Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah this week threw open for visitors Asia’s largest tulip garden for the annual Kashmir Tulip Festival. Situated in Srinagar and known as the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, the park has 1.5 million tulip bulbs that will bloom during the next one month.
The tulip garden has become a major attraction for tourists as well as locals, who come in large numbers to the park each year to see the blooms.
CM Omar Abdullah went around the garden after throwing it open for visitors. He expressed hope that the garden would continue to be an iconic site in Kashmir’s tourist industry.
The garden is the largest in Asia spread and over an area of about 74 acres. It is situated at the base of the Zabarwan mountain range, built on a sloping ground in a terraced fashion consisting of seven terraces with an overview of the Dal Lake.
The garden was envisioned in 2007 by Ghulam Nabi Azad, the then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir with the aim to boost floriculture and tourism in the Kashmir Valley.
After more than a decade I was back at the Tulip Garden in Srinagar to officially throw it open to visitors. Over the next few weeks thousands of people are expected to visit Asia’s largest tulip garden and enjoy the riot of colour. pic.twitter.com/YPwfUmWmYd
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 26, 2025
It was formerly known as Siraj Bagh and had about 1.75 million tulip bulbs, all in multiple colours, which were brought from tulip gardens in Amsterdam.
Besides tulips, there are 46 varieties of flowers, including hyacinths, daffodils and ranunculus (buttercups) which were also brought from Holland. The tulip garden is home to around 75 varieties of tulips.
The tulip flower has its origin in Persia (Iran) and was introduced in Europe in the 17th century, where it had been developed in different varieties. Holland is the largest producer of tulips, which inhabits the mountain areas extending from Europe to Central Asia. The plantation of tulips begins from September, before the start of the winter season.
The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden in Srinagar, Kashmir opened to the public on Next Week. It’s Asia’s largest tulip garden. #TOUR_TO_KASHMIR_INDIA
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— All About Kashmir (@wakashmir) March 17, 2025
Entry to the garden is regulated through tickets sold to visitors. Each year, new elements are introduced to enhance the garden’s appeal. “This season, we have introduced a fresh colour scheme and added two new tulip varieties,” said Asif Ahmad, Assistant Floriculture Officer about the Kashmir Tulip Festival.
Last year, the garden welcomed over 4.65 lakh (465,000) visitors, surpassing the 3.65 lakh recorded in 2023. Officials hope for an even higher footfall this year.
“Last season, despite the short blooming period of 25 to 30 days, we saw a record number of visitors. We invite people from across India and abroad to experience this floral extravaganza,” Ahmad said.
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