Weather And Emotions.
By Rummuser. Filed in People |Tags: Climate, Emotions, Monsoons., Seasons, Weather
This post is the Loose Consortium Bloggers’ Friday post when Ashok, Conrad, Grannymar, Magpie11, Marianna, Maria, Gaelikaa, Helen, Judy , and I write one post each on the same topic. Please visit the other blogs too to have different views on this fascinating subject.
India has three major weather seasons and one in between. The winter, the summer, the monsoon and the post monsoon. The Indian calendar clearly follows the climate pattern. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, which has four seasons, Indian calendar has six seasons. Each season consists of two months (Ritus). Instead of complicating matters, let us just say, that the four seasons of the Gregorian calendar has been sub divided to be more relevant to the Indian climate. The Indian calendar is followed for agricultural and religious purposes and is considered to be very accurate for such end uses.
Now, when a nation has six seasons, or rather six subtly different from each other different weather conditions, can its people afford to allow the weather to dictate their emotions? So, Indians have been brain washed to be stoic about weather. In fact, they are taught from childhood to be stoic about every thing. So, the concept of weather affecting emotions does not seem to be applicable to us.
Our ex rulers, the British, were and continue to obsess about weather. It is their favourite topic of conversation. We Indians picked up that particular trait from them and do discuss the weather at every possible opportunity, usually to complain.
The British called the monsoon, gloomy weather, but the Indian longs and prays for copious rains. When it comes, he dances with joy. Some major religious festivals and self purification processes like fasting are undertaken during the monsoon so that idle brains, shut indoors, do not get up to mischief. Towards the end of the monsoon, the major festivals of Ganesh, Navarathri and Diwali are finished and done with so that he can concentrate on the major agriculatural season that would start and get over by around February/March of the following year.
The summer was treated as the least desirable of all the seasons by the British, who tended to move to the cooler climes of our hill stations during the summer. The Indian on the other hand, welcomes the summer because he is free from agricultural duties, and can concentrate on his religious duties, get his offspring married off and undertake repairs and maintenance of his property etc.
During the winter, which is really cold only in the northern most part of India, it is not of the type that the West is used to. Life goes on, albeit with more clothes worn, but nothing like getting snowed in takes place, except in the Himalayas.
That leaves a tiny bit of post monsoon, pre winter couple of months, which coincided with Autumn or Fall in the West. Nothing melancholy happens. This is the time of serious agricultural operations and match making for the winter marriage season.
What I have stated above is for the vast majority of Indians who live in rural India and are dependent on agriculture and other rural occupations. The minority who live in urban India, are not as affected by the seasons but do observe the same festivals and rituals that the rural Indian does based on the Indian calendar.
Not that the Indian is sans emotions. He can experience and demonstrate all the range of emotions that humans are capable of. He simply does not let weather have any thing to do with them. In fact, on a day to day basis, he can experience and demonstrate all the emotions one after the other, depending on that day’s circumstances.
There are two rules for living in harmony. #1) Don’t sweat the small stuff, and #2) It’s all small stuff.
- Wayne Dyer,
The Indian lives by and large in harmony and sweats copiously throughout the year. Yes, despite having been taught by my English teacher that horses sweat, people perspire, I am inclined to go with Wayne Dyer on this.
“In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
- Albert Camus
Friday, October 30th 2009 at 21:52 |
I agree with Wayne Dyer, ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff, and It’s all small stuff’. My brother in Australia fascinates me when he says ‘One more week and we will have summer’! I am beginning to think we have only one season in Ireland… the wet one!
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 15:41
How I envy you the Irish, the English, the Scottish and the Welsh weather. The one thing that binds all of you together in conversations whenever you meet each other.
Friday, October 30th 2009 at 22:09 |
Ramana, love the fact that Indians don’t have emotional responses to weather – then you tell me they go out and dance in the rain and have religious festivals! Have you ever considered that stoicism is only part of the story? Sounds like you have sublimated your emotional response to weather, which is extreme, and expressed it in your formalized practices.
I grew up in weather extremes, too! Kansas can really lay it on you, both extremes. However, we had gully washers – but not whole monsoon seasons.
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 15:39
“sublimated your emotional response to weather, which is extreme, and expressed it in your formalized practices.” Conrad, I suspect that you are being paid by BHB to use big words to bamboozle me! Having studied it standing up, sitting down and in the Sirasasana (upside down posture), I have concluded that yes, you are right.
Friday, October 30th 2009 at 22:36 |
The weather really affects me emotionally, while it has no such effect on Jenny. I really dislike the winter cold and darkness, I just have to ignore it as best I can. If I’d discovered Australia when I was younger, I think I would have emigrated.
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 15:37
Are you not glad now that you did not? They are running out of water, they have wild fires and their coastal cities are in very real danger of going under with rising sea levels!
Friday, October 30th 2009 at 23:21 |
“Our ex rulers, the British, were and continue to obsess about weather. It is their favourite topic of conversation. We Indians picked up that particular trait from them and do discuss the weather at every possible opportunity, usually to complain.” Oh so true! My post also covered this ‘national pastime’. I love the stoic attitude towards the weather…in fact, not so much stoic as positive. I didn’t realise there were 6 seasons within India; I’d love to experience the Monsoon someday although at times, in Scotland, I wonder if I already have….. ;O)
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 15:36
Helen you have the monsoon 12 months of the year. I would love to exchange the Scottish rains with the Indian ones.
Saturday, October 31st 2009 at 01:08 |
“During the winter, which is REALLY COLD only in the northern most part of India… Ramana that’s not really cold.
Conrad, the reason they dance in the rain is to cool off after their dry hot weather.
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 15:34
They dance in the rain for other reasons too BHB. Imagine the scene with all those bodies with wet clinging clothes. We are a nation of aesthetes!
Saturday, October 31st 2009 at 03:00 |
Horses sweat, gentlemen perspire and ladies gently glow!…nonsense….
A friend of mine quotes someone..I think Ruskin…There’s no such thing as bad weather, just different kinds of weather.
I appreciate the rural world’s attachment to weather and seasons.
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 15:33
Magpie, ladies gently glow? Your audience will love you for your loyalty.
bikehikebabe Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 22:45
That only brings to mind the other way women flow- once a month & I didn’t love that.
bikehikebabe Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 22:49
Uh Oh, I misread that. glow / flow. I was thinking of sweat flowing.
Saturday, October 31st 2009 at 03:40 |
Very enjoyable post, Ramana.
1. “It’s all small stuff…” A lot of what we 2-legged creature stress over is truly that, isn’t it.
2. And peri-menopausal women radiate! Now, there’s a solution to the energy crisis – if they can only figure how to store it!
3. “…so that idle brains, shut indoors, do not get up to mischief.” > Reminds me of the years I spent in Northern – brrrr – Manitoba. Judging by the increase in births in late summmer…there was some mischief afoot.
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 15:32
Marianna, you caught on didn’t you. Research in India has conclusively proved this phenomenon to be true too.
Saturday, October 31st 2009 at 03:53 |
In the desert we have two seasons; summer (hot) and winter (lovely). Monday I was wearing summer clothes and that evening a cold wind came down from Canada and on Tuesday I was wearing a sweater. Today it is getting warm again.
Like Colorado, we have a saying, “If you don’t like the weather, stick around because in ten minutes it will change.”
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 15:31
We have our Southern states which really have only three seasons. Hot, hotter and hottest. All three also have high humidity as ever present gift from the Gods. That is why, despite being a Southerner, I made my home in a place of moderate and dry climate.
Saturday, October 31st 2009 at 05:19 |
This was indeed another lesson in learning about India and Indians for me. I wish you knew how much I appreciate your window on life in India. It made me think about how humans have dealt with weather and emotions for centuries. The way Christians have Christmas and Jews have Hannukah . . . both at the time of year wth the longest nights and shortest days. How Easter and Passover herald the promise of Spring. I guess what I am saying is planning and celebrating are often good for the emotions and early man with wisdom and luck knew this and planned for reasons to celebrate the changes that repeat themselves each year.
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 15:29
Yes. And all festivals are built around times of agricultural / seasonal importance, like harvests, waiting for the crop to grow with nothing else to be done, etc.
Saturday, October 31st 2009 at 08:19 |
Hi Ramana!
I loved learning about India’s seasons…and all the festivals too!
Namaste,
Diane
PS…thanks for the humour too!
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 15:27
Welcome back Diane. It is very nice to have you back and commenting. Please don’t run away again. Namaste.
Saturday, October 31st 2009 at 09:02 |
I don’t know if you would call humor an emotion. It’s just that almost every post of yours has a cartoon or a quote that makes me chuckle. There are times I get the impression you don’s take yourself serious. I find that great! I love to laugh, yet it’s hard for me to create something funny! Good post!
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 15:27
Judy, this has been my bane! I simply cannot take myself seriously and I am often criticized for being insensitive with my flippant attitude to life. But, please believe me, I take life very seriously. I simply cannot do the same with myself.
Saturday, October 31st 2009 at 11:27 |
What you have said is so true and I’m saying yes, yes, yes, every time. You know, as an Indian, my husband Yash is very emotional, and within the one day can experience a full range of emotions. Nothing to do with the weather. You know, I’m starting to understand things here so much better since I started reading you Ramanaji!
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 15:25
I am flattered. I am learning a great deal from your blogs too. That makes us a MAC.
Saturday, October 31st 2009 at 16:33 |
Marianna, I would not call that “Manitoba mischief” I would call that “nature at its best”!
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 20:41
What Maynard, you get up to all kinds of mischief and blame nature for it? Tch Tch!
Saturday, October 31st 2009 at 19:45 |
Indian weather is so balanced, there are only three seasons rather than four in many parts of world, indian subcontinent is comprised of all the three weathers cold, hot and rainy season, it is so blissful to experience each and every part of india as i have did it.
Rummuser Reply:
October 31st, 2009 at 20:39
Lucky you.
Girish from Car Hire New Zealand Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 07:48
Sam, you have to be in India to know what Indian weather actually is. I am sure ramana’s elaboration is eloquent and quite apprehensive, but the fact is most of the time the weather is humid and hot especially in the south and middle. Northern India experiences the best and worst of hot weather and cold weather during corresponding seasons.
Saturday, October 31st 2009 at 21:57 |
Maynard,
It depends upon context and in some cases, age.
When girls in my grade 8 classroom got pregnant, I would consider that “mischief”, and that’s putting it mildly.
Saturday, October 31st 2009 at 22:43 |
Marianna,
I agree with you on that. Most definitely.
Saturday, November 14th 2009 at 22:03 |
In some way the weather affects the emotions all over the world. In northern Europe many people have depression during the winter. The case of India can be a little different because the country is vast and has many different climates.