Rain, rain, go away, come again another day! Well, Kolkata doesn’t seem to be reading too much into this old nursery rhyme lately. As July packs a rainy punch, the city continues to dance in the uninterrupted downpour, undeterred by waterlogging, missed last trains, and that peculiar ache of things slipping away just when life had begun to make a little more sense.
What started as fresh relief amid the scorching heat of this year’s summer, has now somehow settled like a sluggish relative — one who arrived unannounced and shows no signs of leaving. Here’s a list of five viral reels from Instagram, offering a glimpse into what the city and its people have been experiencing — sometimes heartfelt, sometimes irksome, sometimes hilarious.
Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink
Do you remember that classic line from Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner? It captured irony — and rain in Kolkata has mastered it. Water here, water there, water in the courtyard, water on the road, inside the bus, on our minds! Content creator @exploring_owl_eyes captured a brief moment that offered a glimpse into what this drenched city has looked like for weeks.
A guide for ‘What to do on a rainy day’
Let’s be honest — there’s no rulebook for what we should do on rainy days. But instead of sleeping through the day — which, let’s admit, is the most popular choice — we could cook our favourite breakfast, help our mothers prepare lunch, take a stroll in the evening (if it comes free of drowning hazards), sip some sweet tea from roadside stalls, and spend the rest of the evening with our favourite person. Content creator @travel_with_esita captures it all in her reel.
Rain and mountains? It’s a date!
Who doesn’t love the mountains? Not us! And when the misty fairy land gets covered in mysterious clouds filled with rain, it looks straight out of a romantic film. @ft.zishan_frames framed the picturesque montage of Darjeeling, with drenched roads glistening under streetlights, toy trains whistling in the fog, and silent hills standing still like patient lovers waiting for a sign.
Every raindrop taps out a beat for a dancer
As the skies darken and the scent of rain rises from the soil, a dancer ties her ankle bells, invoking the spirit of Borsha. Social media influencer and dancer @sen_krittika0 taps her heart out to the soulful rhythm of Shoghono Mogono, composed by Nachiketa Chakraborty, breathing new life into the rain-soaked city.
‘Bajlo Tomar Aalor Benu’
While this city and its people run to their homes amid the downpour, a dimly lit locality stays up all night, carving out lives in mud, preparing for the greatest festival of Bengalis. Kumartuli, the heart of Kolkata’s potters, doubles up their work as the Durga Pujo approaches. Content creator @soumalyaaclicks captured the earthy elegance of this craftsmanship, even on a drenched evening. The video stands out as a reminder to ask the next person sitting beside us — ‘Dada, pujoye aar kotodin baki?’