Neelakurinji bloom attracts tourists to Munnar tea plantation
The rare Neelakurinji bloom has attracted many tourists to the Chokramudi hills and tea plantation areas in Munnar. The Kanan Devan Hills Plantations company has opened specific trekking routes to manage visitor access to the flowering sites.
Why it matters
The event highlights the intersection of ecological tourism and local economic activity in the Western Ghats region.
Even as the Neelakurinji bloom continues to draw thousands of tourists to the Chokramudi hills near Munnar, another large-scale bloom has been reported on tea plantation land at Korandakkad and Mattupetty.
According to the officials, vast carpets of violet blossoms have blanketed hills owned by the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP) company at an elevation of 6,000 feet above sea level. The Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) last witnessed a mass bloom in these areas in 2014. The current flowering began in late August, turning the slopes into shades of purple and blue.
KDHP opened the hills to visitors on September 3 for trekking upon payment of an entry fee. The trek route begins along the Munnar–Top Station road, and visitors can take KSRTC shuttle buses to and from the entry point.
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