The floods may have left the backwater villages of Kottayam battered and bruised, but they have left Malarikkal blooming once again. As the waters recede, vast polders in the village are turning into a pink carpet of water lilies, drawing visitors in the early hours of the day.

The water lily season at Malarikkal, a popular monsoon attraction, had a rather subdued start this year following a weak monsoon. But the floods appear to have changed that, with the plants now bursting into full bloom.

“The floods, which are an annual phenomenon here, have been a blessing in disguise this time,” said K. Anil Kumar, convenor of the Meenachil-Meenanthara-Kodoor river relinking programme, which organises the annual Ambal Vasantham water lily festival at Malarikkal. The collective is also planning a host of new initiatives to further promote the destination, he said.

Floods clear weeds

The rising waters forced most villagers into relief camps for nearly a week in the first week of August and they have only recently begun returning home. “But the floods also washed away the weeds that had spread among the water lilies during the weak monsoon. The weeds had threatened to overwhelm the lily plants this season,” he said.

With the rains receding and the floodwaters draining away, visitors have begun trickling in to witness the spectacular bloom. The crowds are particularly heavy on holidays, with visitors arriving as early as 5.30 a.m. By 6 a.m., boats carrying tourists begin heading into the lily-filled polders, where the flowers remain in full bloom until around 9 a.m.

Around 80 country boats have been deployed to take visitors into the polders. With crowds already swelling, organisers have introduced restrictions to protect the blooms, particularly as some visitors have been plucking the flowers. Visitors have been asked to buy flower bundles from local residents and park their vehicles only in designated areas.

Boost for local economy

The steady influx of visitors is also giving the local economy a boost, providing income for villagers and boat operators, who can earn up to ₹30,000 a month during the season. Homestays in the area, too, have seen a rise in demand.

The water lily season is expected to last until late September or early October, after which the next cycle of paddy cultivation will begin. Water is usually drained from the J Block Ompathinayiram padashekaram, with preparations for cultivation beginning on the fifth day of the Malayalam month of Kanni.

Meanwhile, local farmers have already begun preparing for the next paddy season, constructing bunds to facilitate the draining of water from the fields.

Published - August 13, 2026 07:52 pm IST