Have you heard about Malarikkal?
Malarikkal is a sleepy village in Kottayam district of Kerala, India and is a paddy plantation.
The village became a hit among tourists because, in August-September, that place will transform itself into a pink sea with many thousands of water lilies.
In past, not many people had heard about the place but, thanks to the internet and social media, this village be the peak of tourism. From the data of Malarikkal officials, people from far and wide came to see a sea of water lilies in August and September.
The village has an estimated 600-700 acres of paddy fields where pink water lilies bloom.
Every day, hundreds of people used to throng the area early in the morning to catch a glimpse of the spectacle and take a boat for photos. And some 80,000 people had visited Malaraikkal in 2019.
After the COVID-19 happened, Malaraikkal became a no-go zone for outsiders. It’s hard for anyone has shown up in the village despite the water lilies blooming since the start of this month, due to the fear of COVID-19.
As a result, the tourism industry in Kerala has taken a severe beating due to the pandemic and has hit thousands of people working in the industry.
Tourism Minister of India, Kadakampally Surendran, said, “As the impact of the pandemic, we suffered loses around Rs 25,000 crore. And the state government has now announced a package of Rs 455 crore for the industry.”
