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Vendors display sweets ahead of Rath Yatra near Jagannath Temple in Ranchi on Tuesday and a peacock dances to welcome monsoon at Bokaro zoo. Pictures by Hardeep Singh and Pankaj Singh
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Mouth-watering khichdi, alu chokha, papad and chutney — that was Ranchi homemaker Rashmi Singh’s special spread on Tuesday.
Fifty-year-old Mangal Singh — an employee of A2Z Waste Management Private Limited — raised a toast with tea on Main Road.
Tamar farmer H. Puran looked at the sky and almost crooned Mere desh ki dharti...
And capital resident Swati Mahto for once did not have to try hard to send her 10-year-old daughter to school after summer vacation.
The savour, the flavour, the ecstasy and the excitement came with monsoon’s much-awaited greetings.
Till 8.30am on Tuesday, the local weather office recorded pre-monsoon rainfall of 23.4mm after which the monsoon’s arrival was officially announced by Patna Meteorological Office. Director A.K. Sen said the current was weak, but would gain strength after 48 hours.
“Dinner has to be in mood with the season. So, I went signature monsoon with khichdi-chokha. My husband and son will simply love it,” beamed Rashmi.
“It is such a welcome respite,” said Mangal, sitting on a bench at the makeshift tea stall at 10am and watching raindrops kiss the road in front of him. “The rainwashed streets, the smiling faces of students going to school and shining water droplets on leaves make you feel so much better after a scorcher of a summer,” he added.
Most schools in Ranchi reopened on Tuesday, but neither children nor their parents were complaining.
“My daughter was so excited that she ran to the terrace, got drenched and then got ready for school without fuss,” said Swati, whose daughter Akansha studies in Class V at DAV-Bariatu.
Farmer Puran was equally child-like. “Ab mere khet mein hal lagega. (Now, I can plough my fields),” he grinned wide.
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