Effects of the seasonal cycles of atmospheric surface forcings on the development and termination of the Indian Ocean Zonal Dipole Mode (IOZDM) are studied using a nonlinear, 4-1/2 layer ocean model partially coupled to an advective atmospheric mixed layer model in which sea surface temperature (SST) feeds back only to air temperature and specific humidity. A series of experiments are performed for the period of 1984--1998 to isolate processes. The results indicate the seasonal cycle of atmospheric forcing aids development and decay of cold SST anomalies (SSTA) in the eastern basin associated with strong, positive dipole events. During the strong IOZDM years of 1994 and 1997, seasonal southeasterlies associated with the Asian summer monsoon reinforce coastal upwelling associated with the IOZDM near Sumatra-Java in boreal summer and fall, assisting initiation and increasing the peak amplitudes of these events. However, near the equator, fall equatorial westerlies deepen the thermocline in the eastern basin, reducing the cold SSTA in the eastern equatorial region and near Sumatra and Java. This contributes to the early termination of the 1994 IOZDM. In boreal winter the monsoon wind reversal reduces coastal upwelling along Sumatra and Java, further contributing to IOZDM termination. Moreover, the seasonal equatorial westerlies during fall and the monsoon wind reversal during winter counter southeasterly wind anomalies associated with the IOZDM in the eastern antinode region, reducing the total wind speed, weakening entrainment cooling and surface turbulent heat loss and thus further assisting IOZDM termination.