The word “Monsoon” is derived from the Arabic word "Mausim" meaning "season", although it is generally defined as a system of winds characterized by a seasonal reversal of its direction.
The Indian Meteorological Department defines it as the seasonal reversals of the wind direction along the shores of the Indian Ocean, especially in the Arabian Sea, that blow from the southwest during one half of the year and from the northeast during the other half.
The monsoon of the subcontinent is primarily noted for its ability to bring rain and for the associated unpredictability of the weather.
In the excruciating pre-monsoon temperatures of northern India, there is no more a welcome sight than the dusty sky actually filling with clouds, the pressure building up and the parched land exploding under the joyous, drenching rain.
THE ARRIVAL OF THE MONSOON
Almost everyone in India has some personal signal that the monsoon is coming: the delicious summer mangoes from Lucknow, a city in northern India, lose their tartness. The large, black Indian ants become frantic in their search for food, massing over the scorched earth with a collective desperation. A locust-type insect swarms over light fixtures.
CATEGORIES OF THE MONSOON
The monsoon can be categorized into two segments based on the direction of rain bearing winds:
Alternatively, the monsoon in India can be categorized into two branches based
on their spatial spread over the sub-continent:
Based on the time of the year that these winds bring rain to India, they can also be categorised in two rain periods called:
Mawsynram and Cherrapunji, both in the Indian state of Meghalaya alternate to be the wettest places on Earth given the quantity of their rainfall.
However, a large amount of soil erosion occurs in these areas and often, ironically, these regions face severe water scarcity despite the abundance of water, apart from frequent occurrences of landslides.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MONSOON
Indian Monsoon is the primary delivery mechanism for fresh water in the Indian subcontinent. As such, it impacts the environment , agriculture, society, hydro-power production and geography of the subcontinent (like availability of fresh water in water bodies, underground water table).
The Indian Monsoon turns large parts of India from semi-deserts into green grasslands.
The brighter side of the Monsoon…
A good monsoon resulting in improved agricultural production brings down prices of essential food commodities and reduces their imports.
The summer monsoon is vital to the Indian economy. A poor monsoon or a delay of a few weeks in the arrival of monsoon rains can make the difference between bumper crops and famine.
Many monsoon festivals are celebrated all over India like the Ratha Yatra, Teej, Baisakhi, Naag Panchami and Onam.
The biggest one rated, and one of the most colourful in the world, is celebrated in Pushkar around the most sacred pool of water in full moon. The villagers come to worship the water itself: the life sustaining element
Though rain has inspired joyous dances and music all over the world, India has a unique heritage of Monsoon Ragas which were composed and sung by legendary masters like Mia Tansen to initiate welcome showers to India’s parched forests and fields so that the land would be blessed with plenty…The music they composed has inspired painters, dancers and writers for generations……
Folk songs welcoming the first thunder showers and streaks of lightning are sung in every village even today. The diverse dialects of India’s far flung villages are replete with songs welcoming the rains and their message of bounty.