Kadam Phool: The muse of monsoon
As monsoon unfurls into a serenading sonnet-like story, Kadam Phool emerges, a floral protagonist
You have gifted me the first Kadam Phool of this monsoon.
I am here to offer you the songs of monsoon.
I have kept concealed under the dark shade of clouds –
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This is the first crop of my melody farm.
Your gift of the present may not be possible tomorrow,
Branches of your tree would be exhausted.
On each monsoon, with the flood streams of your ambiguity –
My songs would fetch loads of admiration for you.
- Rabindranath Tagore
Growing up in Bangladesh, the monsoon has held a significant place in my heart – be it during my childhood at the Jamuna-side town or life in Dhaka. And always at the centre of it, along the rain, lush green, petrichor, thundering, dark skies and mud, was the sensory serenade that is Kadam Phool – the muse of monsoon.
With its rhythmic downpours and ethereal mist, monsoon weaves a symphony of life and renewal, turning the land into a tapestry of vibrant greens. As the celestial ballet of clouds commences its grand performance, the symphony of raindrops cascading upon the earth evokes a quintessential charm. As the monsoon unfurls into a serenading sonnet-like story, the Kadam Phool emerges, a floral protagonist.
Kadam Phool, scientifically known as Anthocephalus cadamba, serves as a metaphor for the monsoon's embrace. Its very name, "Kadam," resonates with an ethereal mellifluousness, akin to a whispered sonnet that carries the cadence of raindrops caressing lush foliage. Like a romantic rendezvous, the Kadam Phool beckons the monsoon's benediction and in return, unfurls a spellbinding spectacle that arrests the senses.
In the verdant tapestry, the rainy season looms, and the Kadam Phool ascends as an emissary of transformation, orchestrating a captivating metamorphosis that shifts the very essence of the landscape.
It weaves its petals into an ornate narrative of renewal, as parched grounds metamorphose into a verdurous expanse, each petal mirroring the tender sentiments of rain-soaked aspirations.
The alluring fragrance it exudes transcends mere olfactory senses; it is an olfactory sonnet penned in rain-soaked ink.
However, the Kadam Phool's allure is not confined to its ephemeral beauty alone; it resonates with a deeper symbolism that transcends seasons.
The monsoon, akin to an ardent lover, imparts its vivifying touch to the earth, nurturing it back to life. The Kadam Phool, nestled amidst emerald foliage, becomes the very embodiment of this union, its efflorescence a poignant reminder of the eternal dance between nature's tears and the earth's embrace.
Kadam Phool's bloom heralds an annual pilgrimage of the senses, an exquisite ceremony wherein man's longing for connection with nature finds its vessel. Its arrival is a harbinger of respite, as its delicate petals form a celestial canopy that shields us from the sun's fervent ardour. Under this bower, the soul finds solace, entwining its dreams with the ebb and flow of rain-laden clouds.
The mellow yellow flower's dance with the monsoon reflects an intrinsic harmony that transcends the boundaries of existence. Its petals sway in unison with the rain-washed zephyrs, a choreography that whispers of unity between the elements. This synergy serves as an eloquent lesson, urging humanity to reconcile with the earth's cadence, to coalesce with nature's rhythm rather than against it.
It's delicate demeanour and salient scent ensnare the senses, drawing us into a world where the ephemeral beauty of a flower mirrors the eternal romance between heaven and earth. As the rain's touch awakens dormant landscapes, Kadam Phool awakens the slumbering poet and painter within one - urging to take up the pen or the brush to scribble the essence of the monsoon's magnanimity.
The author is a journalist
