IIT-Kharagpur and Mandarmani Beach
Pre-monsoon rainstorm We began the day on 5/25 with a drive to IIT-Kharagpur, the oldest Indian Institute of Technology and the alma mater of Professor Ganguly. During a rest stop a few hours into the drive, it started to rain. Then it continued to rain even harder. A 15-foot walk outside was required to get to the restroom—I was soaked after completing the round-trip journey. The winds had picked up at this point as well. Sheltered under the tin and ceramic roof of the large restaurant, we watched and listened as ceramic tiles flew off the roof and crashed on the ground near parked cars. Our bus had moved away from the building to avoid falling branches. In the roof above where we were standing, two holes about the size of small dinner plates were ripped open in the tin. Dust was swirling around the whole enclosure and getting in our eyes. A window shattered in the kitchen and the cooking fires briefly blew out of control. The whole pre-monsoon rainstorm was over in about ...