Ghulam Nabi Azad, Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir
Director Floriculture, Gardens & Parks, Mohammad Hussain Mir, Saturday chaired a meeting to review the preparations for opening of Tulip Garden in Srinagar. The meeting was attended by Joint Director Handicrafts, Deputy Director Tourism, Principal of Institute of HOTEL Management, General Manager JKTDC, Deputy Manager JKWDC and other senior officers of concerned Departments attended the meeting. It was given out that a 15-day ‘Tulip Festival’ will be held in Tulip Garden in the lap of Zabarwan Hills from April 1 in collaboration with the Tourism Department. It was said that more than one million tulips of 46 varieties have been sown in the largest Tulip Garden of the Asia. On the occasion, the Director said that the festival is meant to boost the tourism in Kashmir Valley during which various activities will be held to
attract tourists to the famed garden. He further said that the stalls from various allied Departments will be installed in the garden for the convenience of tourists and to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the State. The Academy of Art, Culture and Languages will also organize cultural programs and other activities at the garden which will be open to tourist from 9 am till evening each day. The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) will also set up food stalls in the garden for the convenience of visitors.
Srinagar to hold 15-day mega tulip festival from April 1
As part of its efforts to revive tourism in the Kashmir Valley, the Jammu and Kashmir government will organise a first-of-its-kind 15-day festival next month to showcase Asia’s largest tulip garden. The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, overlooking the Dal Lake, has more than 20 lakh tulips of 46 varieties and its opening marks the beginning of tourism season in the Valley. “The mega tulip festival will be part of Bahaar-e-Kashmir (spring in Kashmir) event to showcase Asia’s largest tulip garden in the summer capital of Srinagar. The festival will start on April 1 and will continue for 15 days,” said Farooq Ahmad Shah, secretary (tourism and floriculture), Government of Jammu and Kashmir. At the festival site, decorated kiosks and stalls will showcase handicrafts and cuisine of the Valley with traditional, ethnic touch. “On the sidelines of this mega festival, an ‘Aalmi Mushaira’ event will be held wherein world famous poets will enthral the audience with their latest Urdu compositions. This too would be first-of-its-kind in the Valley,” added Shah. Formerly known as Siraj Bagh, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden was opened in 2008 by the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. At a recent conference in Mumbai, Shah informed that the state government’s focus this year is on reviving tourism, which was hit due the recent unrest in the Valley. With fresh focus on Leh, Ladakh and Kargil region, the Jammu and Kashmir government also will be spending `2,400 crore on development of tourism infrastructure in this region in the next four years. AirAsia, earlier last month, started twice-daily direct flights between Delhi and Srinagar, which is expected to augur well overall tourism in the state. The airline had further indicated plans to connect Srinagar with other destinations in India.
'BAHAAR-EKASHMIR’: Srinagar to host mega tulip festival from April 1
Secretary Tourism and Floriculture Farooq Ahmad Shah today said a mega Tulip festival will be celebrated in Srinagar from April 1. The festival, a part of ‘Bahaar-eKashmir’ event, will showcase Asia’s largest Tulip garden in Srinagar, he said. The Tulip garden flaunts more than 20 lakh tulips of 46 different varieties in the backdrop of mighty Zabarwan range. The Secretary announced the 15day festival will start from April 1. “The festival will witness decorated food and handcraft stalls, kiosks to showcase the rich craft and cuisine of the valley with traditional ethnic touch.” Shah also said that on the sidelines of this mega Tulip festival- Bahar-eKashmir, one ‘Aalmi Mushaira’ will be organised in which world famous poets will participate. He was accompanied by the Director Floriculture Kashmir MH Mir, Director Tourism Kashmir Mahmood A Shah, Deputy Director Tourism Kashmir Zahoor Peerzada and other officials. Later, the secretary had an interactive session with the SKICC staff and discussed about various methods and strategies to improve the quality of services in the international conference centre.