RARE PHENOMENON
Nature lovers on the Karvy trail
Mumbai: A variety of butterflies, carpenter bees and birds emerged as the Sanjay Gandhi National Park wore a lavender blush with the blooming of the Karvy plant. The park was filled with echoes of admiring exclamations of over 500 nature enthusiasts on Sunday as they set out on the Karvy Trail.
The plant, which blooms once in eight years, was the star attraction of the trail organised by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and Rotary Club of Bombay Sea Coast. Members of over 15 Rotary clubs and BNHS and school students arrived early on Sunday morning at the South Gate of the national park for a three-hour trek through the park.
A gurgling stream, a profusion of blooms and the calls of a peafowl set the scene for the trail which was divided into seven groups, each headed by guides like Isaac Kehimkar, Sunjoy Monga, Vinod Patil and Sapna Prabhu. There are people as old as 70 and also four-year-old children among those who have registered for the trail. The blooming of the Karvy is such a rare phenomenon and it transforms the appearance of the park with its profusion of violet blooms, said naturalist Ashok Kothari.
While the trail was an eventful experience, the maximum bloom could be seen on some of the inner paths that lay undisturbed. The Karvy survives best on vast slopy expanses. The Kanheri area of the national park is where the best bloom can be seen, said Sunjoy Monga.
The Karvy bush, with its pink and white buds, which is peculiar to the Western Ghats, last bloomed in 2000. Termed by nature enthusiasts as natures miracle, the plant grows in abundance in the national park. Said to be rich in pollen and nectar, the plant attracts a wide range of species of butterflies, birds and insects.
The bush typically takes seven years to grow and bursts into bloom in its eighth year, before dying out. The Karvys bloom can best be likened to the phoenix, which rises from its ashes, said Monga. After the flowering, the plant bears fruits which take up to a year to dry after which they are finally ready to germinate. With the first monsoon rains next year, the park will be filled with loud popping sounds as germination takes place, added Monga.
The Karvy has sturdy stems that are generally used by the adivasis to build their huts. While its leaves are toxic for humans, Karvy honey, which is thicker and darker than other varieties, is a popular delicacy.
NATURES MIRACLE The Karvy bush, with its pink and white buds, is peculiar to the Western Ghats.
NATURES MIRACLE The Karvy bush, with its pink and white buds, is peculiar to the Western Ghats.
Termed by nature enthusiasts as natures miracle, the plant last bloomed in 2000.
The Karvy plant grows in abundance at the Sanjay Gandhi National park.
The Kanheri area of the national park is where the best bloom can be seen.
Said to be rich in pollen and nectar, the plant attracts a wide species of butterflies, birds and insects.
The bush typically takes seven years to grow and bursts into bloom in its eighth year, before dying out.
After the flowering, the plant bears fruits. The fruits take up to a year to dry after which it is finally ready to germinate.
The Karvy has sturdy stems that are generally used by the adivasis to build their huts.
While its leaves are toxic and unfit for human consumption, Karvy honey, which is thicker and darker than other varieties, is a popular delicacy