Adhip Agarwala

People from Bengaluru should not be allowed to complain about their weather turning hot. The other day, as a namma friend called to express disappointment over their daytime temperatures reaching as high as 33 degrees, I wondered in what Awadhi words should I inform her about the pleasant 42 degrees here in Kanpur. The baked earth, the breezily burning air and the blindingly bright sunny afternoons are clearly things she would not be missing.

The Allen Forest Zoo in Kanpur is one of India’s largest zoological parks. Located in the middle of the city, it’s a vast expanse of fresh air, tall trees, and animals and birds of all shapes and sizes, and these early winter months are the best time to soak in the filtered sun when you pay a visit. But as you walk the winding pavements, you’re likely to marvel at the variety of sounds. A tiger growls from one corner, hundreds of birds perform a symphony in another.

After a few months of a hectic summer, the rains are here. The IIT Kanpur campus is green and nature’s colours abound once more. With monsoon, however, comes alive the age-old tradition as well: Sunday evenings of guilt-free laziness, together with the music of the rain’s patter, a Bollywood classic on the TV, and some hot, simmering tea. Over the years, the world’s technologies have changed shape and form, including the TV.