Now, tulips to bloom in Pahalgam

 After Srinagar, tulips are set to bloom at the tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir even as the mini zoo there is also being expanded.

The decision was taken at a meeting of Pahalgam Development Authority chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who also holds the tourism portfolio.

An official spokesperson said the Department of Floriculture has started raising Tulip bulbs on experimental basis, which hopefully are expected to bloom in the coming days at the world famous resort. Also, a rose garden with around 200 varieties has come up in the bowl and is expected to fully bloom this year, adding to the charm of the place, he said.

Another park at Yanner, spread over 60 kanals of land ( 1 kanal is 605 square yards or 1/8 acre), is being developed for which the necessary papers have been sent to the departments concerned.

To provide an added attraction to nature lovers at the famed tourist resort, which also serves as a base camp during the annual Amarnath Yatra, the chief minister directed the Wildlife Department to expand the mini zoo in Pahalgam.

In 2008, Asia’s largest Tulip Garden was established at the foothills of Zabarwan in Srinagar. Situated at an altitude of 5,600 feet, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden is fast emerging as a major spring season attraction for tourists.