Lotus, Lotus Everywhere

A visit to Valiyaparapoor Kayal (lake) of Edakkulam and Vavoorpadam of Kodakkal is must to enjoy the sight of acres of pink lotus in Thirunavaya, the village famous for its Mamankam remains. Lotus flowers are considered sacred by both Hindus and Buddhists and are used extensively in religious rituals and ceremonies.

Lotus farms of Thirunavaya

North of Kuttippuram offers beautiful sights of lotus cultivation on either side of the railway tracks. Lotus is cultivated on more than 20 acres in Thirunavaya and the village holds the distinction of the largest lotus farming done in a single spot in the State.

Lore has it that lotus cultivation began in Thirunavaya during the reign of Zamorins of Kozhikode to meet the daily religious necessities of the Navamukundha Temple here. Devotees offer lotus flowers to Navamukundhan, the family deity of Zamorins.

Lotus flowers

Lotus flowers are in bloom for seven to eight months except the excessive rainy months. The buds and the flowers are plucked in the mornings and evenings in small country crafts known as vallam. Flocks of birds are sighted in the farms during dawn and dusk. The normal daily yield is around a thousand flowers and during the summer, the output reduces to below five hundred due to low water levels.

The lotus flowers are in huge demand during festival seasons, especially in the Malayalam month of Vrischikam, when the flowers are required to perform pujas at temples across the State. The distribution of flowers to major places is done from Kozhikode market. There is huge demand for lotus flowers in major towns of Tamil Nadu as well. The price of a lotus flower and its bud varies from five rupees to one rupee.

A daunting task to nurture lotus

There should be at least half metre to one-and-half metre deep water for excellent flowering of lotus plants. To maintain the water level in the Valiyaparapoor Lake during summer, the farm ers have to pump water for hours from borewells and other adjacent water holes to sustain even the meagre yield. Besides, birds like cormorant and moorhen, locally known as thamarakozhi or neelakozhi, swallow the bud of the plant and damage the flowers by running across it. The weeds, grass, excessive wind and rainfall also disturb the healthy life of the lotus plants. Vast areas of paddy fields are taken by the people on lease for a fixed period in order to nurture lotus flowers.

Lotus farmers do not get any financial support from government bodies as nurturing of the national flower has not been yet recognised as an agricultural activity. Hence, farmers suffer huge losses and are even thinking of withdrawing from farming.

The muslim families engaged in lotus farming here are doing it as a part of their tradition in spite of the meagre income and are making desperate efforts to preserve the harvest and increase its yield in order to earn reasonable returns.

Very few are aware of the enchanting lotus farms of Thirunavaya and the views it offers to the eyes of a discerning traveller. Come, enjoy and experience the exceptional beauty of lotus flowers during a visit to the land of Mamankam.

The writer is a faculty at School of Tourism Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University