Spring in the air, welcome the season of colour, cheer
Sonika Sethi
Change is the law of nature and what better announcement of change than the arrival of spring, the most welcome season around the world. Spring not only finds a mention in literature and songs but also bags a coveted position among the scriptures. If winter comes, can spring be far behind, is perhaps the most quoted expression symbolic of hope and motivation.
The Hindu calendar divides the year into six seasons of which Basant is known as Rituraj, the king of the seasons. It announces its pompous arrival on a colourful chariot in the months of Chaitra and Baisakh. Not only does it bring along cheer and colour but also occasions to celebrate. Basant Panchmi, Holi, Gudi Padwa and Baisakhi are emissaries of the monarch that urge people to shed their dark and drab woollens and bring out light, breezy and colourful garbs to drench in the spirit of the festivals.
For those who know me well, it is no secret that I loathe winter more than any other season. In fact, I’m a self-confessed cold-blooded creature who goes into hibernation for the three extremely cold winter months. From November-end to mid-February, I spend most of my time slumbering in the cavernous warmth of the quilt. No amount of coercion or supplication can make me quit my abode before 7am and after 7pm. The food and water intake is exponentially reduced during these months as half the day is spent conserving energy under the temperate zone of the quilt.
It’s the advent of spring that restores my faith in the livability of life. I welcome the season by shedding the layers of heavy overcoats, cardigans and what not. All songs related to the season around Holi from movies such as Sholay’s “Holi ke din sab mil jaate hain”; Rajput’s “Bhaagi re bhaagi dekho Brijbala”; Silsila’s “Rang barse”; or Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani’s “Balam Pichkari” are auto-tuned in my mind’s playlist. Phagun, the iconic movie starring Waheeda Rehman and Dharmendra, is another sensitive reminder of the memories associated with the season. Rajinder Singh Bedi’s portrayal of the conflagration scene in which Gopal, the character played by Dharmendra, desperately tries to salvage the sarees he has collected to appease his estranged wife, is a complex yet heartrending climax to the story.
Spring is also the harbinger of hope, survival and continuity of life and love. Sanskrit poet Kalidas vividly describes the season in his mahakavya, Raghuvamsham, and Sri Aurobindo refers to spring in his epic, Savitri, as an ardent lover that catches his earth bride in an eager clasp. He calls it a season of white jasmines and pale mango blossoms.
All said and done, every season has its mystic charm, colour, fragrance and symbols; spring’s lies in the innate fact that no one can escape its charm, but for a few. An Englishman walked beside a Frenchman in the English countryside that reverberated with the hues and fragrances of the season. He took a deep breath and exclaimed, “Spring in the air!” The Frenchman shrugged his shoulders and remarked obliviously, “Why should I?”
THE HINDU CALENDAR DIVIDES THE YEAR INTO SIX SEASONS OF WHICH BASANT IS RITURAJ AND ANNOUNCES ITS ARRIVAL ON A COLOURFUL CHARIOT IN THE MONTHS OF CHAITRA AND BAISAKH