Last Sunday, I was strutting like a peacock in the ruins of the Vasai Fort with a copy of sunday mid-day in hand. It was the right time of the year, and I took the opportunity to share my column about the Red Silk Cotton tree with the 30-odd history enthusiasts who had joined me, keen to decipher the fort’s long-winding lineage. I had roped in my friend Pascal Lopes, a local expert on the mysteries of the Vasai Fort. To everyone’s delight, besides historical stories, there were dozens of Semal trees to relish, in all their glory and in full blossom. Those who had already read or surfed through the article looked for the birds I had mentioned and, on sighting them, clicked many pretty pictures.

The cotton pyrrhocorid bugs get the name of Red cotton stainers since their red bodies get crushed when the bolls of cotton they eat are harvested