:: Neelakurinji
God's Own Country, Kerala is blessed with many natural spectacles and among them is a unique canvas that gets unveiled every twelve years. The phenomenon of once in twelve years occurring on the fabled hills of Munnar is attributed to the blooming of Neelakurinji or passionately called by botanists as ‘Strobilanthes kunthianum.' The flower with 40 odd varieties bloom mostly in shades of blue, and thus in its name Neela in the local language stands for the colour blue and Kurinji the local name for the flower.
This year, the hills of Munnar once again have welcomed Neelakurinji on to its bosom after a period of twelve years.Revered by the local tribal community and admired by visitors to these enchanting hills. From August and would last up to October is the blooming of Neelakurinji usually.
You may locate the magical blooms of Neelakurinji at Kovilur, Kadavari, Rajamala, Iravikulam National Park, in Munnar which is home to the endangered mountain ungulate- the 'Nilgiri Tahr' and at other places in and around Munnar. It is an ethereal experience to stand amidst the sprawling blooms of Neelakurinji. The Neelakurinji plant shows variation in height according to the elevation of the land from the sea level. Usually shorter plants (about 2 ft) are found at the high elevations, while taller ones (about 5 to 10 ft) are seen at lower elevations. Nature lovers and travelers have already started heading for Munnar to savour in this once-in-twelve-year phenomenon.
Many tour operators, adventure clubs etc. organise trekking for visitors to reach some of the best locales in and around Munnar for seeing the grand spread of Neelakurinji.
Access through:
Rail: Ernakulam, about 145 kms away.
Air: Cochin International Airport , about 110 kms away.
