A seasonal tour will transport Mumbaikars to paddy fields inside the city’s verdant forest for a hands-on farming experience
A moment from the 2024 session of paddy cultivation
While the rest of Mumbai turns into an insipid soup of rainwater, debris, concrete, and other elements that we don’t deem fit to mention in print, in Aarey Forest, it’s rice o’clock this monsoon. Come July, and the communities residing in the green lungs roll their sleeves up to cultivate paddy in the few rice fields that remain in the forest. “There’s an Aarey beyond what Mumbaikars see in the news. There are agrarian communities that are abuzz this time of the year. It’s worth a visit,” says Atul Katdare, who will lead a rice farming tour near the Filterpada hamlet this weekend with his venture Bhovara.
Participants at the pre-farming trail. PICS COURTESY/BHOVARA
“The heavy rains during this time of the year ushering the sowing period (Marathi: bhaat laavni) in Vasai, Palghar, Wada and Dahanu. The community in Aarey sows its own share; most of it for self-sustenance,” the organiser who has previously been a part of the Save Aarey Movement informs us. With help from local guide and tarpa player Manoj Dhinde, participants will wade through muddy fields to play their part this year.
But before you reap what you sow, or in this case sow what you will eventually reap, Katdare has plans for a refresher for Mumbaikars who might have forgotten what a forest in the city looks like. “There are butterflies, snails and a wealth of medicinal plants that mushroom in the forest in the monsoon. We will stroll through a short stretch near the Royal Palms area and observe the abundance of flora and fauna around us,” he shares.
Atul Katdare (right) with a young boy in Aarey Forest
Hidden in this thick green cover are native edible plants like bamboo shoot and Ambada. The leaves of Ambada make a delicious chutney, we learn. Fortunately for participants, a local tribal family will be kind enough to welcome them to their kitchen for a taste test. With fresh bhakris being baked in firewood chulhas, Katdare suggests you show up with an appetite.
Did you know that the forest moves to its own soundtrack? “The residents have a song for each occasion. ‘Dhavla’ for instance is a traditional song that echoes in the hamlets during weddings,” Katdare reveals. You’d do well to know this fun fact; after all you’ll be singing a few tunes when you’re knee deep in muddy waters sowing the seedlings. “Participants can watch, or step in to become a part of the ritual. It doesn’t matter how good you are at the job. Just being in the fields and getting your hands and feet dirty is a grounding experience in itself,” the organiser shares.
A traditional spread from the forest
We’re told that this messy affair has been ethically tested on urban Mumbaikars before, even the wildest hygiene freaks. “Unlike within city limits, the mud and water inside the forest is untouched by sewage and waste. We have hosted children, collegians and participants from all walks of life before. At a previous walk, a participant told us that she was so moved by the process, that she pledged to never waste a grain of rice again,” Katdare recalls.
The experience is open to all ages
Behind the scenes of the one-day monsoon escape, the organiser hopes the tour sparks a connection with the wild in Mumbaikars. “When you look at Aarey as a part of Mumbai and not a green sanctuary cut off from the city, you automatically take up accountability for it. The next time an external force threatens its existence, you’ll have a good enough reason to raise your voice,” he signs off.
Did you know
In many parts of Mumbai, fisherfolk and farmers continue to practice the barter system in the monsoon. Fisherfolk bring dry fish to the table, and agrarian communities reciprocate by providing grains and produce
ON July 6; 8 am to 12.30 pm
MEETING POINT Near Filterpada (full location revealed on registration)
LOG ON TO @bhovara.b3 on Instagram
CALL 9969285045 (to register; limited spots)
ENTRY Cost revealed on request
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