Enjoying the rains

A season of longing and desire

Title: The fragrance of rain 

Publisher: Aleph Book Company

First published: 2026

ISBN: 978-93-6523-030-7

Pages: 140

Price: 499/-

Thanks to the team at Deccan Herald; the review on their website here.

The Fragrance of Rain drenches you from page 1. The author enjoys being amidst the rains, and writing; and this book allows him to share these joys with us. His deep connect with Landour, its biodiversity, is apparent, “Here in these delicate yet resilient landscapes, the rain means as much to those minuscule species as it does to us”. He also takes us to Goa and Kerela. He brings in references, walks in forested lands, and also engages with people to bring out, to highlight, monsoon’s role in our lives. This he does with an uncommon grace and flair in language. The length of the book, 140 pages, 10 chapters - 11 to 17 pages each, belies its scope and the depth it explores. 

I have waited a long time for someone in love with rains to write on petrichor, the author does this eloquently; “A sweet, slightly musky odour, fresh, yet with a hint of decomposing leaves, it had a sensual, alluring perfume”. He also gets into the science behind the rains and the genesis of monsoon. He brings out the connections - how monsoon winds led to shipping, which led to trade, which led to faith, or how rains and water defined our festivals; and contradictions - this is a season which gives most illnesses and is also the one which is considered most romantic. He also dishes out  facts we discuss less - in monsoon plants are weak and so are those eating them. Bringing these, and other, aspects together he discusses how monsoon has shaped our past and thus today, reminds us us how it is an integral part of our lives, our history; “It is not an exaggeration to say that every culture that has existed in India was nurtured and shaped by the presence of monsoon”. 

The author is in his elements when he talks about the arts; “In poetry, art, and music, the monsoon evokes a complex range of moods and emotions, many of which are associated with longing and desire”. He quotes a range of poets from Mirza Ghalib to Mamang Dai. And, of course Kalidasa; I wonder at the magic of Kalidasa’s creations that we continue to pay our respects to him when we talk about the monsoon hundreds of years after he wrote them! I wish though that the book had the original poetry as well and not just the translation! The book also talks about Nainsukh, the 18th century painter from Punjab, known for his miniature paintings. The author is equally at home when he  engages with people like Kuldip Topo (naturalist), Vivek Sarkar (scientist) and he refers to works of those like Edward Lorenz (meteorologist), Katie Field (biologist), and Claudia Prekel (scholar). 

He does not shy away from talking about the dangers stemming from increasing illegal constructions and tourist numbers; and  warns us that while each untimely downpour is not driven by climate change, the frogs and beetles going silent during monsoon nights is surely a cause for worry. However, despite the wide range of people he interacts with and refers to, there is no mention of the underprivileged of Mussoorie, Landour, Dehradun, Goa and Kerela - How does the monsoon treat them? How do they  see the monsoon?

As I read, I planned to underline words I seldom use or lines that I could quote later; and I happily ended up using my pen a lot! I love rains, and the book reminded me of my years in Meghalaya and Mizoram where I enjoyed walking amidst the rains, the sound of the rains on the tin-roof, and the clouds all around. Waterfalls were special, especially during monsoon, and the author has described them in a befitting manner, “In some ways this is the purest form of motion, unconstrained and guided only by the invisible hand of gravity”. I am all enthused for a trip to Landour. 

Read the book if you love rains, or if you enjoy reading travelogues or if you enjoy the company of good English prose. It may also make you observe, and connect with, the world around you better for “Climatic events like the monsoon are not isolated in time or space but are dynamic, ever-changing phenomena linked to everything . . ".

Previously published reviews of Aleph books 

Animalia Indica: The finest animal stories in Indian literature (First Post, 2019)

Rumble in a Village (Purple Pencil Project, 2021)

The Silence of the Hyena : Stories and a novella (Purple Pencil Project, 2021)

A Case of Indian Marvels - Dazzling Stories From the Country’s Finest New Writers (Purple Pencil Project, 2023)

The Social Life of Indian Trains - A Journey (Deccan Herald, 2026)