Idukki
district
in Kerala is a hilly area surrounded by tall
mountains. Aanaimudi
(elevation
of 2,695 meters - 8,842
ft),
is the highest peak in India south of the Himalayas.
It is in the Kannan Devan Hills Village of Devikulam taluk of Idduki
district.
This
place is internationally known for a strange phenomenon called ''Red
Rain''- seasonal rain coming down in red color
some
times
in
other colors as well - green, yellow and black. The first incident of
Red Rain was recorded as early as 1818. Ever since Idukki
and
Kottayam districts have
witnessed
this unusual sight intermittently
accompanied
by lightning and thunder between July and September, this place has been
classified as a 'Red Region.' Damages to the tree leaves in this
district were also reported after the rain. It was a localized
happening within a few kilometers and beyond that the rain was
normal. Several hypotheses such as cometary, meteoric activities,
suspension of minute volcanic pyroclastic airborne materials
from volcanoes and even extra terrestrial activities have been ruled
out. At last after several years of work, the scientists came to the
conclusion based on the consistent presence of spores in the samples
under electron microscope that the colored rain is a seasonal and
localized phenomenon caused by a particular variety of
air-borne algal spores that causes coloration in the summer
rain.
y
day red p
In
the western
culture
in
the
early
days
it was
thought in the red
phenomenon blood was
supposed
to fall from the sky in the form of rain. Cases have been recorded as
far back as 8th
and 9th centuries and
it
was
considered
a
bad
omen -
fore-warnings
of some
disturbing events.
In Hinduism, red rain
portends some thing wrong, a sort of bad sign; it is symbolic of the
wrath of God, punishing sinners. It is an embodiment of destruction
and annihilation. Some believe when injustice, tyranny, killing of innocent people, etc., go far beyond the limit of tolerance, anarchy sets
in and God's fury takes over from there and ''He'' sends down red rain and
fire so that the sinners may make amends for their immoral activities. If failed, down comes God to take revenge against the sinners.
Many scientific studies suggest the red rain is a seasonal local environmental feature primarily caused by algal spores.