​Spring splendor: Asia's largest tulip garden opens for public in Srinagar

The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, previously known as the Model Floriculture Center, in Srinagar has opened its gates to the public for this season. The garden marks the beginning of new tourism season in Kashmir and aims to boost floriculture and tourism in the region. (Photo: ANI)

Inaugurated by the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah for this season, the garden is situated on the foothills of the Zabarwan Range and overlooking the iconic Dal Lake, the garden offers a stunning visual experience, making it a tourist destination for both domestic and international tourists. (Photos: ANI)

The garden was established in 2007 by the then chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to promote floriculture and extend Kashmir’s tourist season, which was previously limited to summer and winter. (Photo: PTI)

Spread over 30 hectares, the garden is built on a sloping ground in a terraced fashion with seven terraces. This year, it features 1.7 million tulip bulbs across 74 varieties, along with other spring flowers such as hyacinths, daffodils, muscaris, cyclamens, and ranunculus. (Photo: PTI)

In 2024, the garden earned a place in the World Book of Records (London) as Asia’s largest tulip garden, reinforcing its international significance. (Photo: PTI)

The tulip garden plays a pivotal role in spring tourism, attracting 4.65 lakh visitors last year. With 3,000 tourist inquiries already received, officials are anticipating a record-breaking number of visitors this season.(Photo: PTI)

The expansion of the garden has reached near full capacity, with new green patches introduced this year to create a balanced and immersive aesthetic experience. (Photo: PTI)

Hundreds of gardeners and staff worked for six months to prepare the garden for its grand opening on Wednesday, with tulip bulbs planted in phases to ensure a continuous bloom for over a month. (Photo: ANI)

The tulip festival is an annual celebration organized by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir during the onset of spring to showcase the range of flowers in the garden and promote tourism. (Photo: ANI)

The garden continues to play a vital role in boosting Kashmir’s economy by extending the tourism calendar and encouraging year-round visits. Authorities remain optimistic that this year’s display will surpass all previous records. (Photo: ANI)