Whenever we see Dragonflies in nature, we go back to the nostalgic memories of the past as they are playmates of our early childhood. They are seen in abundance in spring , after the torrential monsoon rains( June to August), and along with butterflies and flowers, these wonderful organisms enhance the beauty of spring. Small children love to catch and prompt them to pick up small stones by reciting Dragonfly rhymes, and tie a small thread to the end of the tail to make them fly.
There are many interesting myths related to the Dragonflies. One of them is that, after the death of a person, the soul is transformed into a Dragonfly and it would be hovering over sky for taking rebirth as another person. A famous novelist in Malayalam, M. Mukundan introduced and gave importance to the above said myth in his novel, " Mayyazhi Puzhayude Theerangalil" ("On the Banks of Mayyazhi"). Moreover, the writers and poets are fascinated and inspired by these romantic flies and have made a good contribution to the Indian literature.
Here, there is a saying that " you shouldn't force dragonflies to take stones" that means one mustn't insist the kids to do more work than what they can.
People love to call their small daughters by giving pet name as "Ka-thumbi".
In connection with the weather, there is a superstitious belief that ,if the dragonflies in a flock ( Pantala flavescens) are seen flying close to the paddy fields, it would be raining soon. Such tales and stories about these intriguing flies serve to enhance my scientific curiosity.
