Visitors call garden highlight of Kashmir trip
Nawshaba Iqbal
Srinagar, Apr 11: Set against Zabarwan foothills, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden here is drawing a sustained rush of visitors in its final bloom phase, with nearly 3 lakh footfall recorded so far and the show is likely to continue for another week.
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According to official figures, by the 25th day of the Tulip Show 2026, around 2,92,000 visitors had entered the garden through physical ticketing. Of these, nearly 1,35,000 were locals, about 1,56,000 were domestic tourists, and around 800 were foreign nationals.
Imran Ahmad, Officer In-charge of the garden, told ‘Excelsior’ that the season began on a subdued note due to inclement weather and Ramadan, but picked up pace after Eid.
“During the first week, the average daily footfall was around 5,000 to 6,000, mostly domestic visitors,” he said.
As the season progressed, the garden transformed into a vibrant mosaic of colour, with neatly terraced rows of tulips stretching across the slopes.
Ahmad said the numbers have since risen steadily, with current daily footfall ranging between 10,000 and 12,000. “At present, nearly 85 percent of the visitors are domestic tourists.”
He noted that tourists from across the country have been including the garden in their itineraries, with the turnout remaining consistent in recent days as the tulips continue to bloom in clusters of contrasting shades, adding to the visual appeal.
Joyous visitors described the garden as a highlight of their Kashmir trip.
Swati Chakraborty from Kolkata said she and her friends had planned their visit around the tulip show and were satisfied with the experience.
Ujwala from Pune, visiting for the first time, said she encountered several flower varieties she had not seen before, while another visitor, Asha, termed the visit “good.”
Notably, the garden opened earlier than usual this year due to warmer conditions as the temperatures during January and February reached around 23-24 degrees Celsius, and there was no snowfall.
“As a result, the garden was opened on March 16, about 10 to 15 days ahead of schedule,” Ahmad said.
He said rainfall during the season had a mixed impact, with five to six wet spells affecting early varieties, while mid and late blooms benefited, helping extend the flowering period.
“Favourable conditions after opening also contributed to prolonging the show duration,” he added.
Ahmad also highlighted the introduction of a UPI-based payment system this year to facilitate ticketing and noted that a significant share of revenue is now being generated through digital payments, touching up to 40 percent on some days.
“Around 8,000 to 10,000 tickets have been booked online so far,” he said, adding that the system is expected to ease entry management and reduce queues in the coming seasons.
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