11/03/2026
Asia’s largest tulip garden, Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, will open to visitors on March 16, with nearly 1.8 million tulips of around 70 varieties expected to bloom during the annual flower show.
Located at the foothills of the Zabarwan Range and overlooking the iconic Dal Lake, the garden attracts thousands of tourists from across the country and abroad every year during the blooming season.
The opening of the garden also marks the beginning of the spring tourism season in Kashmir.
Officials said the garden is usually opened when 10–15 percent of the tulips start blooming, allowing visitors to witness the flowers throughout their flowering phase.
Assistant Floriculture Officer Imran Ahmad said that eight to ten varieties of tulips have already begun blooming in the early stage.
“By the time the garden opens, we expect the bloom to improve further,” he said.
Ahmad added that most tulip bulbs used in the garden are imported from Holland, as there is currently no local production of tulips in the region.
“Every year we import fresh bulbs, and after the first season some of them are harvested and reused for the second year,” he said.
This year, the garden will showcase 70 varieties of tulips, the highest number ever displayed at the site.
In addition to tulips, visitors will also see other flowering plants such as Daffodils and Muscari, while around 17 varieties of annual hybrid flowers have been planted to enhance the floral display.
Weather conditions have also influenced the blooming pattern this year. Ahmad said the winter remained relatively warm and Srinagar recorded very little snowfall, resulting in blooming beginning about a week to ten days earlier than usual.
The tulip blooming period generally lasts 15 to 20 days, depending on weather conditions.
“Tulips are delicate flowers. If the weather remains slightly cool with cloudy skies or light rainfall, the flowering period can extend,” he said.
The garden has recorded its highest-ever footfall of around 8.5 lakh visitors, and officials expect strong tourist numbers again this season.
Tourism related to the tulip garden also supports several sectors including hotels, transport services, and other local businesses.
To facilitate visitors, authorities have introduced an online ticketing system for advance booking to reduce queues at the entry gate.
“A QR code will be generated which will be scanned at the gate,” Ahmad said.
He added that facilities such as drinking water points, washrooms, and wheelchairs for elderly and differently-abled visitors have also been arranged inside the garden.
