Ehsan Fazili/Srinagar

Next autumn, Srinagar will add more colour to its otherwise rather dull landscape of Ocher, yellow, and rust hues due to the drying of foliage. A vivacious Chrysanthemum garden spread over 100 kanals of land close to the Dal Lake will greet tourists.

To be christened as Bagh-e-Gul-e-Dawood, the Rs 1.87 crore garden is being laid on barren land in the Botanical Garden and is expected to be ready by September 2025.

Once in bloom in yellow, red, pink, and purple flowers, this garden is likely  to prolong the tourism season by two months - from mid-September to mid-November. So far the blazing Chinar trees are the only attraction for nature lovers during this season.

The success of the Tulip Garden in attracting tourists in what was otherwise a lean tourism season- March to May- has encouraged the authorities to plan the Chrysanthemum Garden, said Asif Ahmad, Floriculture Officer of the J&K Government.

As such the authorities are already developing a Japanese-style Cherry orchard to attract tourists with its Pink blossom in the periphery of the Tulip garden. Cherry blossom occurs soon after the Tulip bloom ends.

Asif Ahmad said that so far major tourist attractions in Srinagar have been Mughal Gardens and the chrysanthemum would be a major attraction in the future.

While the Chrysanthemum is commonly grown locally, one doesn't see festivits associated with it in Kashmir on the lines of Chandigarh, Jammu, or parts of North India.

Unlike the Tulips, for which bulbs are being imported, there are no additional expenses for growing Chrysanthemum as these can be vegetatively propagated.

The J&K Government also plans to extend the development of Chrysanthemum Gardens to other parts of the valley for greater tourist attractions.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah laid the foundation stone for the upgradation of a hi-tech flower nursery at Polo View and the development of Bagh-e-Gul-e-Dawood in the Botanical garden here on November 22. It would showcase vibrant blooms in shades of yellow, red, pink, and purple, adding charm to Kashmir’s tourism landscape during the traditionally quieter autumn months. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister emphasized the significance of gardens in Kashmir’s heritage and tourism.

In different periods people visiting Kashmir set up gardens. The Mughals, for instance, created iconic gardens like Chasma Shahi, Nishat, Shalimar, and Harwan.

Over time, visitors, even if they saw nothing else, ensured they visited these Mughal Gardens”, Omar Abdullah remarked.

Omar Abdullah admitted that the Tulip Garden had transformed Kashmir’s tourist season, “Our tourism season was once limited to two periods: winter, when people came to witness snowfall, or May, when visitors explored gardens and other scenic spots. However, with the establishment of the Tulip Garden, this pattern transformed. It extended our tourist season into March and April. Today, Srinagarites know how bustling the area around the Tulip Garden became during this time. It’s a challenge even to navigate through the traffic near the garden”, he said.

The Chief Minister stated: “While the Tulip Garden has had a remarkable impact, a new challenge lies in utilizing the ‘off-season’ months of October and November before snowfall draws tourists to destinations like Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Pahalgam. To address this, I commend the Parks and Gardens Department and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology-Kashmir (SKUAST-K) for their role in introducing Bagh-e-Gul-e-Dawood - the Chrysanthemum Garden”. He further explained the potential of the Chrysanthemum Garden: “The chrysanthemum, a flower that blooms in autumn, has the potential to do for October and November what the Tulip Garden does for March and April. Visitors to this garden will also explore other parts of Kashmir, benefiting the entire ecosystem of tourism—be it shikarawalas, taxi operators, houseboat owners, or others”.

Earlier, the Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo while reviewing the status of the project at a meeting in Jammu said that the establishment of such gardens should be explored at other tourism destinations, besides in and around the Jammu city.

He asked the department to look into creating these autumn season attractions for further prolonging the tourism season in J&K. He advised them to coordinate with the local Agricultural Universities and Tourism Department.