Come spring and tulips crown the paradise on the earth! Asia’s biggest tulip garden has been thrown open for public a week to 10 days before schedule to meet the huge tourist demand.
Come spring and tulips crown the paradise on the earth! Asia’s biggest tulip garden has been thrown open for public a week to 10 days before schedule to meet the huge tourist demand. Nearly one million tulips will bejewel the garden much to the joy of tourists and general public.
“Owing to huge demand we had to throw open the garden prior to schedule. Tulips are yet to bloom fully. But there was so much pressure that people were saying if you will not open the garden, we will not hesitate to gatecrash”, said Omar Abdullah, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, after formally throwing the garden open for public.
Spread over 35 hectares, tulip cultivation has been done on 12.5 hectares at the foothills of the Zabarwan hills. As many as 75 varieties of tulips will embellish the garden this year.
“We have imported 3.20 lakh tulip bulbs of eight new varieties from Holland which were sown in the garden this year”, said Javid Ahmad Shah, joint director floriculture department holding charge of the garden.
Tulip garden is the biggest draw for tourists visiting Kashmir. The garden has advanced the tourist season in Kashmir by one month as visitors from various parts of the country specially flew in to visit this garden.
“Grandeur, serenity and colorful tulip beds, beautiful Zabarvan mountain range overlooking the garden and world famous Dal Lake at its base mesmerizes tourists and marks the spring beauty of the Valley”, Omar said.
Last year around 80,000 people thronged the garden for one month period (tulips are very delicate flower which have very short life span of one month or more). “This year we expect tourist arrivals double than 2011. We have outsourced the ticketing department and food courts. We have earned around Rs38 lakh by outsourcing”, said Shah.
This year Kashmir valley is expecting to host 20 lakh tourists which is seven lakh more than 2011. Last year around 1.3 million tourists visited Kashmir. They exclude 6.33 lakh pilgrims which visited Armanath cave shrine in summer.
“Our efforts this year should be to rope in more visitors from the country and abroad. Germany has already withdrawn the advisory regarding travelling to the Valley”, he said expressing the hope that other countries would follow the suit”, Omar said.
Omar said peace is imperative for productive and successful tourism as such everyone has to contribute positively. “Tourists want to relish and enjoy the beautiful places in the Valley and stay here in a tranquil atmosphere. We have to provide them suitable and calm atmosphere so that they extend their stay”, he said.
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