Have you heard of this phenomenon in Goa? … In the midst of the Western Ghat forests’ lush hills at Nirankal, Ponda something different can be seen. Pops of purple have started dotting the green landscape. What’s so special about this? Let’s find out.
The purple specs are the Karvi flowers in bloom. This happens once every eight years! After one or two weeks, the pink and white buds will turn into a rich purple when the karvi flowers fully bloom. They flower only once in their lives. After flowering, the shrub is loaded with fruits that take a year to dry up. When the fruits fall, the new seeds are left to germinate and the Karvi flower will bloom again seven years later.
That’s not all that there is to this unique shrub. In the past, tribals and locals used dried-up karvi shrub sticks to build huts as they have a good elasticity. The flower also brings forth delicious nectar that has an intense colour and taste. Locals call it ‘Karvi honey’.
Previously, these flowers have bloomed in the Chorla Ghats and the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary.
For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.
