Beating the heat
By: K S S Pillai
The month of May is here, with most parts of the country sweating in extreme heat. Golden shower trees with a profusion of yellow flowers that bordered several roads have started shedding petals continuously. Schools and colleges have been closed for their summer vacation, leaving the children at home with their minds busy with all kinds of mischief. The well-to-do are busy packing their suitcases to escape to cooler locations, some inside the country and some outside.
Leaving the price of tickets to the demand and supply position of the market, the government has allowed a free hand to airlines to charge as they like. Aviation companies have been increasing the ticket rates to usual holiday destinations daily. To cope with competition, budget airlines have come up, offering nothing free to the passengers.
The print and electronic media are full of articles advising the common man on how to lead a healthy life during the summer months. Drink several glasses of fluids, most suggest. Tender coconuts are in great demand. The philanthropic have opened huts on the roadside offering cool drinking water in earthen pots to passers-by. Some have even replaced water with buttermilk with ice cubes. The price of lemons has sky-rocketed, making them a luxurious item.
People have changed to lose cotton dresses of light colour. Doctors are busy treating patients with rashes that cause itching. Technicians that repair fans, air-conditioners, and air-coolers are having a field day. Cool drinks of different brand names are in great demand, and the guests are usually offered a glass of ice-cold drinks instead of tea. People avoid going out during the daytime, fearing sunstrokes.
All this hullaballoo reminds me of my childhood in Kerala, a state with high temperatures even among unseasonal rains with lightning and thunder. Most men would throw away their upper garments as soon as they reach home, wearing a dhoti or kaili and a thorthu, the thin bath towel either on their shoulders or tightly tied around the head to wipe away the sweat intermittently.
Since there would be a river or a large pond nearby, everyone would take a dip both in the morning and evening. It would be a time to exchange news with the neighbours, and they would not be in a hurry to come out of the water body. The rivers would be placid in the absence of any fresh water, and thin columns of steam would rise from the surface.
As the heat was experienced the year around, people did not feel unduly discomforted during the summer months. Most houses had thatched roofs of woven coconut leaves seasoned in the nearest river. They would be changed every year with the active participation of neighbours.
It was a day-long process during which all the women would lend a helping hand in preparing the lunch for the participants. Those with paddy fields would have the main house built with rich wood with a lot of carvings. There would invariably be a storeroom for paddy. The floor of the house used to be periodically plastered with cow dung, making it cool, and all would sleep on mats spread on it. Most houses had a compound with several coconut, mango, and cashew trees. They used to offer good shade during the day and fuel for hearths.
The breakfast in most houses also helped fight the heat. People used to have the last evening’s left-over rice gruel that fermented at night with curd and fish curry, which supplied enough energy for manual work. Most people also carried an umbrella while going out in all seasons. It protected the bearer from heat in the summer months and rain during the monsoon.
(The author is a retired professor of English. A regular contributor to ‘Kashmir Vision’, his articles and short stories have appeared in several national and international publications)
