Tulip garden in Srinagar to be closed as bloom season ends

The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, a major tourist attraction in Kashmir in the spring season, will be closed to the public as the bloom season comes to an end, an official said here on Monday.

The decision to close the garden on Thursday, located on the banks of Dal Lake here, was taken based on the recommendation of a team of experts, the official said. The garden was thrown open to the public by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on March 16, a week ahead of schedule due to a sudden rise in temperature leading to early tulip bloom.

The garden was among 44 destinations closed for tourists last year following the Pahalgam terror attack in April that killed 26 people. It reopened this year after a security audit.

The garden was added to the tourist spots of Kashmir in 2008 by then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to attract tourists to the valley in the lean spring season.

More than 70 varieties of tulips were on display at the garden as the floriculture department increased the density of bulbs to give a richer look to the garden.