Flower-bed count raised from 35 to 42 per patch to enhance floral display
Entry fee fixed at ₹100 for adults, ₹50 for children; foreign visitors to pay ₹200
Facilities upgraded for visitors ahead of opening
Irfan Yattoo
Srinagar: The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, recognised as Asia’s largest tulip garden, will open for visitors on March 16, marking the beginning of the spring tourism season in Kashmir, officials from the Floriculture Department said on Wednesday.
Located at the foothills of the Zabarwan Range overlooking Dal Lake, the garden has been fully prepared to welcome tourists and locals for the much-awaited tulip bloom.
Talking to Kashmir Horizon, Director Floriculture Kashmir Mathoora Masoom said the decision to open the garden was taken as the tulips have started blooming and all preparations for the season have been completed.
“Visitors will get to see around 1.8 million tulips of nearly 70 to 75 varieties. Nearly eight lakh tulip bulbs have been imported from the Netherlands, while the remaining have been cultivated locally,” she said.
Regarding the entry fee, Mathoora said the department has fixed different rates this year. “The entry fee has been set at Rs 100 for adults and Rs 50 for children. For domestic tourists, the charge is Rs 100, while foreign visitors will have to pay Rs 200,” she said.
The annual Tulip Festival will be formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, although officials indicated that the opening ceremony is likely to remain low-key due to the ongoing month of Ramzan.
Officials also said that flower-bed density has been increased this year to enhance the visual appeal of the garden. Earlier, around 30 to 35 flower beds were arranged in a patch, but this year the number has been increased to more than 42 beds in the same space, making the floral display denser and more attractive.
The annual opening of the tulip garden marks the start of the spring tourism season in Kashmir, attracting thousands of visitors from across the country and abroad.
The garden witnessed a record-breaking footfall last year, with 8,55,125 visitors during the 30-day opening period from March 26 to April 24, 2025. The visitors included locals, domestic tourists and international travellers who thronged the garden to witness more than 1.7 million blooming tulips.
Spread across the slopes above Dal Lake, the garden was recognised as Asia’s largest tulip garden and earned a place in the World Book of Records (London) in 2023.
With an even larger display planned this year, officials expect the garden to once again emerge as one of the major tourist attractions in Srinagar during the spring season.
