Rare endemic flowers that grow close to every 12 years, Neelakurinji blooms have currently turned many destinations in South India a riot of colours.
Dreaming of visiting the Scottish highlands to watch the sprawling landscapes covered with fresh purple flowers? Well, you need not have to go that far for the breathtaking sight this season. Fly down to the southern end of our country to watch countless purple-blue neelakurinji blooms carpeting the rolling meadows as far as you eye goes!
At present, certain parts of South India, including Karnataka’s Chikkamagaluru, Kerala’s Kallippara hills, are experiencing the blooming of the rare flower. neelakurinji, a shrub belonging to the Strobilanthes genus, is known for synchronous flowering once in 12 to 16 years!
This fall, these fresh flowers have turned the green patches of these hill stations into a bed of purple-blue blooms. In last 20 days, thousands of people have visited Seethalayyana Giri, Mullayyanagiri, and Bababudangiri in the Chandradrona Range in Karnataka as well as the Kallipara Hills in Kerala‘s Idukki district.
The efflorescence is truly magical. Neelakurinji blooms in 46 different varieties in light blue colour and later, take on a purple blush when fully grown. Endemic to the Western Ghats, the plants reach a height of about 60 cm and grow at an altitude of 1,300 to 2,400 metres. There are many varieties of neelakurinji. The one found in Chikkamagaluru is Strobilanthes sessilis. Strobilanthes kunthiana is seen in parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In fact, Nilgiri Hills, which literally means the blue mountains, got their name from the purplish blue flowers.
Local tribal communities have a special connection to the flower, who believe that the goddess of the forest, Kaadadevi, appears in the form of the blue flowers once in 12 years. In Sangam literature of Tamil Nadu, these flowers stand for ‘love’. The exhilarating sea of blue on the hills has inspired poems and artworks from many, in praise its beauty.
During this natural phenomenon, the otherwise plain hillside of Shola in Karnataka turns into a riot of colour. Constant drizzles, dense grey clouds, icy winds further add to the whole experience. Several blossoms of blue, several other buds ready to bloom, bees buzzing and butterflies fluttering around, and a soft scent lingering the air — the whole setting is pure magic!
What: Neelakurinji flowers in full bloom
Where: Several parts of Karntaka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu
When: August to November (between 12 to 16 years)
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