The breath-taking view of Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes Kunthiana), a legendary purple-blue coloured flower which blooms once in 12 years on the hill ranges of Munnar in Kerala. After the last flowering that occurred in 2006, another mass flowering in the Nilgiris-Palanis-Munnar belt can be expected only in 2018. Strangely enough there was a group of plants in the locality whose flowering cycle was four years ahead of the rest of the community in the region and I was lucky to capture this rare occurrence in Oct 2014 . However, one could not be sure whether these plants would survive for the next season.

WHEN NEELAKURINJI BLOOMS

It is believed that Nilgiri Hills, which literally means “blue mountains”, was named after the Neelakurinji flowers. Interestingly, the people of Paliyan tribes who lived here used to calculate their age based on the blossoming cycle of these flowers.

WHEN NEELAKURINJI BLOOMS

NEELAKURINJI FLOWER : A CLOSER LOOK