Rare Neelakurinji Flowers, That Bloom Only Once in 12 Years, Paint Kerala Blue

Nature lovers rejoice! Neelanurinkji flowers have adorned the Shalom hills in Kerala's Idukki adding vibrant blue hues to the picturesque hills. Shalomkunnu (Shalom hills) located under the Santhanpara Panchayat are blossoming with the flowers which bloom only once in every 12 years.

What are Neelanurinkji flowers?

Neelanurinkji, also known as Strobilanthes Kunthiana or Kurinji in Tamil, is a shrub that is found in the Shola forests of the Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. These flowers are blue in color and hence Nilgiris Hills (which means blue mountains) got its name from Neelankurinji. Neelakurinji blooms in 40 or so varieties, a majority of them being blue in colour. 'Neela' literally translates to 'blue' and kurinji is the name given to it by the tribals of the area.

The rare flowers are in full bloom this time covering over 10 acres of the Shalomkunnu. Some of the Strobilanthes bloom after four, eight, 10, 12 or even 16 years. But the growth of most of them is patchy and virtually unnoticeable.

"This time owing to Covid, tourists are not allowed to visit the hills. The flowering of Neelakurinji known as Strobilanthes Kunthiana is special for people in Idukki. But along with it, efforts must be taken to conserve such rich biodiversity," ANI quoted Binu Paul, a native who studies keenly on the biodiversity of Idukki.

The blooming of these flowers comes after isolated flowering last year from Anakara Mettu Hills of the Western Ghats bordering Tamil Nadu, Puttady near Thondimala and the border village of Shantanpura Gram Panchayat. Isolated flowering happens in various areas in the western ghats during different seasons.

What's special about Neelanurinkji flowers?

Apart from the fact these rare flowers bloom only once in 12 years, another magical fact about this flower is that it is categorised as a 'plietesial' plant that may bloom only once in its lifetime, sets seeds and dies.

The official website of the Kerala Tourism Department said that such plants flower gregariously in a single season, “The time taken to mature varies in different species of Kurinjis. So different species of Kurinjis have different intervals of flowering. Neelakurinji matures in 12 years time and flowers gregariously every 12 years.”

Last bloomed in 2018?

Even though it is stated that these rare flowers are blooming this year after 12 years, Kerala Tourism website suggests that these flowers also bloomed in 2018 making us wonder if the 12-year theory is factually correct. In 2018, these flowers reportedly blossomed in Kerala's Munnar.

Even though the hills look stunning and surreal with the blooming of these new flowers, the spot remains closed for tourists amid COVID-19 restrictions and you can only behold the beauty of this rare occurrence through pictures this year.

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