Srinagar’s tulip garden sees zero visitors due to COVID-19 pandemic

Asia’s largest tulip garden in Srinagar, i.e., Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, is in full bloom with more than 1.3 million tulip bulbs this year. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and nation-wide lockdown, the garden stares at empty lanes with no visitors leading to it.

Spread across an area of 80 ac on the banks of the Dal Lake, the garden boasts of 1.3 million varieties of tulips blooming around the turn of March. Tons of visitors make a beeline every year to witness the glory and beauty of Asia’s largest tulip garden. Reportedly, 258000 people visited the garden last year.
However, this year, the scenario is a bit different, all due to obvious reasons. The months-long labour of love by the Floriculture Department in Kashmir, will go in vain with no visitors to appreciate their toil. Such a thing is happening for the first time in a decade when no one is present to witness the breathtaking views of the garden.
Referring to this, Farooq Ahmad Rather, Floriculture Director, Jammu and Kashmir, stated that COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the tourism sector. The tulip plantation was increased from 1.2 million bulbs in 2019 to 1.3 million bulbs this year, and that they were hopeful that this would give a boost to tourism, he added. However, he then stated in dismay that the flowers will wither away over the next few days.
He also added that the tourism industry is taking the hit most because of the Coronavirus outbreak, and that the setback will surely have ripple effects on those associated with sectors like transporters, traders, hoteliers, and houseboat owners.

The garden is the brainchild of Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Congress leader, and was first opened to the public in 2007. It quickly emerged as Asia's largest tulip garden.