Clouds are one of my favorite subjects of fascination in nature. It baffles me on how tons of water, dust and ice manage to float for so long and yet so gracefully. I do not remember being the kid who would imagine clouds as an animal or object. I loved looking at them for what they were. Omnious and slow, mesmerizing and still, dark and looming, fast and scary; clouds speak the universal beauty of nature.
Since clouds come in various types, the following infographic helps identify types of clouds.
Image rights belong to the Met Office, UK
Cumulonimbus clouds are my favorite, those are the thunderstorm clouds that reach really, really high. I fondly remember cruising in an airplane at around 30,000 feet in the air and watching a thunderstorm from afar. It was the first time I had seen a cumulonimbus cloud from a perspective different from a ground-view. It was then that I saw the true massive scale and power of a thunderstorm. A sea of clouds surrounded the big cloud and they slowly dissipated in the distance. Sadly, I was lost in the moment and completely forgot to take a photograph.
During the months of June-August, I'd look out towards the west. My eyes would be glued to the horizon to spot any developing thunderstorms. A brief spell of shower is the best respite for hot and humid days in these months. I'd rejoice at a towering column of cumulonimbus clouds spreading across the sky. Chennai's geography and climate is interesting. The monsoon winds from the west dry up and are hot by the time they reach Chennai's outskirts. The afternoon brings humid, cool breeze from the sea which tends to clash with the hot monsoon air and create thunderstorms. I see it as an intense and passionate romance with literal sparks flying across the sky. What a treat it is to be in Chennai and watch a romance unfold across the entire sky!
Pictured here is of the first thunderstorm of 2020, on June 4th. After two gruelling months of lockdown and summer heat, the sight of approaching rainclouds was a treat! It did not rain that day, but the clouds put up a beautiful show. Most of these evenings, I wonder about our ancestors, with their intuitive knowledge of the winds and climatic patterns, and how their lives revolved around their geography and climate. Another side to my reverie would also involve appreciating their timeless beauty. They are so perfect in their existence and do not do much actually.
Studying at DJAD, Coimbatore gave me unmatched views of pretty skies and mountains. Admittedly being a person who tends to live in his own head, the skies were perfect fodder for my wandering mind. Much time had been spent gazing out of the window in dreamy thoughts, extending my mind to another corner of the universe. Monsoon semesters were the best time to study here because of the cool breeze and continuously flying clouds that seemed to be an arm's grasp away!
During a power cut on a Monsoon night, I clicked this picture of clouds speeding by the campus in almost complete darkness. The light from the city is reflected in the background, giving the eerie, purplish tint to the scene. It is around these clouds that the best bike rides, conversations, hangouts and times would happen. These clouds compelled everyone around to keep their phones aside and watch their performance unfold in the night. Such is the beauty of nature, it tugs us away from our suffering to make the day worth living.
An evening spent with Vaibhavi on the rooftop of the college resulted in these vibrant pictures and memories. It was after a thunderstorm that we decided to sneak to the roof of the college and take sight of a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. The photographs do not do justice to what the eyes and mind had seen on that evening. To see everything bathed in the Sun's infinite golden blessing, with the bright, blue sky peeping in to stay in the party.
Nature anchors me back to reality and keeps my mind in the present. I wish to experience the infinite wisdom and unmatched beauty of our creator every day of my life. Clouds are obviously only a speck of what beauty nature presents to us. Who knows? This might be just the beginning of a long series to appreciate nature.
All through last week, I had been dealing with severe cold and fever. Preferring to isolate at home meant I had to isolate my mind too, which wasn't a very wise choice. I was hung up on memories from college and thoughts of how better and simpler life was back there. It began to affect my work and daily functioning even after I recovered. The mind can be a tricky puzzle to work through. Fortunately, this post helped me latch on to things that actually mattered in my memories of the past. I made a vow to myself to cherish the current moment and make the present valuable. For it is true that I lost many a moment in the past week in pursuit of extinguished bliss.
Enriching the current moment would involve an appreciation for the present and the things that surround me. This provides me a wonderful opportunity to revel in beautiful things around me and share it with the world, for beauty grows in its appreciation.
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