Srinagar, March 16 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday threw open the Srinagar Tulip Garden for visitors, heralding the arrival of spring tourism in the Valley.

Thousands of tourists and locals each year visit the Tulip Garden to witness the mesmerising colours of the flowers. It is known as the largest tulip garden in Asia.

Named the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, it is situated at the foothills of the Zabarwan range overlooking Dal Lake, Srinagar. This year, the garden features over 1.8 million tulips, along with other blooms like hyacinths, covering 70-75 varieties, marking the start of spring tourism in Kashmir.

At least 70 additional varieties of tulips, plus additional spring flowers like daffodils, muscari and ranunculus are grown here. The management has introduced online ticket booking and improved amenities to enhance the experience for the visitors.

The garden is spread over 74 acres with 46 varieties of flowers, including hyacinths, daffodils, and ranunculus, brought from the Netherlands. It is largely considered the start of the spring tourism season in the Valley, attracting visitors from across the country and abroad. The garden typically stays in full bloom for about three to four weeks.

A dedicated tulip festival is expected to be held in early April when the flowering reaches its peak.

Every year, the garden attracts thousands of tourists, nature lovers and photographers from across the country and abroad during the bloom, making it one of the most visited tourist attractions in Kashmir during spring.

Authorities have also made elaborate arrangements to manage the anticipated rush of visitors during the blooming period, including transport facilities, parking arrangements, security deployment and other necessary visitor amenities.

Tulip Garden was opened early this year as the flowers came to bloom due to unusually high temperatures in the month of February.

–IANS

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