3 weeks ago
Five Monsoon Spots: Floating Islands, Pink Fields, Reverse Waterfalls
Every year, India gets a rainy season called the monsoon.
During this time, some special places in India change and look like magic.
In Banswara, part of Rajasthan, green hills look like little islands poking out of the water.
In Karnataka, an old church that is 160 years old goes halfway underwater when a big lake fills up.
In Manipur, there is a lake where islands actually float on the water, and people even live on some of them in little houses.
In Kerala, farmers' fields fill with water and turn bright pink because of water lilies.
In Maharashtra, strong winds can blow a waterfall backwards, so it seems to flow up.
These amazing sights only appear during the rainy season, so they are a special treat for people who love to travel.
If you visit at the right time, you can see nature doing very surprising things.
Banswara in Rajasthan becomes the 'City of a Hundred Islands' as monsoon water surrounds its green hillocks along the Mahi River.
Karnataka's 160-year-old Shettihalli Church, built by French missionaries in the 1860s, is partly submerged when the Hemavathi Reservoir fills.
Manipur's Loktak Lake features floating vegetation islands called phumdis and is home to Keibul Lamjao National Park, the world's only floating national park.
Malarikkal's paddy fields near Kottayam in Kerala turn pink with water lilies, best seen between 6 am and 8 am.
Strong monsoon winds at Maharashtra's Naneghat pass can blow falling water back upwards, creating a 'reverse waterfall' effect.
- Who
- Travellers seeking short-lived seasonal sights across India during the monsoon.
- What
- Five rain-transformed destinations: island-like hills at Banswara, the submerged Shettihalli Church, Loktak Lake's floating phumdis, Malarikkal's pink lily fields and Naneghat's reverse waterfall.
- Where
- Banswara (Rajasthan), Shettihalli (Karnataka), Loktak Lake (Manipur), Malarikkal (Kerala) and Naneghat (Maharashtra), India.
- When
- During the monsoon season, roughly July to September; Malarikkal's blooms had begun by June 2026 with the main season around August.
- Why
- Heavy monsoon rains, water levels, blooms and winds create dramatic landscapes that appear for only a short part of the year.
Key facts
- Number of spots
- 5
- Banswara nickname
- City of a Hundred Islands
- Shettihalli Church
- Built in the 1860s by French missionaries; partly submerged in the Hemavathi Reservoir during monsoon
- Floating vegetation
- Phumdis at Loktak Lake, some carrying fishing huts called phumsangs
- Floating national park
- Keibul Lamjao National Park, last natural habitat of the endangered Sangai deer
- Malarikkal blooms
- Pink water lilies, best seen 6 am to 8 am; boat ride to blooms takes 5-8 minutes
- Naneghat attraction
- Reverse waterfall caused by strong monsoon winds in the Sahyadri hills
- Best months
- July to September, when Banswara is at its greenest
Sources
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