Monsoon is a busy season in Malarikkal, a quaint little village in Kerala’s Kottayam, where acres of paddy fields magically mutate into a sea of pink water lilies in full bloom, bringing in tourists and money.

Usually, the water lilies bloom across 650-750 acres of paddy fields from July to October, but the early onset of monsoon this year has helped the flowers take over the fields from June itself.

However, the farmers are not complaining. The stunning flowers help them rake in the moolah during intervals between paddy farming and make up for the losses they may have suffered.

Embedded deep in the soil, the seeds of water lilies sprout when the fields are filled with rainwater. Considered weeds in agricultural parlance, the flowers have proved a blessing for the farming community in Malarikkal and boosted the local economy.

Lekshmi Lal, a 29-year-old florist from Thiruvananthapuram’s Chirayinkil, had always wanted to visit Malarikkal when it turns a pink paradise.

Her dream came true on Sunday.

Accompanied by her fifth-grader son Siva Surya and her parents Swatantra Lal and Saija Lal, Lekshmi set out from her husband’s home at Kidangoor, 25km from Malarikkal, before dawn. She wanted to experience the floral spectacle in all its glory. The water lilies are in full bloom between 5.30am and 10am, after which they start wilting.

Lekshmi had hired a small country boat in advance to take them on a ride through the lily-filled fields. She told The Telegraph that a one-hour ride cost them ₹1,000.

“It’s impossible to go around the 750 acres in one hour. But it’s worth it. I don’t think you can get to see such a stunning view of water lilies anywhere else in India. My phone could not do justice to the visual treat. We were taken aback by the hordes of visitors, mostly domestic tourists. They were jostling to take selfies, photos and videos,” Lekshmi, who earns a decent livelihood by selling lotus plants, said.

Local farmers have cut lily stalks and placed them in buckets to be sold for ₹30 per bunch. However, that has not deterred tourists from plucking the flowers from the water during boat rides.

G. Gopakumar, a Congress leader from the Thiruvarppu panchayat, told this newspaper that the paddy farmers were trying to make hay while the sun shone.

“They have been getting a raw deal at the hands of the authorities due to stagnant procurement prices, delayed payments and rising input costs, leading to financial losses. The water lily spectacle, which has gained fame in the last 12-15 years, has given a boost to their livelihood until the paddy season starts in September,” said Gopakumar, who is also the president of the Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Ltd in Kottayam.

Last year, a whopping ₹1 crore was generated through parking fees, flower sales and boat travel fees in just three months, according to the office-bearers of the Malarikkal Tourism Society.