In August 2026, the hills around Munnar in Kerala were once again covered with rare purple-blue Neelakurinji flowers. This event occurred almost 12 years after the previous mass flowering in the same areas.
The Strobilanthes kunthiana flowers appeared in large numbers on the Korandakkad and Chokramudi hills near Mattupetty. The flowering began in August, and on 24 August the Chokramudi area was officially opened to visitors.
Local forest officials expect that by September the flowering will spread further to higher slopes, including Meesapulimala. Already on the opening day, about 450 tourists came to the Bison Valley Trail.
This is not the same flowering as in Eravikulam National Park. There, the flowers last bloomed in 2018, and the next major cycle is expected only in 2030. Neelakurinji populations in different parts of the region follow their own 12-year cycles: in the Chokramudi-Mattupetty area, the previous mass flowering was in 2014.
The plants are known for their peculiar life cycle - plietesial flowering. They grow for many years, then simultaneously bloom in huge clusters, produce seeds, and die. That is why the slopes of the Western Ghats turn into a continuous blue carpet every 12 years.
The flowering was also noticed on the tea plantations of Kanan Devan Hills Plantations at an altitude of about 1800 meters. The official opening of the season was conducted by the Divisional Forest Officer of Munnar, Abhay Yadav.
Experts note that such flowering cycles help keep attention on the fragile high-altitude grasslands of the region. But the question remains: will it be possible to protect these rare plants from the growing pressure of tourism and habitat loss?
Visitors are reminded: do not pick flowers, trample plants, or violate the rules. The full spectacle is expected in September, when the rains give way to sunshine.
