The Fireflies Festival! by Saif
Hotels
'You would not believe your eyes If ten million fireflies....'
The above song by Owl city never fails to invoke a feeling of nostalgia in me. Sigh Remember mercilessly chasing fireflies as kids at your grandpa's yard? Capturing them in bewilderment with our tiny hands because for fractions of seconds it felt Disney was real, as if magic was real. And here we all are today,
grown-ups tangled in responsibilities and corporate commitments, only to realize we mindlessly let go of little-lighting joys amidst the fast paced city life. And just when we were thinking we couldn't go back in time and chase fireflies, The Fireflies Festival happened.
Did you know that fireflies are actually beetles? Yes, you read that right. Another bonus fact- The family name, Lampyridae comes from the Greek word "lampein," meaning to shine just like a lamp. During the day, they are simple looking insects, but at night they put up a spectacular light show, particularly at the onset of the monsoons.
The intermittent luminescence and flashes in patterns are, in fact, moves to impress their future mates!
Located in the Akole block of Ahmednagar, the village of Purushwadi is situated 190/164 km from Mumbai and Pune, enroute to Nashik. This tribal village is inhabited by the Hindu Mahadeo Koli tribe, renowned as rice cultivators and skilled animal herdsmen.
Purushwadi witnesses an influx of tourists and campers this month, for its spectacular festival, The Festival Of A Million Fireflies, organized by Grassroutes - an organisation promoting rural tourism.
