Big Butterfly Month: Meet India’s ‘Butterfly Man’, join a city walk

Crimson Rose. PICS COURTESY/ISAAC KEHIMKAR

Isaac Kehimkar, aka the Butterfly Man of India, is in a flutter this week. "I'm so, so happy. There are nearly a thousand butterflies here. I wish you could see this," he tells us, standing in his sprawling Kehimkar's Butterfly Garden in Karjat. Luckily for us, we actually can. This Sunday, Kehimkar will host a guided walk for enthusiasts, to ring in the first weekend of Big Butterfly Month.

ĪIsaac Kehimkar (right) at his butterfly garden in Karjat

Started in 2017 by a group of naturalists in Delhi, Big Butterfly Month is a celebration of love for these winged insects, who are at their most active in the post-monsoon sunshine. It's the kind of love that inspired Kehimkar to set aside nearly an acre of land (43,560 sq ft for the urban Mumbaikar) entirely for butterflies. "I never built a home there. It was always for the butterflies. We have no enclosures or dome roofs. The butterflies come and leave as they please," he says.

Blue Mormon, Maharashtra's state butterfly

ON September 6; 9 am to 11 am
AT Kehimkar Butterfly Center, Karjat.
LOG ON TO inaturewatch.org
ENTRY Rs 150

Big Butterfly Month Guide

Walks

>> Winged wonders
Join naturalist Preeti Dalvi on an exploration to learn how to identify, read patterns, and document species.

ON September 13; 9 am
AT Valley Park, CBD Belapur.
CALL 9987013144 (to register)

>> Fly by
This walk invites you to be free like a butterfly, and simply show up, no registrations required. Keep an eye out for the popular Sahyadri Blue Oakleaf.

ON Every Saturday and Sunday of September
AT Ovalekarwadi Butterfly Garden, Ovale Village, Thane.
CALL 9820779729 (for queries)

>> Backyard buzz
Make it a weekend to remember with a butterfly walk at the Maharashtra Nature Park, followed by a butterfly painting workshop.

ON September 13; 7.45 am
AT Maharashtra Nature Park, Dharavi.
CALL 8976451433

Online

>> Watch closely
Tune into an online talk by ecologist Sohail Madan (above), co-founder of the Big Butterfly Month. The expert will present an introduction to the diverse species that call the India home.

ON Today; 6 pm to 7 pm
LOG ON TO @bigbutterflymonth (for link)

>> Snap happy
Send in your best photographs of the winged insects, and stand a chance to win big at this nationwide photography competition.
TILL September 30
AGE GROUP 14 years and above
LOG ON TO @hkslpe

DIY butterfly garden

Isaac Kehimkar says inviting butterflies to your garden is easier than you might think.
» Grow native nectar and host plants like Curry Leaf, Lemon, Zinnia, and Ginger Lillies (above) to attract butterflies.
» Butterflies like sunshine; allow natural light to flow in.
» Caterpillars will munch on your plants, don't fret; sit back and watch the cycle of life.

Log on to: @isaackehimkar