BHOPAL: It bucketed down, and wetted the Friday afternoon, lowering the day and night temperatures further.
The monsoon clouds have begun to hover over the city since the first week of this month.
Yet, it hardly rained, since the steady winds dispersed the clouds. So the city has so far been deprived of a proper monsoon bath.
Nonetheless, heavy showers on Thursday and on Friday rinsed the City of Lakes and zuzhed it up.
Ganesh festival is beginning from Saturday. And legend has it that, if it rains heavily on the eve of the festival, it brings prosperity.
A priest in a temple in Kasturba Nagar, Raghav Mishra, says as the rain has washed the path of the lord, the state as well as the country will prosper.
There is, however, barely any enthusiasm among people about the festival. They cannot publicly celebrate it because of the corona pandemic.
Many of them will do so in their homes by installing the idols of Lord Ganesh.
The Upper Lake is full to its capacity, and seemed to have sipped every splash of the shower that fell on its lips.
The evening fell early on Friday. Every now and then a gust of wind blew.
The roads were scattered with leaves fallen from trees due to steady downpour. Heavy rains also blurred the streetlights. Off and on cars whizzed past, splashing water, soaking bikers.
The shopkeepers put up their shutters just as the night fell, partly because of the rain, partly because of the government guidelines to close business establishments by 10pm.
It became risky to drive two-wheelers, for ditches in most of the roads were filled with water.
The broken road near under bridge at MP Nagar has become dangerous for driving, particularly in such an inclement weather.
The met office has predicted more rainfall in large swathe in the state.
As the darkness grew, the rainfall became more intense. The city went to bed.
