Rare Neelakurinji Bloom
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The flowers which give the Nilgiri Mountain range it’s name, grows in small shrubs found only in the higher elevations of certain parts of the western ghats. Known as the Neelakurinji (strobilanthes kunthiana) these rare flowers bloom once in 12 years. These shrubs are found in large numbers covering entire meadows around the chinnakkanal and mathupetty area near the korandakkadu hills and around Kovilur, Kadavari and Rajamala.
Neelakurinji blooms once in 12 years. The last bloom was in 2006 and the next is in 2018. Each flowering season typically begins in July or August and lasts up to 3 months. During the 2018 flowering season, Kerala Tourism is expecting more than a million tourists to visit Munnar.
There are around 40 varieties of Neelakurinji and most of them have blue or purple flowers. The plants are also found in large numbers in the Eravikulam National Park which boasts of conserving 26 species of mammals, 133 species of birds, 85 species of butterflies and 22 species of amphibians and is also home to the endangered Nilgiri Tahrs.
