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Rains beyond the monsoon for all the fun

Nupur Amarnath, ET Bureau Jun 10, 2012, 12.38AM IST

It has inspired writers, pepped up poets to write reams and has made songwriters put pen to paper. And it has given us the ubiquitous (and over-used) Bollywood trick — the wet-sari-hot-look rain dance. ET on Sunday looks at the rains beyond the monsoon for all the fun.

It's Raining Myths

Here's splash of rain-related superstitions:

On a rainy day a golfer must start the round with odd numbered clubs and not use golf balls numbered higher than four.

If a donkey doesn't stop braying and twitching its ears, it's an omen that rain is on its way.

Native American myth 'Why it Rains' tells the tale of Morning Dove and how the hatred and greed of warring tribes broke the hearts of the gods and manifested in tears of rain.

The Balinese believe that when light rain falls during a religious ceremony, it indicates good luck. When rain falls in broad daylight without any cloud in the sky, it indicates a wedding of supernatural beings.

Balinese also believe that lightning strikes because it's destined to chase a stone called manik, which keeps shifting. To avoid a lightning strike, they throw a metal on the yard, preferably a knife.

Not just cats, all animals can apparently predict rain. If bees fly home and do not return or if horses are restless and shake their heads a lot or owls hoot more at night, it means rain is on its way.

Cats can forecast weather: by clawing at carpets, they predict wind and by busily washing their ears, they predict rain. The Welsh believe it rains when the pupil of a cat's eye broadens. Keep an eye on it!

In Argentina, to avoid rain on your wedding day you can stick a knife in the ground. Or sprinkle salt in the shape of a cross in the yard or bury an egg.

It's believed that if rain falls on a funeral procession, the deceased will go to heaven. But rain in an open grave means someone in the family will die within the year.

In 2009, Reuters reported that farmers in Bihar asked unmarried girls to plough the fields naked to embarrass the weather gods to bring some rain.

Rain, Guns & Cigarettes

There are no strict rules about what makes a film noir but there are general guidelines. Visual techniques such as lighting, shadows, or plot motifs like rainy nights are common to most. From The Third Man (1949), Double Indemnity (1944) to The Maltese Falcon (1941), rain is a backdrop for murders, investigation or confrontation.

The iconic noir imagery: a dark alley, rain falling in silver slivers and the actor usually wearing trench, lighting a cigarette. William H Macy as Terry Thorpe — a film critic — in A Slight Case of Murder (1999) says the central theme of the noir film is that "the world is a dangerous place.... The main character walks a cityscape rife with traps set to destroy him".

Rain Festivals in India

Throw a stone in India and you will probably hit someone dancing at some random festival. So, can monsoon be far behind.


Where: North India, especially Rajasthan and Bihar

When: Late July

The Haritalika Teej is a fasting festival for Hindu married women. Women get together, dress up and then swing, umm... on jhoolas. It's the quintessential monsoon festival.


Where: Tamil Nadu

When: Mid July-August

Celebrated by women, the festival pays tribute to water's life-sustaining properties. It's always celebrated near river basins, water tanks, lakes and wells.


Where: Arunachal Pradesh

When: July 5

Celebrated every year at Nenchaleya by the Apatani tribes to propitiate the Dree god to protect the crops from pests and diseases.


Where: Himachal Pradesh

When: July-August

Celebrated in Chamba, this seven-day-long affair is a thanksgiving ceremony to the god of rain and a prayer for good harvest.


Where: Meghalaya

When: July

Pnar tribe celebrates this monsoon festival where young men make a symbolic gesture of driving away the evil spirit The North East has more monsoon festivals like Tuluni (Nagaland), Kharchi Puja (Tripura) & Mim Kut (Mizoram).

Rain Festivals in Thailand

Cat Procession: Central region of Thailand parades a female cat to pray for rain.

Rocket Festival: North-easterners pray to rain gods by launching bamboo rockets.

Phi Ta Khon: Three-day Buddhist festival is an old tradition in Dan Sai County.

Rain Festival in Vietnam

Rain Festival of the Muong: In the fourth lunar month, Don and Chuong hamlets hold a praying-for-rain ceremony where the chief of hamlet lays the feast tray. The two arrange their troops to perform mock battle and pray for rain.

Rain at Random: Fun facts about the rain

Raining Cats and Dogs - The phrase was said to have originated in the 1500s, when during heavy rain cats and dogs nestling on the thatched roofs would fall down.