It would be an understatement to say that travel has opened us up to new possibilities, occurrences and events. When we hear of something different we change course, when told about a secluded beach or a ghost town or a temple at the bottom of a crater, we jump at the chance to explore and discover. And so the same for a flower that blooms only once in 8-10 years, it was an event not to be missed. The next chance we would get to trek up the hills to see said flower, Karvy, would most likely be in 2024, and who knows where we will be then! Our wonderful hosts at Devrai enlightened us to this amazing flower, which blooms ever so seldom along the Western Ghats, parts of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, and we were excited that they were going to bloom this year while we were exploring Maharashtra in the Monsoon.
The botanical name is Strobilanthes callosa, and the flower is purple and about the size of a blue bell. The 3-4 foot high shrubs are rather common in sight, and the stems and leaves are used by the villagers to thatch homes. Said to be rich in pollen and nectar, the plant attracts a wide range of species of butterflies, birds and insects. Karvy honey is also supposed to be extremely thick and sweet. The leaves are medicinal and are a great cure for stomach issues. All excellent reasons, and one morning we headed to Sanjay Gandhi National Park in the heart of Mumbai to witness this rare sight. It was a great excuse to spend some time in the beautiful green expanse of the park, check out the ancient Buddhist caves, and trek up towards the highest point of Mumbai, along with two close friends. For them I suspect it was the perfect excuse to go to work late!
And so we set off to the park and slowly made our way to the top of the famous 2000 year old Kanheri Caves. The higher we climbed, we could see the vast expanses of the park and the towering city buildings in the distance. The morning was cool with a slight drizzle and Mumbai seemed extremely far away. All around us there were shrubs in full bloom and we saw plenty of colourful flowers, yellow and pink and blue, creating a lovely multi hued carpet along the trail. It was a beautiful sight, one of those moments that make you feel happy. Once we reached the top of the caves we walked towards the forest and there, all along the slope of the mountain on the other side we saw thick dark green shrubs interspersed with the regal looking purple Karvy flower. It was the same shrub we’d been seeing for years, but this year they were in all their glory, with the flower sitting on a fat bud and bees buzzing inside the deep mouth.
We must admit, the flower in itself is rather familiar looking, it’s not overtly spectacular in any way. However, it is amazing to realize that that it deigns to show itself only once in 8-10 years (depending on the classification of the plant), and that we were standing among a fairly rare sight. We spent some time walking around the national park, marveling at the abundance of this pretty sight, attempting not to slide on the slippery rocks and failing at times, full of wonder at nature that never ceases to amaze. It was a once in an ‘eight’ year opportunity!
Useful Information
Where to see the Karvy – If you live in or around Mumbai, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a great place. You can combine the rare sight with a trek in the park, check out the ancient Buddhist caves and picnic by the small streams. The flower also blooms along the hillside of the Western Ghats and can be seen in greater abundance in Panchgani, Kaas and surrounding regions.
How to Spot the Karvy – The flower looks a bit like the blue bell, but the shrubs are much higher and the buds are larger and bulbous. Follow the bees and the birds and you should find the flower!