In News: Asia’s largest tulip garden overlooking the famous Dal Lake in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir was thrown open to the public on Thursday 23, 2021, marking the beginning of the new tourism season in the valley.
About Tulip garden of Srinagar
- Formerly known as Siraj Bagh, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden was opened in 2008 by then chief minister of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state Ghulam Nabi Azad.
- The idea of the garden, spread over 30 hectares in the foothills of snow-clad Zabarwan range.
- Tulip Garden Festival in Srinagar where nearly 15 lakh flowers of more than 64 varieties.Apart from tulips, many other species of flowers – hyacinths, daffodils and ranunculus have been added.
- Garden is built on a sloping ground in a terraced fashion consisting of seven terraces.
- Tulip festival: Annual celebration that aims to showcase the range of flowers in the garden as a part of tourism efforts by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. It is organized during the onset of spring season in Kashmir valley.
About Zabarwan Range
- Sub-mountain range between Pir Panjal and Great Himalayan Range.
- Located in the central part of the Kashmir Valley.
- The Highest Peak of this range is Mahadev Peak at 13,013 feet (3,966 m).
- The Shankaracharya Temple is built on the edge of the central part of the Zabarwan Range.
- Dachigam National Park: Main feature of the range.Park holds the last viable population of Kashmir stag (Hangul), Park also has the largest population of black bear in Asia.
- Northern slopes of the central part of the Zabarwan Range there are three Mughal gardens built by Emperor Shah Jahan as Chashma Shahi, Nishat Bagh, and Shalimar Garden alongside the Pari Mahal.
Additional Link:https://journalsofindia.com/dal-lake/
Source: The Hindu
