After 12 years, kurinji set to bloom with clockwork precision in the Nilgiris
38-year-old Lakshmi Padman was diagnosed with breast cancer a decade ago, she never thought she would ever see another season of kurinji — a pinkishblue floral carpet that engulfs the Nilgiris once in 12 years.
The owner of a beauty parlour near the touristy tea town of Munnar, Padman and most people in the Nilgiris, or Blue Mountains, in Kerala often relate their life with the blooming cycle of the kurinji shrub. Tribal people calculate their age with the flowering of the neela kurinji, scientific name strobilanthes kunthiana.
Kerala’s misty getaway Munnar, 1,600m above the sea level in Idukki district, is getting ready for the kurinji to bloom again after 12 years. Scattered blooming has started and the landscape will be awash with the nature’s wonder in a couple of months.
Experts say the shrub is usually 30cm to 60cm tall, but in ideal conditions it can grow up to 200cm. The flower lasts about 20 days and multiplies fast once the full bloom begins.
“Its 12-year cycle is a wonder for the scientific community. These thorny shrubs play a major role in creating natural streams in shola forests. They are vital for the Nilgiri biosphere,” botanist Jomy Agustine said.
Kurinji is a favourite subject in Tamil and Malayalam ballads, and for the locals, it is a symbol of happiness and prosperity. The flowers soar up income in the form of tourists from around the globe.
“Our lives are entwined with the gregarious flower that religiously greets us after a long pause. Commercialisation is okay but we need sincere efforts to sustain its cycle,” said R Mohanan, member of Munnar Environment and Wildlife Society, an NGO.
As per the tourism department, at least 400,000 tourists swarmed the hills when the flowers bloomed in 2006. The Eravikulam National Park, famous for the endangered Nilgiri Thar, is a favourite for kurinji-watchers. Park officials said 400,000 entry tickets were sold the last time.
Of the 46 types of kurinji found in the country, Munnar has the largest concentration with 30-odd varieties, botanists say. People who witnessed the 2006 bloom said at least 40 sq km of Rajamalai and Eravikulam parks were draped in blue. And they believe it will be more this time due to favourable weather.
“A vigorous campaign is on to attract tourists. We have done a number of meetings to formulate an action plan to
MUNNAR:When