The festival generally kicks off in late March or early April, depending on the weather, and lasts for several weeks while the tulips are in bloom. This period sees the garden draw thousands of tourists and photographers from across India and beyond.
This year, the garden is scheduled to open on March 16. It is anticipated that around 1.5 million bulbs representing over 70 tulip varieties will be on display.
In a post on X, Abdullah mentioned that he visited the tulip garden and the flowers are still about a week away from reaching their peak bloom.
“Got a sneak preview of Asia’s largest tulip garden in Srinagar earlier today. The garden is still 7-8 days away from its full bloom but it’s already bursting with colour,” he wrote.
“The garden looks stunning. The team of gardeners has done a remarkable job under the supervision of the Floriculture Department officials,” he added.
The tulip garden, officially named the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, is situated at the base of the Zabarwan range, overlooking the iconic Dal Lake.
Spanning approximately 30 hectares, this garden is considered the largest tulip garden in Asia, featuring millions of tulip bulbs arranged in terraced beds against the breathtaking backdrop of the Himalayas.
Each year, the garden serves as the focal point of the Tulip Festival Srinagar, organized by the Jammu and Kashmir tourism and floriculture departments to celebrate the arrival of spring in Kashmir.
The event has become a significant draw for tourism in the Kashmir Valley, marking the beginning of the summer travel season following the winter months.
In 2024, it recorded over four lakh visitors, including both tourists and locals, while more than 3.5 lakh people visited the garden in 2023.
Nevertheless, Kashmir’s tourism sector faced challenges last year following a terror attack targeting tourists in Pahalgam in April that left 26 people dead.
In addition to the tulip display, the festival typically includes cultural performances, handicraft exhibitions, and local food stalls aimed at highlighting Kashmiri culture and crafts.
Authorities are anticipating large crowds of tourists again this year as the flowers reach their full bloom in the upcoming days.
