Updated By: LatestGKGS Desk
Neelakurinji Flowers Features, Historical timeline, Role in Munnar Hills Ecosystem
Kerala's Neelakurinji flowers (endemic species) from Munnar Hills at Westerns Ghats History, Importance as Western Ghats Ecosystem Health Indicator
Neelakurinji flower is also called Kurinji.
Neela means blue in Malayalam language and Kurinji is the local name of the flower.
Neelakurinji flower found on Nilgiri hills (Shola forest in South India). Botanists state that there are about 300 species of this plant in several hues that bloom in 10 to 16 years. About 46 of them are found in India.
The Tourism Department is expecting a growth of 79 percent in tourist arrivals to Munnar this year.
This endemic species (Neelakurinji flower) is also an indicator of the health of the ecosystem.
Neelakurinji flower rare flower which grows across the Western Ghats. These flowers are found in abundance in the hills of Munnar and blooms once in twelve years.
As many as 628,427 tourists had visited Munnar in 2017 with an increase of 34.31 percent as compared to 467,881 vacationers in 2016. Neelakurinji flower bloom after a long wait of 12 years.
The years from record of blooming of Neelakurinji flowers are 1838, 1850, 1862, 1874, 1886, 1898, 1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 and 2018.
This unique lifecycle of the plant makes the hills a must-visit destination for travel enthusiasts. Neelakurinji flower one of the main attraction to tourist in Kerala.
