Kerala's Malarikkal paddy fields turn pink as water lilies bloom: Watch video

The paddy fields in Thiruvarpu village in Kerala’s Kottayam have turned into a picturesque wonderland with the blooming of pink water lilies. Every year in August, the paddy fields in Malarikkal, which is a growing tourism hotspot in Kerala, transform themselves into a sea of water lilies, known as 'Aambal' in Malayalam. This year too, this natural occurrence in the paddy field has transformed the entire landscape into a lush pink carpet, which is a breath-taking sight to see.

According to ANI, the blossoming water lilies, Aambal Vasantham, lasts for over a month and a half at least. The mesmerising sight is seen best between 5 am to 10 am, and visitors throng in numbers to the area early in the morning to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, only locals can be seen visiting the site this year, while the fields are blushing pink.

“It is a colourful delight for our eyes, especially during the festival of Onam. It is a good experience,” said a visitor. 

During the festival season, more visitors are expected to assemble at the site of the blooming. According to ANI, there are about 150 boats present in the area for those who want to go for a boat ride. Keeping the pandemic in mind, all the helmsmen are fully vaccinated against the deadly virus. 

Malarikkal paddy fields

It is worth mentioning that the lilies of Thiruvarpu piqued people’s interest in 2019 when several tourists shared stunning photographs of the water lilies in all their splendour on different social media platforms. Shortly, the village Thiruvarpu got widespread attention, as hundreds of visitors rushed to the Malarikkal paddy fields to take in the views. The lilies bloom at night then wilt as the day heats up. After harvest, they appear in fields, and country boatmen ferry passengers up and down the pink stretch.

The water lilies cover 600 acres of the 1,800 acres of paddy fields. However, the blossoms don’t stay long. By August-September, they begin appearing in clusters, and by the later part of September, they are dispersed throughout the fields. Excluding the beauty of water lilies, Malarikkal is home to several other attractions too. The sunset point at Malarikkal is regarded as one of the best places to see the sunset as well as the dawn. 

(With inputs from ANI)