Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden

Why in news?

• Asia's largest tulip garden will open to the public on March 26 to mark the beginning of the tourist season in the Kashmir Valley.
• Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will inaugurate the garden.

Key Points:

• The name of this garden is "Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden".
• Nestled between Dal Lake and Zabarwan Hills, this garden is spread over about 55 hectares.
• About 17 lakh (1.7 million) tulip flower plants have been planted in the garden this year.
• Two new varieties of tulips have been added to the garden, taking the total number to 74.
• This garden was started on a small scale with 50 thousand tulips imported from the Netherlands.

About Tulip:

• Tulip is a beautiful and colourful cup-shaped flower.
• It is mainly grown in cold areas and blooms in spring.
• Tulip originated in Turkey and Central Asia.
• Netherlands is most famous for the cultivation and trade of tulips.
• There are more than 3,000 varieties of tulip and it is found in more than 150 colours.
• In the 17th century, the price of tulips in the Netherlands became equal to gold, which is called Tulip Mania.
• It is grown from bulbs and not from seeds.

Colours and symbols of tulip:

• Red tulip - considered a symbol of true love.
• Yellow tulip - represents happiness and friendship.
• White tulip- Symbolizes forgiveness and peace.
• Purple tulip- Represents royal splendour.