India, April 23 -- With utmost regards to the great poet of Waste Land, April is not the cruellest month. Certainly not in Delhi. Look around-gulmohar trees are starting to shoot out their bloom in passionate tints of red.
To be sure, the springtime bloom of Delhi's semal trees too shows up in the same colour, but the pulpy semal flowers don't have the hot-bloodedness of the gulmohars. No wonder the latter is also referred to as 'flame tree.'
One gulmohar, currently in notable bloom, stands within the India Gate circle. The tree is wholly covered with flowers, the woody trunk barely visible. Indeed, under the white hot sky, the flaming red is getting too sheeny for the eyes. Better gaze at the other gulmohars dotting the vicinity; their r...