Neelakurinji Blooming : Here is the update

Since the last 4 months, a lot of our guests who wanted to book their stay at Ela Ecoland Nature Retreat are curious about what many identify as a Neelakurinji effect. Kerala tourism has been sharing the news to every nook and corner of the world about a beautiful phenomenon that is going to happen in the Western Ghats of Kerala close to Munnar. People are excited and some of the photographs that are being published do create a curiosity and excitement in many.

Neelakurinji is a shrub that grows in the grasslands within the mountains ranges of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. They are spread across mountains after mountains and blooms every 12 years. When they bloom, the whole mountain become bluish purple making it a moment of grandeur. The last large scale blooming was in 2006, an era before the smart phones where there, so not many has a photograph of this beautiful collective blooming. The plant grows only above 1500 meters above the sea level and can be found mostly in the Shola grasslands of the Western Ghats. The plant has around 46 varieties in India and the most common one is the one that goes bluish purple in colour - Strobilanthes kunthiana (Scientific name). The most concentration of Neelakurinji is in Munnar, other places include Ooty, Kodaikanal and mostly hill stations in the Western and Eastern Ghats of South India.

Since Munnar has the highest concentration of the plant, large folks come to Munnar to witness this marvellous beauty. Technically it was supposed to bloom by mid of July, however since the rains extended to the end of July, the blooming is expected to happen during the mid of August of 2018 (this is also tentative). if the rains continue, there are every possibility of the blooming getting delayed. The blooming is expected to start by mid of August and extend until October. The rains should go and the sun should come to its glory for the Kurinji to bloom. The best and the most comfortable points from where you can witness this romantic scene is from the Eravikulam National Park, which is located in the Rajamala hills, the foot hills of the Anamudi (the highest peak in South India). Eravikulam National Park is under the forest department of Kerala and buses shuttle form the entrance to the National Park are where visitors are permitted to see the endangered species of mountain goat called the Nilgiri Tahr.

Eravikulam National Park permits only 750 visitors per day, it is not sure whether they would expand these slots, since it is the year of Neelakurinji. Dont ever imagine to go there and get your tickets from the counter, I have personally seen very large ques at the park entrance for the ticket. Specially during the tourist high season. The best way to book the tickets for Eravikulam National Park is through the website - https://eravikulamnationalpark.in. You got to register in that website with you mobile phone number, email and ID card number. Choose the number of visitors and give in all the details including the ID card number and make the payment online. This could be shown at the park entrance which allows you to skip large ques that will kill your precious time during your holiday to Munnar.

Eravikulam National Park is 12 Kilometres away from Munnar Town centre towards Marayoor Coimbatore direction. Parking would not be a hassle as the park has a very large parking area that could handle large number of cars. So effectively from Ela Ecoland to Eravikulam National Park it would be 30 Kilometres and would take approximate of 1 hour. You will be boarding a bus from the park entrance which will shuttle towards the area where Kurinji blooms and you could even spot a lot of Nilgiri Tahr (endangered species of mountain goat). The bluish purple ting is all over the place mountains after mountains. The mist creates an illusion effect as if the colour is in the air. ?Take enough pictures to show to share it over whatsapp and facebook so that the world will get to know how magnificent is this beauty of Kurinji - the special effects of mother nature.

Ela Ecoland is one of the best speciality lodging options available in Munnar. It is a small nature retreat in the middle of the cardamom plantations of Kallar on the banks of the Kallar Nallathani river. We have a a Tree House that is the most beautiful and authentic Tree House in Munnar, two luxury tents and an elevated cottage which we call a rock house. Why wait, call us on 9400946800 or email us on mail@elaecoland.com