Karnataka’s Mandalapatti hills are blooming with the blue Neelakurinji flowers. Interestingly, these flowers bloom once every 12 years. Photographs of the flowers shared on the web have mesmerised people with the sightings of these rare flowers. 

The pictures have been shared on Twitter by news agency ANI. ANI captioned the images, “Neelakurinji flowers, which bloom once every 12 years, seen at Mandalapatti hill in Kodagu district.”

The Idukki’s Shalomkunnu (Shalom hills) under the Santhanpara Panchayat have also been adorned with the blue Neelakurinji flowers. In fact, Nilgiri hills owe their name to the presence of these gorgeous blue flowers. 

The official website of the Kerala Tourism Department said, “Through Neelakurinji, one is transported to a different dimension altogether. One can view the shorter variation (about 2 ft.) at higher spots and longer variations (about 5 to 10 ft.) are seen at lower spots.”

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“Specialized tours of this rare phenomenon are available during this time period around the area and treks are organized to view this masterpiece of nature. It is like a secret glimpse into heaven, allowed only once every 12 years,” in a section of their website.

While the Neelakurinji flowers span across 10 acres of the Shalomkunnu, these hills are not open for tourism due to COVID-19 this year.  

“This time owing to Covid, tourists are not allowed to visit the hills. The flowering of Neelakurinji known as Strobilanthes Kunthiana is special for people in Idukki. But along with it, efforts must be taken to conserve such rich biodiversity,” said Binu Paul, a native who has been researching the biodiversity of Idukki.

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Isolated flowering was reported last year from Anakara Mettu Hills of the Western Ghats bordering Tamil Nadu, Puttady near Thondimala and the border village of Shantanpura Gram Panchayat. It is after 12 long years that one can witness these flowers blossoming completely in all their glory.