Monsoon in Bir – more than what It’s been almost five years of being in Bir, the village that I visited as a tourist, and now call home. Over these years, we have seen Bir shapeshift and evolve through seasons – and yet till today, my favourite time to be in Bir, has to be the monsoon season;
Those of us who live here or do business, know that when Monsoons arrive, the official off-season of our popular tourist town begins because that is when Paragliding officially shuts for two months from mid-July to mid-September. Probably why, people may think it’s not the best time to visit Bir, because if you can’t experience paragliding, the thing that Bir is known for, then why visit during that time at all?
Fireflies in Bir
And I couldn’t disagree more – because for us, Monsoons is when something in Bir shifts, it becomes a quaint village where you see more than just paragliding, or probably when you see much more and beyond that is there to Bir;
Imagine this – it’s raining incessantly for days – so much so, that you see the house next to yours covered in clouds, or walking with an umbrella with clouds as your visibility, hiding even the huge trees you otherwise occasionally spot on your walks. ;
A full rainbow from the terrace of AVVAs Cafe
If you end up finding some sunshine, that’s when the most beautiful phenomenon takes place – a rainbow, spotted from different places – in the valley, above the mountains, or the huge, empty landing site. A full rainbow – bright and clear, for you to see and absorb, and if you’re lucky, which you mostly are in the monsoons – you will see a double rainbow, and the child in you will shriek and come alive.
Dramatic sky after sunset in Bir during monsoons
And if that’s not enough – monsoon calls for the most dramatic skies – clouds – dark, and many, and yet when it will be time for the sun to set, it will not leave without making noise – imagine the most glorious sunsets with dramatic skies, golden hour and hues that are not shy – forcing you to take note and be in awe, and then wait for the same to happen the next day. Monsoon is the time when Bir surprises you with its sunsets – you think you’ve seen the best one, seen it all, and then the next day – there it will be – Bir and sunsets doing its thing, all over again.
Monsoon is when the town decides to pause and renew, with everything blooming around – huge crops, hundreds of wildflowers, and bright green moss on the old walls.
This is probably why it is our favourite season to be in Bir – because that’s when we too are – renewed and reminded of why we came here, fell in love, and ended up calling this place home.
