Spring has arrived in Kashmir and brought with it the colorful bloom of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden in Srinagar, widely recognized as the largest tulip garden in Asia. The garden will open to visitors on March 16, kicking off the valley’s spring tourist season.
Located at the foothills of the Zabarwan Mountains, overlooking the iconic Dal Lake, the garden attracts thousands of visitors every year for its colorful flowers and picturesque views.
Director of Flowers Kashmir Mathoora Masoom confirmed that the garden is ready for the season and will have a record number of flowers this year.
Director of Flowers Kashmir Mathoora Masoom said the garden is ready for visitors and will have a record number of flowers this year.
“The tulip garden will be open to the public from March 16. The chief minister will inaugurate it,” Masoom said.
She added that the authorities have made several improvements ahead of the new season.
“This time we planted around 18,000 tulips in more than 70 varieties. We also introduced the option of buying tickets online,” she said.
Masoom said efforts have been made to improve the visitor experience and keep the garden clean.
“We are trying to provide all kinds of facilities for visitors. People will be encouraged to come and enjoy the garden and help keep the environment clean,” she added.
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What makes the garden special
Officials say around 1.8 million tulips in more than 70 varieties have been planted this season. Inaugurated in 2007 by the then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad, the garden was originally developed with nearly 1.75 million tulip bulbs imported from the famous Keukenhof Gardens in Amsterdam.
In addition to tulips, visitors will see several other types of flowers in bloom, including daffodils, hyacinths, roses, buttercups, muscari and irises, creating a vibrant mix of colors and scents.
The garden also hosts cultural programmes, Kashmiri music performances, stalls selling handicrafts and local food, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions in the valley in spring.
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Best time to visit
The tulip garden usually stays open for about a month, depending on weather conditions and the bloom cycle. The first and second weeks of April are usually considered the best time to visit when most of the flowers are in full bloom.
Ticket prices and times
Ticket prices for the 2026 season are:
- Adults: ₹100
- Children under 12 years: ₹50
- Foreign tourists: ₹200
Visitors can purchase tickets at the garden entrance or online through the Jammu and Kashmir Department of Floristry website, a facility introduced this year to facilitate travel planning.
The garden will be open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. during the festival.
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How to achieve
- From Srinagar Airport: About 15-17 km (30-40 minutes by taxi)
- From Lal Chowk: About 8 km from the city center
Efforts to restore Lake Manasbal
Meanwhile, authorities are also working to restore Manasbal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir. The Wular-Manasbal Development Authority (WMDA) recently started dredging and cleaning to improve the ecological health of the lake, news agency ANI reported.
Director General Ahsan-ul-Haq Chisti said the dredging started about four to five months ago to remove accumulated silt, clear blocked water channels and increase the carrying capacity of the lake.
According to him, around 1.3 square kilometers of the lake surface has been dredged so far and nearly 7,000 cubic meters of weeds have been manually removed.
Residents say the efforts are already showing results, with migratory birds returning to the lake after decades.
“The lake has been getting filled with weeds and silt for many years, which has affected fishing and the overall water flow. We can see visible improvement after the dredging work begins and we hope the lake will return to its former state,” resident Abdul Ahmad said.
Another resident Sajad Ahmad added, “We have started seeing more birds visiting the lake again. This is a positive sign that the ecosystem is recovering. We appreciate the authorities’ efforts to clean and preserve the lake.”
Residents believe that restoration efforts will not only improve the lake’s ecosystem, but also support local livelihoods that depend on it.
