The system of the Monsoon (derived from the Hindi word, “Mausam”) comes as a great relief after the hot Indian summer. An entire season dedicated to the rains, when the gods go off to sleep, in India makes for an entirely different concept from that in the West. Remember, “Rain, Rain, go away, little Jonny wants to play” well it’s quite the opposite of that in India!

Butterflies have fascinated humans since ages with the first references occurring in Egyptian frescoes at Thebes, which are 3,500 years and the word butterfly was first used to describe a butter coloured insect (Butter-butter coloured; Fly- Insect which could fly) and this name is still used to describe all the colourful butterflies.

It’s the middle of spring! And while many of you might be keen on listening to the nightingale and the red vented bulbul, two of the more common birds found in urban areas, it is only away from the city that you will get to spot and hear some lesser varieties of birds.

Just yesterday, we hit upon a picture shared by one of our recent guests Sumedha Chakraborty, of her dear ones posing by our lap pool. It prompted the thought – summer is the season our water parks get most visitors – flocks of people head out, mostly travelling from anywhere between one to two hours.

We have witnessed the mercury soar in the past fortnight – and although we claim to be a couple degrees cooler than mainland Mumbai or Pune, the heat obviously does not discount us in any way.