What is the story about?
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday inaugurated Asia’s largest tulip garden in Srinagar, opening the attraction to visitors The sprawling
Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden is located along the banks of the Dal Lake on Cheshma Shahi Road. Members of the CM's Cabinet and National Conference MLAs accompanied the CM for the occasion.
Tulips for tourism
The primary motivation of the lush tulip garden is potentially boosting the tourism pull of the area, given that it was one of the 44 destinations shut down following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025. Following a thorough security audit, the garden is now open to visitors once again. A PTI report quotes CM Abdullah on the matter: "This will be a new start for those associated with the tourism industry. They had to go through a very tough phase. However, the situation keeps changing, and we hope that it improves to enable people from outside to come and enjoy the beauty of Jammu and Kashmir."The tulip garden was among dozens of tourist destinations temporarily shut last year after the Pahalgam terror attack 2025 in April that left 26 people dead. In total, 44 tourist sites were closed as a precaution. Authorities reopened the garden this year after carrying out a detailed security assessment to ensure the safety of visitors.
Long-term vision
While the tulip garden is expected to hike the touristic appeal of Srinagar once again, an airtight floriculture chain is what CM Abdullah is aiming to put in place. The PTI report further quotes him: "Most things are in place. A reliable cold chain is the issue right now. Once we get that, be it through rail or air, this sector can bloom. Also on the vision board is an attempt to develop tulip bulbs locally so as to save the cost of having them imported from the Netherlands at foreign exchange rates.An early start
Typically, the tulip garden throws open its gates to visitors in the last week of March. This year around, the schedule for the same stood preponed by several weeks given the warmer temperatures which accelerated the blooming cycle. Over 1.8 billion tulip bulbs have been planted across 70 varieties to ensure a thoroughly lush impact.CM Abdullah also made it a point to address any security concerns, asserting that security personnel and measures will both be thorough and obvious.
