Outdoor cushions in Marcaim are not fighting salt; they are fighting soot, dust and, lower down, damp. All three are things acrylic outdoor fabric handles well. A little gentle soap in a bucket of water lifts the marks the estate's dust leaves, and a mid-tone or textured weave hides them between washes, where white or cream would soon look grey. In the old village near the river, cushions on a veranda stay moist unless they can drain, so foam that drains, over a mesh underside, is worth asking for, and the fabric's resistance to mould earns its keep. Sunbrella is water-repellent: enough for a shower, not for standing rain, so bring cushions in for the heaviest weeks of the monsoon.
- Verandas of traditional houses near the temple: bench cushions with draining bases, tipped up to dry once the rain stops.
- Sit-outs facing the estate roads: mid-grey or patterned covers with zips, taken off and washed with mild soap.
- Outdoor seating at offices in the estate: plain seat pads in outdoor fabric that hose clean and dry quickly in the inland heat.
Marcaim, also written Madkai, is a village south-west of Ponda, near the Zuari. It is known for the Navdurga temple and for its industrial estate, one of the larger ones in the taluka, with the old village and its fields lying below.
There are traditional village houses near the temple and newer homes and rented rooms for people working in the estate. Factories and offices in the estate need blinds and, in places, strip curtains.
Marcaim is inland, with low ground near the river that is humid and prone to mosquitoes. The industrial estate adds dust and truck traffic.
