Free wi-fi, other facilities at J&K Tulip Garden this year

Srinagar, Mar 11: Visitors to Asia's largest Tulip Garden on the banks of Dal Lake here can enjoy free wi-fi access, in addition to many other new facilities, when the garden opens to public later this month.

The Tulip garden will be thrown open to public on March 25.

"With the need of staying connected increasing by the day, the floriculture department, in collaboration with the BSNL, is providing free wi-fi connectivity to visitors," Floriculture Director Mathoora Masoom told PTI.

Masoom said several other initiatives have been taken to make the visitors, a large number of whom are tourists, feel comfortable during their visit to the Tulip Garden.

"We have added more green spaces inside the garden so that the visitors can rest and enjoy the beauty of the flowers in full bloom," she said.

The official said this year, the department has planted 12.25 lakh Tulip bulbs over an area of 10 hectares.

"We have added some other flower plants to the Tulip Garden this year which includes Hyacinths, Daffodils, Narcissus and other ornamental plants," she said, adding this season, 40,000 Hyacinth bulbs have been planted in a separate terrace and more fresh plantation is in full swing.

The officer said the department has added several new fountains to the garden.

There was just one fountain earlier.

"To make the garden more pleasing to the eye, there will be a water channel too running through the terraces," Masoom said.

More drinking points have been added for the convenience of visitors while a separate washroom has been constructed for the specially-abled visitors.

Giving details, she said a festival will be held at the Tulip Garden to coincide with its opening. "There will be decorated kiosks and stalls showcasing the handicraft and cuisine of Kashmir with traditional and ethnic touch," she said.

However, only environment-friendly activities will be allowed inside the garden, the officer said, adding the kiosks will be set up outside the garden premises to protect it from pollution.

Tulips were introduced in Kashmir on large scale in 2007 when then chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had the Siraj Bagh turned into Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden.

The aim of setting up of the largest Tulip garden of Asia was to give another choice to tourists and to advance the tourism season, which used to begin in May every year, by two months. The garden has been a success story with thousands of tourists thronging it every year during the three weeks of its bloom.