The garden in Kashmir adorned with a million tulips

The garden is considered Asia’s largest and is looked after by a team of a hundred gardeners

This article first appeared in our partner site, Independent Urdu

On the banks of the Dal Lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, lies a 30-hectare orchard of tulips. More than a hundred gardeners look after the striking flowers in the park, which was first established in 2007. As visitors marvel at the vibrant colours and exquisite beauty of the 68 varieties of tulips, it is the hard work and dedication of the gardeners that make this spectacle possible.

Muhammad Yousuf Khan, the head gardener at the tulip gardens, has shared his passion for his work and the challenges he and his team face in an interview with Independent Urdu. Khan, who has been working with flowers for over 40 years, describes how the tulips are like newly-born infants, requiring constant care and attention to bring out their beauty.

He leads a team of 105 gardeners who work tirelessly during the planting season from October to March, keeping a keen eye on each of the 1.6 million tulip bulbs planted in the garden.

"Decisions in the tulip garden have to be made in minutes and seconds in order to preserve the tulips," says Khan. From sowing the bulbs to monitoring their growth and addressing any disease, the gardeners work diligently to ensure that every flower blooms to perfection.

The tulip garden is open to the public for a month, and during this time, hundreds of thousands of visitors come to admire the buds. "When visitors leave here content, it brings joy to our hearts, and we celebrate," says Khan. He expresses his hope that more people will have the opportunity to visit the garden in person and enjoy its beauty, even though it can also be viewed online.

Khan’s deep connection with the tulips is evident as he recites a Kashmiri poem, expressing his love for the blooming flowers. He takes pride in his ability to recognise each flower at a glance, and his dedication to his work is unwavering. "I don’t praise myself. You can ask anyone. Each one of these 1.6 million flowers remains under my observation," says Khan.

As tulip season unfolds in the garden, the hard work and passion of Muhammad Yousuf Khan and his fellow gardeners continue to be the driving force behind the spectacular display of “Asia’s largest tulip garden”. Their dedication and expertise ensure that visitors from around the world can enjoy the graceful beauty of the blooming tulips in the picturesque setting of Srinagar.

This year saw a record-breaking season with 375,000 tourists from states across India and from the rest of the world visiting the tulip garden.

Reviewed by Tooba Ali and Celine Assaf