Real Farmville

As the grass gets greener, one can see only coconut trees and rice farms hidden between hills and rivers in Konkan. Believe me, the saying ‘the grass is greener on the other side’ stands true here. As you travel from Kolhapur towards Konkan, the grass changes it color from dark green to a much fresh and stark green!

It’s monsoon, time to sow rice. In the very interiors of Konkan, everyone wakes up to start the day’s work in their rice farms. Me and Vaishali did the same and tried our farming skills (yet to gain mastery over it) on her granny’s farm. Farming in the morning, then nice Konkani lunch then again farming and then dinner!! No need to work out specially!! No fish food, as being a veggie I cooked dal with awesome malwani masala.

Never have done farming earlier, I loved the feeling of being bare foot in farms and working with each seed in hand. It is always said that you need to love your work to make the best of it. For many of us it takes years to know what is that we love doing. When you work in farms or just grow some plants in your balcony, very naturally you have a liking for it. It is the love for mother earth, love for Mother Nature. It is the love for creation. Then you realize that you don’t need to put special efforts in liking what you are doing… and this is a beautiful realization. But yes, there are no shortcuts to good work! It takes 12 hours to harvest rice in Farmville but here it takes 6 months. Today in the world of fast results, farming is indeed a slow and tedious work. I don’t know what I am saying… but one thing I know is I’m going to plant some plants in my new house for sure :)

I love basketry!

Irla! It’s a Marathi term for what you see in the picture below. Made from palm leaves and woven in the hexagonal weave, it is used to protect oneself from the rains. It is so ergonomically convenient and awesomely finished that not a drop makes you wet! Loved it! But unfortunately, now-a-days it is being replaced by plastic which more unfortunately is not as feasible and efficient as the traditional irla. We tried to find the community who makes these but sadly couldn’t reach due to heavy rains and flooded rivers.

Me with the irla :)