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Among the traditions associated with umbrella, the Borsarng umbrella festival, held in Chiangmai province of Thailand deserves a special mention. The village of Borsarng has earned fame for the art of umbrella making for more than 200 years. It is said that a Buddhist monk brought this art to Thailand from China. It went into the Guinness Book of Records, when the villagers made the world's largest umbrella to honour the Southeast Asian Games of 1999.

Whatever, its purpose may be, from a shield against rain and sun to a status symbol to a fashion accessory, umbrellas will always be held high across the globe by young and old, rich and poor, alike. In the reign of Queen Anne, the umbrella appears to have been in common use in London as a screen from rain but only by women
Back home in India whenever we talk of umbrellas, we are invariably reminded of the scene from the classic 1950s Hindi movie, Barsaat, where Raj Kapoor and Nargis are shown singing 'Pyar Hua', on a rain-drenched night under the protection of an umbrella. Here, the umbrella symbolises warmth and camouflage for lovers. The scene has become a virtual symbol of the 'black and white' golden era Hindi Films.