Tulip Garden at CSIR complex near Palampur to open for public today
Over one lakh people had visited the garden last year and an even higher footfall was anticipated this season
The Tulip Garden developed at the CSIR complex, located about 2 km from Palampur along the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway, will be thrown open to the public tomorrow. The garden presents a colourful display of red, yellow, white and multi-colour tulips; the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT) has introduced several new flower varieties this year.
CSIR-IHBT Director Sanjay Yadav said that the tulip, which originated in Persia (present-day Iran), was introduced to Europe in the 17th century and subsequently developed into numerous varieties. “At present, the Netherlands is the world’s largest producer of tulips,” he added.
Yadav said, “A tulip is a tuberous-cut flower with significant international and domestic demand and ranks third globally in the cut-flower trade. Under this initiative, the institute has been planting tulips on its campus for the past three years. This year, nearly 50,000 tulip bulbs of various vibrant varieties have been planted.”
The garden is expected to attract a large number of visitors from within Himachal Pradesh and other states, thereby promoting scientific and eco-tourism in the region. Yadav said that the flowers had bloomed earlier than usual this year due to comparatively warmer climatic conditions.
Last year, over one lakh people had visited the tulip garden, and an even higher footfall was anticipated this season. This is the first tulip garden in Himachal.
Besides, the CSIR-IHBT has initiated experimental trials on tulip flower and bulb production in the Lahaul valley to promote its commercial cultivation. In the initial phase, farmers from cooperative societies such as the Yaani Mahadev Floriculture Society (Madagran), Pattan Valley Floriculture Society Limited (Shansha), and Tinan White Mountain Floriculture Society Limited (Jangla) were trained to take up tulip cultivation.
These farmers are now actively engaged in tulip flower and bulb production and are benefiting economically from the initiative.
