Asia’s largest Tulip Garden in Srinagar to open around Mar 23; 1.7M flowers to bloom

Asia's largest Tulip Garden in Srinagar is all set to showcase 1.7 million tulip bulbs this year. The garden is expected to open around March 23. Also, on show will be two new varieties imported from the Netherlands.

The Tulip Garden is a big attraction for tourists located in the foothills of the Zabarwan Range, overlooking the iconic Dal Lake. Last year, 4.65 lakh tourists visited the Tulip Garden in a short span of a month. The life of a Tulip flower is around 3 weeks. These flowers will play a big role in boosting tourism in the Kashmir valley.

Every year, the Floriculture Department strives to introduce new tulip varieties to enhance the garden's vibrancy and appeal. This year, two new varieties have been added to make the display even more colorful. Last year, the garden featured 72 tulip varieties in many colours. This year, the number has been increased to 74, offering visitors an even more gorgeous floral spectacle.

New varieties- Triumph and Darwin Hybrids

The two new tulip varieties this year are Triumph and Darwin Hybrid, both imported from the Netherlands.

Triumphs are short to medium in height and have long-lasting flowers in a rainbow of colors. Darwin hybrids produce big, showy flowers with a classic tulip shape- broad at the base and slightly narrower at the top. They come in a rainbow of rich, saturated colors that range from white through yellow, orange, red, and pink, including several lovely bi-colors. They have a bold presence and regal bearing. Standing 20 to 24” tall, they are perfect for landscaping and mass plantings, as well as for flower beds and borders. The flowers last for 5 weeks. With their large blossoms and long, graceful stems, they are also one of the best tulips for flower arranging.

Other Bulbs

Besides these 74 varieties of Tulips, there would also be Daffodils, Hyacinth, supreme blossomed bulbs and trees in full bloom during this season.

Tulips are being imported from the Netherlands, which is the world's largest producer of these bulbs. This year’s color scheme will be very different from last year’s.

Preparations underway

Javid Masood, in charge of the Tulip Garden, said that preparations are in full swing. “At present, 100 gardeners and casual labourers are working tirelessly to complete all necessary preparations and ensure the garden is ready for visitors,” he said. Given last year’s record-breaking footfall, Masood said parking space has been expanded to accommodate more visitors. “We are expecting a huge number of visitors this year as well,” he said, adding that 4.5 lakh visitors toured the garden last year in just 30 days. “We are prepared to manage an even larger crowd this year,” he said, adding that visitors can also avail themselves of e-ticketing services.

The Tulip Garden has already achieved a place in the world book of records in London for its mesmerizing comeliness. The Garden has become a unique selling point, particularly for the tourism of the valley.

Delhi Tulip Festival

The recently held Delhi Tulip Festival 2025, which was a huge success, showcased over 350,000 tulip bulbs in full bloom.325,000 bulbs were imported from the Netherlands, with an additional 15,000 cultivated in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. Organized by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), this annual event attracts visitors from around the world. The event was inaugurated by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and the Netherlands' ambassador Marisa Gerards.

Tulip Garden near Palampur

The Tulip Garden, set up in the CSIR (Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology) complex, 2 km from Palampur, along the Pathankot-Mandi national highway in Himachal Pradesh, is now open to the public. Red, yellow, white, and multi-colored tulips have been grown here this year. The CSIR-IHBT started experimental trials on flower and bulb production of tulip in the Lahaul valley of Himachal Pradesh for its commercial cultivation. To begin with, several farmers from cooperative societies were trained to cultivate tulips. They are now engaged in tulip cultivation for bulb and flower production and are reaping the benefits. The institute is making a significant endeavor to offer new opportunities for attractive income generation to entrepreneurs and farmers engaged in the cultivation of these flowers and to make India self-reliant in tulip bulb production to meet the domestic demand of the country.

The institute aims to produce tulip bulbs to meet the annual domestic demand of the country for the next seven to eight years and make India self-reliant in this aspect.

History of Tulips

Tulips need a temperate or cooler climate and are spring flowers that grow from bulbs. Growing wild over much of East and Central Asia, tulips were first cultivated in Persia in the 10th century. By the 15th century, tulips were among the most prized flowers, becoming the symbol of the Turkish Ottomans. Tulips were cultivated in Turkey, but they did not come to the attention of Northern Europeans until the sixteenth century, when European diplomats to the Turkish court saw these flowers. They were then introduced into Northern Europe and became a rage. Tulips are now grown in the Netherlands, which is the major producer for world markets, ever since.