India By the Bloom: Eye-Popping Flower Festivals You’ll Want to See…and Smell

Come springtime, India’s most famous way to usher in the new season is with color. Known for the Hindu Holi festival in which powdered colors are splashed over all who partake, it’s no wonder a country that values the vibrancy of color also boasts great floral riches. Not only can you hop on round trip flights to celebrate color for Holi in India, but you can also experience eye-popping displays across the country for a number of flower festivals and events held throughout the year, namely come the spring and summer months. From more formal events to blooming seasons at the country’s flower valleys, you’ll want to feast your eyes on these floral finds in India.

Srinagar’s Tulip Festival

Held each year just outside the city of Srinagar, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden plays host to this tulip festival. The event generally falls in March or April, but only the weather can dictate when the tulips are ready for viewing. Spanning 15 days, the festival brings to the spotlight the largest tulip garden in all of Asia. Visitors can expect to see over 60 varieties of tulips, totaling roughly a million blooms. Not only is this kaleidoscope of color camera-worthy, but the setting only furthers the beauty of the gardens. The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden resides at the foothills of the Zabarwan mountains, right on the shores of Dal Lake. While the Netherlands might get all the buzz in the spring for tulips, India’s offering is decidedly worth a gander, if tulips tickle your fancy.

July to September at the Valley of Flowers National Park

While not a festival, India’s Valley of Flowers National Park does play host to a rare event each summer that those with a bee in their bonnet can appreciate. Located in the Chamoli District of the Uttarakhand state, Valley of Flowers National Park boasts over 300 varieties of alpine flowers, most of which are only in bloom right after the first monsoon rain, falling from July to September. The high-altitude Himalayan valley has acquired such acclaim for its blooms and setting that it is even a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Only open to visitors from June until the end of October, you’ll have to hike several hours to reach this beauty but the wildflower greeting accented by snowy mountain peaks is certainly worth the calluses and blisters.

RELATED: Want to learn about spring festivals around the world? Here are a few quirky ones that you’ve probably never heard of! 

Ooty’s Flower Show

Set in Ooty in southern India, flower fanatics flock to the Ooty Flower Show each spring. Usually held in May, the Ooty Flower Shower brings to the forefront the beauty of the Government Botanical Gardens. Laid out in 1848, the gardens play host to the rich floral diversity of India’s Nilgiris District. And the Ooty Flower Shower is no different, highlighting it all from geraniums to orchids to roses. The three-day event has been a tradition since 1896. You can expect to marvel at over 10,000 flower pots, peek in on a gardening competition or two, and even gaze upon elaborate floral displays.

August to September at the Kaas Plateau

Another floral event in India worth sniffing out occurs generally in late August through September in the west-central state of Maharashtra. Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Kaas Plateau is home to some 850 varieties of wildflowers. Spanning over 2,400 acres, this petal-perfect plateau brings an array of colors to the area usually a month after the monsoons. If you plan your visit for late August through September, you’ll see many rare and native species. The wealth of butterflies are just an added bonus.

Are you wild about India’s wildflowers and flower festivals too? Share your favorite flower events with us in the comments below!