Malarikkal water lilies charm their way into handlooms, home gardens

ENCHANTING and enterprising! In capturing the imagination of tourists, the water lily fields of Malarikkal, in Kottayam, turned into a source of additional income for the local fisher community.

- ANU KURUVILLA @Kochi

ENCHANTING and enterprising! In capturing the imagination of tourists, the water lily fields of Malarikkal, in Kottayam, turned into a source of additional income for the local fisher community. This received a boost when traditional ethnic-wear designers came up with a business proposition: To source natural dye from the flowers.

"We were approached by fashion designers who work with natural fibre and dye for collecting the water lilies," says Sali A, a local fisherman.

According to him, these designers would place orders for water lilies, especially the pink ones. "They need fresh flowers to make the dye. So, we pluck the flowers early in the morning. These flowers are then taken to their workshop in Tripunithura," Sali said. The fishermen are paid around ₹5 per flower. "We make good money whenever we get an order," he adds.