Books, Chai, and More
The word ‘hygge’ generally qualifies for winters. It is deeply embedded in Danish and Norwegian cultures and means cosiness which has long been central during winters in those parts of the world. Saranya Iyer customises ‘hygge’ for Indian monsoons. The idea by itself feels like petrichor!
The Backdrop
When temperatures dip dangerously low, the idea of bringing comfort and warmth to the daily living becomes a huge part of Danish society. The prolonged winters and wet climate bring in a seasonal depression, and through hygge, people find a solution to enliven both their surroundings and their inner world.
Hygge on Social Media
Lately, with the advent of social media, books and popular culture, hygge slowly took wings beyond the confines of Denmark and made its way to other parts of the world. People have started to cultivate a life of quiet joy, simple pleasures and slow living, all of which are the hallmarks of hygge lifestyle. Not just that, hygge-inspired decor and merchandise have made an entry into the markets, making shopping experience feel cosier and more intimate.
The Mumbai Monsoons and Hygge
Being in Mumbai, you don’t get to witness and experience winters as much as other parts of the country, but you do carry monsoons on your sleeve, and your chest swells with pride at the thought of incessant downpours. ‘Raining cats and dogs’ is perhaps the idiom that comes closest to defining Mumbai’s monsoons. With no sun in sight for days, the overcast skies become the daily order of the day. While long drives and weekend getaways to Instagram-grid worthy monsoon locales have their own charm, hygge during the monsoon is gently cascading down into the people’s lifestyles and getting a spotlight these days.
Bringing hygge indoors is easy this monsoon season when you have right props to create the perfect atmosphere.
Here are four absolutely must-have hygge to make your monsoon atmospheric and aspirational.
Hygge between pages
Books will always top the charts. Heard about rains, snug blanket and cosy nook with a book in hand? As soon as the earth releases the perfume of petrichor, books seem to wait ardently to be picked up and cradled fondly. The downpours tap the window panes softly, their pitter patter acting as a pleasant backdrop to the turning of pages. In an instant, you are transported into the life inside the book. Hygge between pages means being carried away to a distant land where fiction and reality blur, and they quietly rejoice in each other’s arms.
How to find hygge between the pages?
Create a cozy nook with pillows and throws. Surround yourself with soft, gentle light. Pick a book of your choice and slowly tune yourself to the rhythm of rains.
Genre that goes well with rains – Cozy setting reads like Ruskin Bond’s books, and whodunit mysteries by Agatha Christie.
Hygge in gentle sips
Chai, warmth in a cup, is an elixir through which stories come undone within moments. Memories are brewed with every sip, and those gentle sips make you open up while letting others open up to you. Hygge during rains is best served with a cup of chai. It can be a welcome drink, a filler between conversations or a gentle pause like comma that marks a break with a hash tag promise of ‘to be continued tomorrow’.
Chai is a phenomenon that has survived the ravages of time and holds its chest proudly and announces “I am here to stay, no matter what.” Creating a hygge weather is incomplete without chai. By your side, a book and chai hold a key to gently persuade your soul to pause, slow down and just inhale the overcast weather as it is, without any judgements.
How to brew hygge in a cup?
A shot of Ginger tea (Adrak wali chai) for your gentle soul – Bring the water to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Add crushed ginger. Let it simmer. Turn the heat down. Throw in some tea leaves. Pour in the milk. Bring it to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat and add sugar or jaggery. Strain it in your favourite chai mug and enjoy the brew with finger foods or your favourite cookies.
Very important: Wrap your hands around the mug and inhale the scent of your chai before the sip.
Hygge in silken notes
When the gentle hum of rains begins, music returns to your soul like a call from a long-distance friend. Just as the friend picks from where she had left, music strikes the chord which you have been yearning to be struck. It knows you inside out and wins you over every single time. The chemistry of rains, music and chai can never go wrong and is the best dopamine fix ever.
How to strike right chords with your hygge soul?
Create a playlist of your favourite songs. Let the songs be an extension of what you feel. Choose songs that uplift you. When the gentle light settles in, brew yourself a ginger tea, sit in your nook and tune into your playlist. The music will welcome you into its vast expansive hug, and your heart will immediately feel full to the brim with love pouring from all sides.
Hygge in soulful conversations
Last but very integral in creating a hygge mood is conversations that go deeper into your soul and help you reconnect with yourself. You feel like you have reclaimed a part of yourself that needed healing. These conversations ignite a spark in you, energise your core and set you on the path of meeting yourself.
Call over your friends with whom you feel comfortable and welcomed. Small groups add a lot of depth than larger groups who hinge on surface level talks. Throw in a prompt if needed to understand each other’s views on a topic. Go deeper into the conversations and welcome each other’s perspectives.
The rain-washed balcony, gentle hum of music, chai with tendrils of steam and a book sitting between two friends like a third friend offering a listening ear is a perfect way to set a hygge tone during monsoons.
Bottomline
Hygge is attainable with small efforts. You don’t have to move your feet or pack a suitcase. These props are enough to plan an intentional, soft living. These serve as reminders to slow down the hustle, listen to a beat of your heart that often gets drowned in daily chaos, and wrap yourself in life’s simple pleasures.
Read this feature in our June 2026 edition with the theme Petrichor. Page 16-17
