Kashmir's tulips bloom

Think of spring in Kashmir, and what comes to mind is a valley in bloom, contrasting perfectly with the clear blue skies, and the still waters of the lakes. The Dal Lake, looking postcard-perfect, the mountains looming in the distance, the Mughal gardens. And most importantly, the tulips.

There was a once a time when tourists wouldn’t really visit Kashmir in droves before May, but now the influx begins in March itsels, because this is when the tulips begin to bloom. The Tulip Garden in Kashmir has become one of the USPs of its tourism drive; you don’t need to travel to the faraway Netherlands, when there are blooms aplenty to be found in the Zabarwan hills in the valley.

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“We get hundreds of calls every day inquiring about the tulips, it has become one of the biggest tourism attractions here,” said Javed Masood, the assistant floriculture officer at the Tulip Garden.

The Tulip Garden in Kashmir’s seasonal inauguration this year took place on 25 March. There are 1.25 million tulips this year (that is 12.5 lakh bulbs), across 50 varieties — up from only one million last year, with 10 extensions to the varieties. There are 150 more trees, over 1,000 shrubs planted, and the entire tulip crop is imported from the Netherlands, Masood shared.

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“It is a Herculean task to manage this big show, it is a tough job,” Masood told us, of his responsibilities.

The Tulip Garden has the same concept as a Mughal garden. “This year we introduced a water channel/fountain that was suggested and funded by Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad, who is also responsible for creating this beautiful garden,” Masood added.

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The cherry blossom (‘sakura’) season in Japan, a two-month spring festival takes place at the same time as when these tulips bloom. Masood says there are plans to have cherry blossoms in the Tulip Garden next year. “These are called ornamental cherries. We focus on the crop that synchronises with tulip season timing. For several of the blooms, we do forced blooming in our green houses where we use heaters to maintain higher temperatures,” he explained.

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Spring in the valley always heralds the return of life after the harsh winter. It’s time to witness nature return in all her splendour.

See more photos of the Tulip Garden here. All photos courtesy Javeed Shah:

Varied blooms welcome tourists at the Tulip Garden.

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Green houses at the Tulip Garden, where forced blooming takes place.

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At the Tulip Garden’s green houses.

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The roads leading to the Tulip Garden being decorated before the season’s opening.

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Visitors enjoy the newly constructed water channel/fountain at the Tulip Garden.

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A view of the Tulip Garden.

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Selfie point at Tulip Garden.

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People enjoying the scenic Tulip Garden.

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On duty at the Tulip Garden.

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Other flowering trees are being added to the garden every year.

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One portion of the Tulip Garden is in full bloom.

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Food joints for visitors at the Tulip Garden.

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A local family on a visit to the Tulip Garden.

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A tourist shows the entry ticket for the Tulip Garden, with the (new) GST added.

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People on their way to the Tulip Garden.

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The sun sets over Dal Lake on a spring day.

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A local couple can be seen sitting under a blooming tree at the start of spring.

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The Tulip Garden in full bloom.

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The Badam Vari (Almond Park) is one of the oldest traditional parks in the Valley. When the almond blooms here, it’s seen as the start of spring. A local bank has now adopted and cares for the park.

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At Badam Vari.

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At Badam Vari.

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A sparrow rests on a flowering branch at the Badam Vari.

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At Badam Vari.

[imgcenter> [/imgcenter> The Tulip Garden in full bloom.

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On a wet spring day, a rainbow is seen in the sky over Dal Lake.

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The Tulip Garden in full bloom.

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Resting points at the Tulip Garden.

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A fallen tulip.

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The Tulip Garden in full bloom.

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The Tulip Garden in full bloom.

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The Tulip Garden in full bloom.

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The Tulip Garden in full bloom.

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The Tulip Garden in full bloom.

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Tulip blossom.

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Tulip bulbs in the cold storage at Tulip Garden, Srinagar. Every year, the department imports thousands of such bulbs from the Netherlands.

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The Tulip Garden looks like a fairy-tale land on a spring day.

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The Tulip Garden on a spring day.

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The Tulip Garden on a spring day.

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Actors shoot for a film at the Tulip Garden in Srinagar.

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Actors shoot for a film at the Tulip Garden in Srinagar.

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A group of local women enjoy the beauty of Tulip Garden.

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Flowering trees at the Tulip Garden.

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A view of the Dal Lake vegetable market early in the morning on a spring day.

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The sun sets over the Dal Lake on a spring day.

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