Karnataka is popular because of its varied rich culture. Every District here has a natural beauty in it. The state is popular not only for infrastructure and development but also for its beautiful natural beauty i.e nature. Especially the Western Ghats here are very famous for their beautiful nature and hill stations. These natural beauties attract crores of tourist every year. Apart from being a IT hub, Karnataka is also one of the top tourist places in the country.
The world famous Ajanta, and Ellora temples has gained world fame for the beautiful construction. When we travel through ghats, it gives us special feeling, whenever we see around we can only find wonderful, and amazing nature.
Above all this another important attaraction in this Western Ghats is one flower, which blooms once in every 12years.
Neelakurinji, one of the beautiful flowers that increases the beauty of hill stations and ghats.
Neelakurinji is a type of wildflower mostly seen in the Southern Part of India. Karnataka, Kerala, and some parts of Tamil Nadu are the most prominent places where travelers, and nature lovers visit to witness this beautiful flower. Also known as Kurinji, these flowers have grown in Mandalpatti Hills in the District of Kodagu, adding a distinctive charm to this place. While the entire region is blessed with this natural beauty, Kote Betta and Kumara Parvatha are the two hillocks that have been experiencing the most abundant flowering of Kurinji.
These flowers belong to a shrub that is particularly found in the Shola forests of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Most of these species have a unique flowering cycle, resulting from an annual to a 16-year blooming cycle.
The flowers are first spotted around early August when the entire region is covered by a purple blanket of flowers. In the days following, more hills are covered by these rare flowers. Such sight remains till the end of September. Not just the natives but the tourists are equally excited to visit this natural wonder.
The Kurinji flowers grow at the height of 1,300 – 2,400 metres, making the region one of the favourite destinations in Karnataka. There are around 46 varieties of flowers that bloom at various locations at different times. In fact, the Nilgiri hills got their name from these flowers. The peak blooming season is between August and October.
Their scientific name is ‘strobilanthes kunthiana’, and these flowers are also known as Kurinji. They are seen mostly on the Nilgiri hills, which even got its name from the flowers — ‘neela’, meaning blue and ‘kurinji’, referring to the flowers. The shrub is endemic to the Western Ghats. There are many varieties of the plant and a few varieties are seen in Karnataka.
The flowers were in full bloom in Baba Budan Giri of Chikkamagaluru in 2006. The next bloom was expected to happen in 2018, but because of forest fires, Neelakurinjis were not seen that year.
For some tribals, who were the first settlers of Kodaikanal, the bloom helped them to calculate their age — with every bloom 12 years was added to their age. Local tribal communities have a special connection to the flower.
Hooraja, who belongs to the nomadic tribe of Hakki-Pikki, says that his ancestors believed that the Goddess of the forest, Kaadadevi, appears in the form of the blue flowers once in 12 years.