Summer is waiting, crouching in the shadows to leap upon us with an
orange roar of colour, heat and sweat. In the drama of the four seasons, summer
is the brightest. The Kashmir valley celebrates the Tulip festival in April at
Siraj Bagh, clasped in embrace of the scenic Zabrawan range, in Srinagar.
Nearly 60 varieties of beautiful Tulips worship the sun in over 5 hectares of
land.
Imagine a living carpet caressed by the cool summer breeze, woven by the
great Architect of the Universe Himself! It is a changing kaleidoscope of red,
yellow, variegated pink, white, orange, light blue and magenta. The Kashmiris
celebrate this event by displaying their handicrafts and cultural programs.
Authentic Kashmiri cuisine is part of the festival. After last week’s events, I
wonder whether blood is good for the Tulips to grow? Vibrant life and the
tragic death of beautiful young people lie so closely woven together, here.
Summer too is like that, let us decide to enjoy the joy and vibrancy of
the season and push the discomfort to the back of our minds. Welcome and
celebrate the summer. Plant the colourful, short lived summer flowers. Float
them in water, in artistic mud, wide mouthed, pots.
Celebrate summer in the evening breezes in flower strewn gardens and
lazy beaches. Celebrate with raw mango juice and lime sherbet. This is the
season for a luxury bath – set apart time for your tryst with cool water sprays
in the pool and in the bath. Emperor Akbar had to get his ice from the
Himalayan glaciers on elephant back. We just need to keep the fridge well
stocked. Wear a cool attitude and retreat to cool air conditioned spaces at
noon, instead of testing your tolerance with outdoor tasks.
Create a water spot for people who walk past your house. Fill the bird
baths and set out water for the squirrels. Happy summer holidays!
No comments:
Post a Comment