Remember the electric-blue bio-luminance that shone water bright in a memorable romantic scene in the hit Malayalam film Kumbalangi Nights? The coastal hamlets of Kerala’s Kochi are rejoicing as people flock to the pokkali fields that sprawl hundreds of acres to enjoy the ‘kavaru’, aka bio-luminance phenomenon. ‘Kavaru’ is a natural phenomenon where water emits a bright electric blue or neon green light due to its high salinity. This happens mainly during the summer when the water in the pokkali fields attains high salinity. It’s spotted mostly in the villages of Kumbalangi and Chellanam, which have vast pokkali paddy fields. People flock to these areas in large numbers to witness this scintillating phenomenon. Last year too, many tourists visited Kumbalangi to enjoy the Kavaru sight.

How does it occur?
The microscopic bacteria, algae, plankton, and fungi in the fields are triggered by high salinity in the water to emit blue light. These organisms emit light to attract mates and drive away predators. Kavaru, also known as the ‘cold light,’ is a defence mechanism of these natural organisms.

Kavaru at Chellanam and Kumbalangi
Last year, Kavaru appeared in the pokkali fields of Kumbalangi in February itself. However, this year, the light display is mostly seen around Chellanam. This year, the display of Kavaru was delayed, apparently due to the high tides. Local people also say that the light wouldn’t glow brighter when there is moonlight. Bio-luminance mostly appears after 2 am as the moon shines bright in the sky. However, by mid–March, when the full moon begins to disappear, you could witness Kavaru in the waters from dusk onwards.

More facilities required
Bio-luminance displays have been a part of the villagers’ lives for ages, so the scene doesn’t excite them much. However, the Fahadh Faaisl movie Kumbalangi Nights, shot in the village, opened up the magical world of kavaru to other parts of Kerala and India. After the movie was released, hundreds of people began flocking to the village to see kavaru. Meanwhile, there are complaints that there aren’t enough facilities in place for visitors or crowd control. 

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