Rustic Kottayam rolls out the pink carpet

Gorgeous water lilies have taken over the backwaters of Kottayam, offering tourists a unique bait. Tourists have thronged to catch a glimpse of the rising sun over the sea of ​​pink flowers. Preparations have been started to organize a tourism festival in the village of Malarikkal, the epicenter of flowers. The event, which will coincide with the upcoming Onam season, is being organized by the Meenachil-Meenanthara-Kodur river linking program in collaboration with Tiruvarappu Panchayat and Malarikkal Tourism Society.

River Linking Program coordinator K. According to Anil Kumar, this festival will take place in about one thousand acres of paddy fields in the interior areas of the village. Boats will be provided to take tourists to the flower spots, which are best visited before 10 a.m.

The best is yet to come

“The lily bulbs, which are now waiting under water, will come out in full force when the third wave of flood waters clears these polar networks. This pink carpet will spread across the area and visitors will mingle among these flowers. You can forge your own path,” he said.

Similar events will take place at Ambattukkadavu of Puthupalli-Panchikkkad panchayats after the festival in Malarikkal. Flower places in Kottayam were partially opened for visitors last year in line with the COVID-19 restrictions, while in the previous year, these destinations were completely closed for visitors.

record footfall

With road connectivity improving and the pandemic wave easing, organizers expect the tourist influx to break the record set in 2019. The flowering season in Malarikkal became a ruckus on social media during this period, recording nearly 80,000 arrivals.

Buoyed by the influx of tourists, the state government had also announced its plans to organize a Pink Waterly Festival on the lines of the Tulip Festival in Amsterdam. However, this plan has not materialized yet.