Vishal Bharti|Jammu, March 23 (UNI) Surrounded by lush green forests and snow-clad mountains, 40,000 tulips in red, yellow, white, purple await visitors in Kud and Sanasar of Udhampur and Ramban districts of Jammu Division of UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Like Kashmir, we want tourists to also visit the Jammu region and enjoy the natural beauty of Sanasar and Kud areas. To give impetus to tourism in the region, 40,000 tulips bulbs have been planted in the Kud belt of Udhampur district and Sanasar in Ramban district,” said an official on Wednesday.
The climate at high altitude is conducive for Tulip plantation that attracts major tourist footfalls.
“For the first time in March last year, tourists were able to witness about 10,000 colourful Tulips at Highland Park in Kud area and the tourists flocking to Patnitop and travellers on the way to Doda region and Kashmir valley witnessed the beauty of these gardens,” he said.
“We are promoting picturesque Kud, Patnitop and Karla areas besides developing the tourism ecosystem,” Udhampur Deputy Commissioner Indu Kanwal Chib told UNI.
She said, “Udhampur district has many destinations to mesmerise visitors and to promote these places, we will give impetus to the floriculture department and other agencies dealing in hospitality, so that locals benefit from the tourist influx.”
Home Stay facilities at identified locations is one of the major promotional activities being undertaken by the district administration, said the Deputy Commissioner.
“Kud has thousands of blooming tulip bulbs already attracting visitors,” said Chib adding,”the Vaishno Devi pilgrims reaching Katra will have an opportunity to reach Kud and catch a glimpse, especially when we have smooth road connectivity to reach the destination.”
Assistant Floriculture Officer Arjun Parihar told UNI, “At Kud we have planted 10,000 bulbs and 30,000 bulbs at Sanasar.”
“They will be in full bloom in Kud by next week, and they are already blooming at Sanasar. Visitors whether locals or tourists must come and feel the beauty of the variety of flowers blooming in Red, White, Yellow, Black and Purple colours.”
Deputy Director, Jammu Tourism (Publicity), Naresh Kumar, said, “We are holding a FAM tour and other events in next two weeks to woo tourists.”
“They will be taken to the Tulip gardens of Sanasar and Kud to give a boost to tourism,” he expressed.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, last year the tulips that have wooed audiences in many Bollywood movies, could not be planted in Sanasar, where this time 3.5 kanals of land is being used for the plantation, and in Kud 1.5 kanals.
Tulip, which has its origin in Persia (Iran), was introduced in Europe in the 17th century, where it had been developed in different varieties. Holland is the largest producer of tulips. (UNI)
