The 12-year-old wait of nature lovers and travel buffs to see Neelakurinji bloom again in the mountains, valleys and slopes of Munnar, one of the country’s most sought-after leisure destinations, is about to come to an end.
The days when hills in Munnar change from green to blue are weeks away and Kerala Tourism expects over 8,00,000 travellers to visit the picturesque hill station during July-October.
Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), commonly found across the Western Ghats, blooms in all its glory once in 12 years. The prime attraction of the flower is its eye-soothing blue colour. As the flower ages, it turns to a purplish blue.
Munnar has the largest concentration of Strobilanthes out of the 46 varieties found in the country. There is no better time to visit Munnar than when Neelakurinji blooms en masse, says Director of Tourism P. Bala Kiran.
As many as 6,28,427 tourists visited Munnar in 2017, an increase of 34.31% from 2016 when 467,881 people visited the hill station.
“Kerala Tourism is expecting a growth of 79% in tourist arrivals to Munnar this year and has made arrangements for the same.”
The Nilgiri tahr, the endangered mountain goat endemic to these hills, can also be spotted. Tour planners and adventure clubs are gearing up to organise trekking in these hills during the Neelakurinji blooming season.
Some of the nearby attractions include Anamudi Peak, the tallest peak in south India that has one of the best trekking trails in the country, and the Eravikulam National Park, where the endangered Nilgiri thar is protected and is the main Neelakurinji flowering area. Nearly 2,750 tourists are allowed into the park everyday. The authorities have decided to allow an additional 40% visitors during the flowering season.
Kerala Tourism has taken steps to improve the tourism infrastructure in Munnar to accommodate the maximum number of tourists in the Neelakurinji hotspots.