What is a weekend at Mahua like?
“What can be done?”
Plenty. If you’re here on your own, if you’re here with company, or if you’ve landed here as a guest of a guest — Mahua lets you rewind, slow down and take a breather. Luckily here, the mobile signals will not distract you.
Nature
The large number of trees and plants cultivated here are home to birds and creatures that you may not see immediately with the naked eye, unless you pause to look. All the more reason to walk carefully — every blade of grass, every tree and stone has a resident — some beautiful and flamboyant and some protective of their space. Try not to startle them. Most of the noise you hear at Mahua is birdsong or crickets and cicadas. And that’s music enough for those who love nature the way we do.
Bird -watching.
Pick a spot, choose one of the many strategically placed benches, grab binoculars and sit still. You may see one of the more than 80 species of birds we have recorded over the past three years or even better, spot newer ones. If you’re lucky, you can spot some uncommon species of birds less than15 feet from the Mahua house, on the trees, bushes and undergrowth.
Insects
Butterflies and moths are seen in all seasons, and plenty as the day warms up. Even in these beautiful species you find preys and predators. While Mahua has dragonflies and damselflies all through the year, the seasons bring their own lot. Fireflies for instance, light up the nights during the late monsoons.
Tip: Killing any insect just because it’s an insect is a complete ‘no-no’ here. Look, don’t touch the insects. This way, not only do you reduce the harm you do to the flora and fauna here, you also keep yourself safe from bites.
Please use insect repellant skin creams if you need to.
Same rule goes with the flowers and plants. They look their best as nature intended, on the plants. Do not pluck flowers or plants here. They are primarily meant for the birds and the bees. It is their only sustenance. If you pluck flowers what do the birds and insects survive on? So I repeat, please enjoy their beauty without plucking them.
