Skip to main content

Asia's largest tulip garden



Where is Asia’s largest tulip garden? It is located in Jammu and Kashmir, mostly a mountainous region of the Himalayas bordering the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab in the south, China in the north, and separated from Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir by a Line of Control.

In this beautiful region is the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden on the banks of Dal Lake, Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The lake, known as the Jewel in the crown of Kashmir, is the second largest in the region. It shoreline is 15.5 kilometres (9.6 miles) lined with gardens and parks. The lake covers an area of 18 square kilometres (7 square miles) and is part of a natural wetland which includes a floating garden known as Rad.

Unfortunately Dal Lake has a eutrophication problem, often called hypertrophication, in which the ecosystem reacts to substances such as nitrates and phosphates (caused by fertilizers and sewage). The reaction appears as a ‘bloom’ of phytoplankton in the water. A negative consequence of the bloom is hypoxia, the depletion of oxygen in the water which affects, and reduces, the number of fish and water species. The Government of India have invested funds to restore the lake.

Last year, in 2013, more than 45,000 tourists visited the Memorial Tulip Garden during the 4-week period, commencing from March 26, in which the tulips bloom (Business Standard, March 22, 2014).

However, the opening of Asia’s largest tulip garden has been delayed this year due to heavy snowfall across Kashmir. On March 26, the officials of the Floriculture department will decide on the opening date for this year’s tulip festival, which is expected to be early in April. The dop in temperature means that the tulips have not yet bloomed. As soon as the daytime temperatures increase, the tulips will begin to bloom.

More than 20 million tulip bulbs have been planted on a 12-hectare garden. The average life span of the tulip is 3-4 weeks, although they are susceptible to rain and heat. The Floriculture department use hi-tech poly-houses to protect the tulips during harsh weather.



http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/opening-of-kashmir-tulip-garden-delayed-due-to-snowfall-114032100277_1.html




MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh  (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...
1 comment
Read more

Sister cities discussed: Canberra and Islamabad

Two months ago, in March 2015, Australia and Pakistan agreed to explore ways to deepen ties. The relationship between Australia and Pakistan has been strong for decades, and the two countries continue to keep dialogues open. The annual bilateral discussions were held in Australia in March to continue engagements on a wide range of matters of mutual interest. The Pakistan delegation discussed points of interest will include sports, agriculture, economic growth, trade, border protection, business, and education. The possible twinning of the cities of Canberra, the capital of Australia, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, were also on the agenda (i.e. called twin towns or sister cities). Sister City relationships are twinning arrangements that build friendships as well as government, business, culture, and community linkages. Canberra currently has international Sister City relationships with Beijing in China and Nara in Japan. One example of existing...
2 comments
Read more

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...
1 comment
Read more