Monsoons are the lifeblood of India and her people. The farmer spends the days of high summer in anxious anticipation of the rains and so does the city-dweller, not necessarily -- as in the farmer’s case -- for reasons of livelihood but for the sheer relief from the scorching summer heat. The Indian monsoon first hits the Andaman and Nicobar Islands around the end of May. These southwestern winds hit Kerala soon after, by the first week of June, before making their way up north.
Welcome as they are, rains can be a mixed blessing for infrastructurally challenged Indian cities. Which makes a getaway to experience the monsoon in all its beauty and grandeur an all the more attractive proposition. Fortunately, there is no dearth of rain-swept destinations across the Indian subcontinent.
Here is a list of ideal places for monsoon chasers. Almost as a rule, July and August are the best months to visit. One exception is the state of Tamil Nadu, which experiences showers from October to December, and the other is Cherrapunji, known the world over as the place where it rains practically all year round.
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