The charm of monsoon never grows old. The season is endowed with many faces, changing expressions and an ever inviting appeal. In this monsoon, the first thing I felt writing on was about the season itself and the location I chose to catch the magic was Muzhappilangad, a destination in Kannur district in North Kerala which is well known for housing the only drive-in beach in Asia.

The wait for the onset of monsoon in Kerala is in itself an experience. When it is a windy afternoon you can bet that it is time for those pouring rains and on other occasions it would be a cool breeze that dons the role of a messenger. Still you are clueless when nature will bless you with the first rain and that uncertainty is thrilling.

I have heard from many who are in the creative field about monsoon being their haven and source of flowing creativity. Watching the trickling incessant drizzles and darkness spreading in the daytime with clouds gathering up to curious formations are undoubtedly any artist’s inspiration for a masterpiece. The intoxicating scent of the wet earth can transcend you to a world of nostalgia and imagination. My trip to Muzhappilangad gave me the opportunity to have a good, long look at the monsoon at play in Kerala. Needless to say, she was in her best form there.

I was stationed at one of those little houses surrounded by a lot of warm hearted people, an inherent virtue of the Malabar. While sitting in the veranda, I could see the rain clouds coming together from the visible ends of the sky and then it happened…the first drop!  The joy of letting that drop land on my face, looking up at the open sky was boundless for a hopeless romantic like me.  It brought back the memories of the days when as a kid I used to run around in my backyard, standing under the tall shrubs and shaking the leaves to soak myself up. Needless to say, I showed no restraint in letting myself experience the rain in its totality.

When the rain subsided for a short span of time I walked to the beach to witness the next shower. The beach of Muzhappilangad is still virgin with no traces of malice; it is humble in its entirety. It has got the vast blue ocean on one side and a string of coconut palms on the other. Even the approach to the beach is through trees with small houses on roadsides. These houses belonged to the fishermen and the people who had settled there years ago.

I awaited the rain, sitting on one of the benches in the pathway created by DTPC (District Tourist Promotion Council) of Kannur. I felt at home. From where I was sitting I could see the sea, the beach and the expanse of the blue sky. Sun was ready to set. It was paradise, hidden behind all the coconut trees. An occasional eagle was circling above, may be looking for a chance to grab a fish or two from the fishermen’s lot.

The flora around the Muzhappilangad beach area is diverse. I wanted to know more about the trees. The whistling tree (Casuarina) with pine like needles growing around the pathway looked like any beautiful European setting and behind me, the green palms of Kerala swayed with the breeze. The scent of the grass was lingering in the air.

Daring the overcast sky and the expectant rains, there were people walking on the beach, a few tourists and locals. The breeze was getting cooler and sky was getting darker. I was sure it was already raining in some nearby locality. The reflection of the departing sun in the water was a rainbow of colours. Dark coloured clouds were collecting above me waiting for nature’s sign to begin their performance. The stage was set for the monsoon rain. Within the next few minutes I heard the intensified wind and the arrival of rain…… It was a downpour!

I took shelter under the eaves of the small building in the pathway to watch the spectacular ‘monsoon show’ being enacted in front of me. The rain shook the trees on the beach; they were all swaying left and right to nature’s rhythm. The waves were foamy and they were washing over the giant black rocks that were in the sea. The music was heavenly; the sound of the waves, of the wind, of the raindrops falling on the sand and the rustle of trees. I caught my breath in admiration of the brilliance of nature; the miracle it could create. The perfection with which each element of nature played its part in this beautiful occurrence was mesmerizing. I was in awe of this place Muzhappilangad and bowled over by that monsoon rain, revelling in its magic.

As the rain was slowly making its departure, it was time for me to leave, to tell the world about the magic that I witnessed, in the best possible way I can. I walked back to the house. The path was wet. At some places it was puddles and small pools with water still dripping from the branches of trees that were leaning on to the road. I didn’t want to leave but my work called for it. On my journey back I made a decision that I was going to return soon to this nature’s lap to see the next monsoon magic.