Today, nature in Jaipur has declared autumn.

We had a few early signs around September 27, when the Parijat and Orange Jasmine – which flower only during the autumn months – suddenly came into bloom.  There was a nip in the early morning air. And constellations and stars like Orion and Sirius, and Venus in relation to the moon, had taken up autumnal positions in the pre-dawn sky.

But then, abruptly, the heat returned to the air. The soil and grass turned dry again. And our autumnal shrubs stopped flowering.  Only the skies remained true to the changing seasonal cycle.

All that has changed today! The pre-dawn sky had the amazing spectacle of a line-up of the moon, Venus, Mars and Jupiter (earthskynews.org is great for daily updates on what is happening in the earth sky).  The Parijat and Orange Jasmine are once again back in action, generous with their unique fragrances. And the dew has started to glisten on the grass at sunrise.  Cooler days and nights, the garden in full bloom, winter vegetables ready to be planted….