the rains come, wow and wow! Blessed are we.
Indeed! I love Bangalore :).
I think all over India its the same story. In coastal places the temp is less but the humidity and sweating really saps you.
Yep, it is. And the summers are really getting worse. Even the hill stations offer no respite.
I have heard that about Banglore :-). Its the same where I am so I cant complain.
🙂 Raajii!
didn’t know that you too had roots in Hyderabad! I know about the summers there! Blistering, so don’t blame you for complaining!!
I am connected to Hyd via my husband. Hyd is my sasural :).
You Bangaloreans are so lucky.My son tells me, it is very pleasent there.
We are facing close to 46 deg.
Yes we are! And you must spend summers in Bangalore :).
Beat the heat with cool things 😐
No other option I guess :).