The start of winter is the only time when indulgence is not a vice but a biological necessity. It is the season of lagan (enthusiasm) for food. Perhaps the most sacred object at the start of Indian winter is the Razai (the cotton quilt).
Because it is the season of festivals that celebrate light (Diwali, though technically autumn, bleeds into winter) and harvest (Lohri, Pongal, Makar Sankranti). It is wedding season. It is the season of bonfires, of sitting on rooftop terraces wrapped in shawls, of sipping soup from a mug, and of wearing that woollen sweater your grandmother knitted three years ago. winter start in india
The start of winter is a psychological event. Temperatures might only drop from 32°C to 28°C, but the humidity vanishes. For a Mumbaikar or a Chennaite, this 4-degree drop feels like a migration to the Alps. Winter here isn't about survival; it is about relief. It is the season of blue skies and low clouds. It is when the sea breeze feels like a caress rather than a slap. The "start" of winter here is the end of the tyranny of the monsoon. The Gastronomic Shift: Eating for Heat The human body is a brilliant alchemist. As winter starts, our cravings change without us consciously deciding. In the north, the markets suddenly fill with gajak , rewari , and peanut chikki —dense, calorific blocks of sesame and jaggery designed to generate internal heat. The start of winter is the only time