Malegāla - A peek into an Indian Farmstay in Monsoon from a Malnad perspective.

The Indian Monsoon is not just a geographic phenomena. It brings about life & array of emotions with it. Dark rain clouds sets a wheel rolling : of rain protection for the houses and plantation work. It’s the season to plant and reap. Vegetable gardens are sown with various local veggies. Slightly later into the monsoon, paddy is sown covering the otherwise barren looking land with tender green paddy saplings. Women sowing paddy, cow herders and plantation workers have now given up the head towel for a jute sack that is modified to be a rain coat of sorts. Life takes a sharp turn, in less than a week, the rather dead and dry summer has vanished and an aura of hope fills the air-for, will the monsoon be a good one this year?

Uttara Kannada, on average, receives 5000 mm of rainfall annually. These rains feed into our perennial streams to the brim, carrying large amounts of sediment rich waters to the ocean, granting life as they move down the western escarpment. Sirsi, however, is lower in elevation than the Deccan Plateau and this means rainfall in the plateau also brings waters to the “ghats”. All our major rivers are west flowing and this explains why the Uttara Kannada region remains forested and green throughout the year.

A typical day at The Niche - Malnad Farmstay in Monsoon

As you enter the gates at The Niche, you are welcomed by a view of the rainforest canopy on the far end of the property. Take a few steps inside, into our dining area and you’ll notice a lot of life around. Birds and bees about on sunny days, while butterflies frolic in flowering shrubs. Mushrooms that may have sprouted after the first spell of rain, leaving an earthy fragrance.

As evening falls, the plantation is full of croaks & ribbits. Cicadas calling in waves from the forest and pitter-patter of rain drops that accompanies these sounds throughout the day.

At Niche, the monsoons are a laid-back period and best enjoyed with a warm cup of coffee and a book to lounge with, experiencing the charm of a farmstay in monsoon.