Suhail Khan
SRINAGAR, Mar 23: Asia’s Largest Tulip Garden in summer capital Srinagar on Saturday welcomes tourists and locals with the bloom of 17 lakh flowers of different varieties this year.
The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden in Srinagar, was opened in 2008 and is spread over an area of 15 hectares. Also known as ‘Siraj Bagh’, it is home to various rare varieties of tulips and is expected to become the second largest tulip garden in the world.
Floriculture Commissioner Secretary Sheikh Fayaz Ahmad told Kashmir Despatch that Asia’s latest Tulip Garden thrown open to the public on Saturday with a staggering 1.7 million tulips will bloom this season. He mentioned that the garden now boasts a total of 73 varieties of tulips, with 5 new varieties added this year.
Consequently, the garden area has been expanded to accommodate all the tulips. To enhance the visitor experience, an additional four kanals (0.5 acres) of land have been allocated for parking he added.
Asif Ahmad Itoo, another floriculture officer, told The Kashmir Despatch that every year we always try to add new attractions to the garden. This time, we have added floral surprises and introduced vibrant color schemes with new varieties. Additionally, we have also added daffodils and hawkins. He further stated that Tulip plays an important role in the tourism industry in Kashmir.
The officer mentioned that we are expecting a record number of tourists.
He added that last year, we saw 3.72 lakh tourists; however, this year, we are hopeful that we will break all previous records.
He also stated that starting next year, we will have cherry blossom in addition to keeping the garden open in the month of May.
Pertinently, Due to the unpredictable temperature fluctuations in the valley, the blooming season of tulips is exceptionally short, lasting only 15-20 days. Therefore, the renowned tulip garden in Srinagar has had to adapt by extending its opening period to nearly a month each year. This unique approach aims to accommodate the large influx of visitors, both local and foreign, who eagerly flock to the garden to experience the breathtaking display of tulips in an array of vibrant colors and exquisite hues.
The Divisional Commissioner (Kashmir) earlier this week reviewed arrangements for the opening of Asia’s largest Tulip garden in Srinagar.
The meeting attended by officers of the tourism, traffic, floriculture and municipal corporation held threadbare discussion regarding the opening of the garden for visitors, traffic management, parking space, sanitation, cleanliness drive, fixing of potholes, online ticketing and other arrangements.
The Div Com directed the concerned officer of Floriculture to facilitate online ticketing and put QR Code scanning facilities at different locations for the convenience of tourists.
Meanwhile, on the opening day, the route towards Tulip Garden was jam-packed with the rush of tourists and locals since morning.
Jehangir, a tourist from Bangalore, told Kashmir Despatch, “My family and I have been in Kashmir for the past week. However, with the anticipated opening of this garden, we didn’t book a return ticket. Today, coming to this garden, it feels like our Kashmir trip is complete.”
He added, “Visiting Tulip Garden was truly a treat, and now we will carry special colorful memories back with us.”
Jehangir, however, stated that he will visit this garden again next year along with his friends.
Another group of students from Mumbai, talking to Kashmir Despatch, expressed that coming to this garden is a dream come true, as it gives a real feeling of paradise. They appreciated the efforts of the J&K Government in making this garden so beautiful.
Suhail Khan is a filmmaker, content writer, and freelance journalist.
