One of its kind in India, the Tulip Festival in Kashmir celebrates the blooming season of the magnificent Tulips. Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden adds to the natural beauty of Srinagar. Nestled in the foothills of Zabarwan Range, the largest tulip garden in Asia presents a stunning view of the Dal Lake. The seven terraced gardens were built with the intention to promote tourism and floriculture in Kashmir.
Once known as the Model Floriculture Centre, Tulip Garden of Srinagar is a home to varied species of flowers like daffodils, hyacinths and ranunculus. However, Tulips cover the major area of the space. A walkthrough these sweet smelling flower beds will make you stay here for longer.
A major highlight of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden is the Tulip Festival that is celebrated every year. It is one of the best reasons that will compel you to visit this garden.
Commencement and Ending Dates of Tulip Festival
Tulip Festival is hosted in Kashmir Valley during the onset of Spring Season. You can get ready to be a part of it this year as the festival will commence from 25th March 2018.
Tulip Festival 2018 is a must attend event for the flower enthusiasts, nature lovers, fans, aficionados, tulip lovers, and tourists from around the world. There are many varieties of these amazing flowers, some of them are mentioned below. Let’s see how many of them you can find at the Tulip Festival.
- Standard Tulips – These are the normal tulips that are available from florists to local gardens.
- Double Bloom – Instead of a single petal of standard tulip, double bloom has many layers.
- Parrot Tulips – They appear as ruffled petals in various hues depicting the plumage of tropical parrot.
- Fringed Tulips – The edges and shape are frilly and fringed.
- Bi-Color Standard Tulips – They display a variation in terms of colour when compared with the standard tulip.
- Rembrandt – pale coloured tall tulips
- Fosteriana Tulips – They vary in height and have pretty bud.
- Lily-Flowering Tulips – These flowers have long, pointed petals with arch at the tips.
- Single Late Tulips – Stunning cup-shaped tulips with widest range of colors
- Triumph – Wide range of shades, splendid tones and bi colors are the characteristic features of these tulips.
What’s special in Tulip Festival of 2019?
There are some added attractions in the Tulip Festival of 2019. Nature has bestowed the garden with more varieties of flowers this year. Moreover, visitors can avail the benefits of surplus facilities like free Wi-Fi, more fountains, washrooms (separate for the specially-abled persons) and drinking points.
More green spaces are included in the garden area keeping in mind the comforts of the tourists. Extra plants like daffodils, hyacinths, narcissus and other ornamental plants are planted to ornate the area. Water channel running through the terraces will add charm to the garden.
Visitors will now be able to buy souvenirs and savor Kashmiri dishes from outside the garden area. This will be possible because of the decorated stalls and kiosks exhibiting cuisine and handicrafts of Kashmir.
The prime location of the Tulip Garden makes it the most visiting place in Srinagar. This park is surrounded by scenic hills, attractive gardens of Mughal era and most importantly, it overlooks the awe-inspiring Dal Lake. Given below are some other attractions that lie in close proximity.
- Chashme Shahi Garden – This garden is center of attraction for housing a natural spring that flows from it.
- Pari Mahal – Overlooking the amazing Chashm-E-Shahi Gardens, this historic monument was once a Buddhist Monastery.
- Shankaracharya Temple – Soak in the beauty of snow-cladded Pin Panjal Range from this age old temple situated at a height of 1100 feet.
- Dal Lake – Dal Lake is truly a paradise on Earth. The beauty of this breathtaking lake is beyond description. A Shikara Ride is a must here.
- Nishat Gardens – Spotted at a distance of 3.2 km from Tulip Garden, Nishat Bagh is a home to long avenues of Cypress and Chinar trees, rare flowers and fountains.
- Mughal Gardens – A confluence of Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Bagh and Chashm-E-Shahi, this park draws the crowd for its cascading fountains.
- Shalimar Bagh – Another well-manicured garden built by Jahangir, a Mughal emperor. Praise the outstanding craftsmanship of the Mughals in terms of horticulture here.
- Nagin Lake – The azure waters of this lake are sure to leave you spellbound.
- Hazratbal– This sacred Muslim shrine is visited by many on religious occasion to see a relic of heir of Prophet Muhammad. A vibrant fair is held afterwards.
- Local Markets – Visit the local market to buy the specialties of Srinagar like leather products, Cashmere Shawls, carpets, mats, rugs, woollen clothes and dry fruits etc.
Tulip Gardens are easily accessible from Srinagar Airport. One can reach the garden by hiring a taxi from there. Another mode is to avail the bus services which charge a minimal fare.
The entry fee to the garden is Rupees 25 for children and Rupees 50 for adults and timings are from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.
