The Catkins, the Jasmines, and the presence of autumn in Dhaka

A quick Google search of 'Late Autumn' returns 'Deshi Shorot' as its Bangla term, interestingly. Instagram posts suddenly start displaying paraphernalia like "I notice that Autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature" by Friedrich Nietzsche, specifically after October hits every year. The German philosopher's thought-provoking writing brings us to contemplate the emotional and psychological significance of the autumn season rather than focusing solely on its natural attributes.

However, we are already through the months of Bhadra and Ashwin; autumn got missed by a massive spotlight, and the Durga Puja festival takes shape during Ashwin mostly. This time, the festival is taking place when Dhaka's hot, humid, surprisingly rainy weather was brought down by the soothing breeze of what we call 'fall,' autumn to be more British. It's late autumn, a transitional season bringing comfort, festivals, food, fashion, and a particular mood for rumination.

One of the very things to look at in the musings of Late Autumn is the season's association with October. With Inktober hitting the globe, it gets colourful and creative, somewhat nodding to bring back the flair of creativity and eagerness to do something that toils. Facebook feed gets flooded with posts that sing the vibes thrown off of October, like "In October, two seasons were pressing on themselves, and I was in the middle"; it is like dwelling between the duality of our natural selves, one that is cheery and calm and one that is vulnerable and emotional. Autumn has a deep and introspective quality that resonates with the human experience and inner thoughts.

Must we talk about the vibrant hues on our physiques alongside the transitioning nature that seems to become brown and more Earthy? The escape from the neutral colours of the season happens through the Durga Puja festivals; vibrance, individual style, and fusion become part of the streets, mandaps, and get-togethers. The late autumn season is perhaps a true-to-itself notion as it is the most comfortable season to drape sarees since roads are not awash of insufficient precipitation of raindrops, the weather sings along cool and calm, the atmosphere remains pleasant to the mind, just the right combination for trying out little heavy silky fabrics, velvets, jacquard or even brocade.

Bengalis are born with a palette for native food items, especially pitha, but, pitha's sweetness and jhal's spiciness hit the right time during late autumn, as says a student of Viqarunnisa Noon School, Noor-A-Sharfa, her mom becomes noticeably eager to buy street food items: pithas and bhortas more than usual when the late autumn season advents and this enthusiasm lasts till the very end of winter.

The excitement surrounding personal photoshoots rejuvenates in the presence of kashful or catkins. It is pretty hard to forget the late autumn or autumn season drawings taught by tutors in the classrooms of schools across Bangladesh: a boat rowing in the river and the river bank filled with full-bloomed catkins waving in the air; yes, it was a lovely scene to draw, indeed.

Khalid Saifullah Juel, an ex-student of Notre Dame College, is distinctively thankful for the autumnal weather as the sky of Dhaka city remains clear, and the pollution is much less felt. Deep blue sky with catkins are indicators of the weather. Still, people do not know much about the specific presence of autumnal nature, so feels Faiyad Zaim, a student of Dhaka University. The Facebook proper photos of tea-filled Earthen cups roaming around to deliver the message of the association of Jasmine flowers as another quintessential part of autumnal nature is something that cannot be missed out, so thinks Ipshita Maliat Rahman, a student of Dhaka University.

The weather's effect on the city-dwellers is rather soothing as there is less hustle to become tired and toiled with summery humidity, and the absence of a fan in a bus does not bother much since the cool fresh air remains in the present. The irritation somewhat goes away, so thinks Saiful Islam, an accountant. Running errands is much more difficult under a burning sun or in chilly, abrasive weather but smooth during late autumn's delightful and satisfying weather.

Late autumn brings along the dilemma of "Should I turn the fan on, or would it be too hot? Won't it be a bit colder?" But, most importantly, late autumn is a time to appreciate the simple things in life and be grateful for the beauty of the world around us.

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