“This is the breadbasket of India,” Grandfather said. “The soil is rich, the rivers are many, and the rhythm of seasons feeds a billion people.” “And don’t forget the little pockets,” he added. “In parts of Punjab and Himachal, we have a Mediterranean-like climate—mild, wet winters and dry summers. In the rain-shadow areas of the Western Ghats, we have Semi-Arid climate, where scrub forests thrive on just a few inches of rain.”
“This is where our rivers are born,” Grandfather said. “The snow and glaciers melt slowly, feeding the Ganga and the Indus. Without this frozen crown, the rest of India would be a desert.” “Now, close your eyes,” he continued. “Jump from the ice to the wettest place on Earth—Mawsynram in Meghalaya.” types of climate in india
Meera felt the humidity drop. Now she stood in a land of dry, golden grasses and scattered thorny trees. This was the climate. The summers were scorching—over 40 degrees Celsius. Then came the monsoon, a short, violent season of thunderstorms that turned the dry earth into muddy rivers. After the rains, a brief but lush green season followed, only to fade back into dryness. “This is the breadbasket of India,” Grandfather said
The old banyan tree stood at the center of the village, its roots spreading like ancient wisdom. It had seen centuries of summers, winters, and the great arrival of the rains. But this year, a young girl named Meera asked her grandfather, “Why is the weather so different when we travel? In the north, we shiver. In the west, we burn. In the east, the land is always wet.” In the rain-shadow areas of the Western Ghats,
“In this climate,” Grandfather said, “you don’t wait for rain. The rain waits for you. It is a world of endless growth and decay.” “Leave the rainforest and travel to central India, to the Deccan Plateau,” he said.
Meera felt a blast of hot wind. The ground was sand and rock. Trees were almost absent—only dry, thorny bushes and the hardy khejri tree survived. This was the climate. Daytime temperatures soared past 50 degrees. Nights were freezing cold. Rain was a myth, sometimes not falling for two or three years.
“People here build thick mud houses to keep the heat out,” Grandfather said. “They sing songs of water. They know that every drop is a treasure.” “Finally, travel to the plains of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar,” he said.