Dear Listers, In all Indian languages the fragrance associated with the first rain after a long, hot and dry summer is called 'mrid-gandha', literally 'earth-smell'. I have read somewhere that the modern chemistry and the science of fragrances still cannot recreate 'mrid-gandha'. It can be smelt only for a moment or so and vanishes after the ground absorbs the first few drops of water. The famous 4th century classical poet Kalidasa mentions it in his 'Meghdoota' (Cloud Messenger). He says that the deer in the forest feel the approach of the monsoon when they sense this distinct fragrance on the breeze. Arvind Kolhatkar, Toronto, June 07, 2010.

Re Arvind's comments concerning 'mrid-gandha'- (earth smell) It is indeed a very special smell and takes me back to my childhood days in India. It is similar to what John Masefield was trying to convey in his poem-Tewkesbury Road-where he wrote O, to feel the beat of the rain, and the homely smell of the earth, Cheers Des Harris