Footfall at Tulip Garden close to 2 lakh this spring

M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 22

The footfall at the Tulip Garden on the foothills of the Zabarwan range is inching close to two lakh in less than a month. Thrown open on March 25, the garden received an overwhelming response from both locals and tourists this spring season.

“This year, the response has been very good. Till yesterday, we received over 1.8 lakh visitors and today, being a Sunday, we received a very good footfall. The number of visitors that arrived at the garden is getting close to two lakh as it is being closed in a day or two. Last year, we had received 1.5 lakh visitors,” Mathora Masoom, the Floriculture Director told The Tribune.

Masoom said a decision on the closure of the garden will be taken tomorrow. “Tomorrow, we will decide when to close it. Presently, there is a 30-per cent bloom of flowers,” she said.

As per the Floriculture Department, the garden saw a bloom of over 12 lakh flowers this spring. Besides, different varieties of tulips, a fountain channel and a hyacinth terrace were the new attractions this year. Daffodils, narcissus and other ornamental plants were also on display.

The Tulip Garden, formerly known as Siraj Bagh, was first opened for public in 2008. Besides tourists and locals, the garden has also attracted many crews of the film and TV industry in the past. Tourists, who visit the garden, have often been heard saying that they come to see a similar background of tulips as seen in the famous Bollywood song “Dekha ek khwab” of Amitabh Bachchan-Rekha starrer “Silsila” movie.

The tulips can be witnessed only in March-April.