“Asia’s largest Tulip garden, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, situated between Dal Lake and the Zabarwan hills in Kashmir, will open to the public on March 26th. This opening marks the start of the region’s tourism season.
Established in 2007 by then-Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to extend Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism season beyond summer and winter, the garden, formerly Siraj Bagh, will showcase blooming tulips of various hues. Floriculture department officials have staggered bulb planting to ensure blooms last for over a month.
“The garden will open to the public on March 26th,” stated Asif Ahmad, assistant floriculture officer. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will inaugurate the event.
Preparations are underway to finalize the garden for visitors. This year, the garden features two new tulip varieties, bringing the total to 74. A new color scheme will also be presented.
In addition to tulips, visitors can enjoy displays of hyacinths, daffodils, muscari, and cyclamens. The garden, spanning 55 hectares, contains approximately 1.7 million tulip bulbs.
“We have 1.7 million bulbs this year, and tourists will witness their bloom. The garden’s expansion is nearly complete,” Ahmad noted.
Initially planted with 50,000 bulbs imported from the Netherlands, the garden has seen significant growth in popularity and scale. Last year, it attracted over 465,000 visitors, up from 365,000 in 2023.”
