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Vazhachal - In the kingdom of the Rain God

You’ve not experienced the monsoon until you’ve been drenched in the Western Ghats. One morning in August we set off across the Tamil Nadu border and into Kerala’s Vazhachal forests. It rained. Oh my goodness, did it rain! Mist rose from forest floors to spiral up and mix with clouds where you could not even tell them apart. Rain drenched leaves shone verdure and drip-dropped everywhere. Ankle-deep puddles threw up a neat arc of spray as we drove through them. Frogs and tiny toads jumped out of our way and eager leeches sensed us and stood on tip-toe (not really, you know), looking to latch on. Writer and photographer ARATI RAO shares glimpses of life from a fragile rainforest ecosystem.