The Mesmerizing Purple Carpet- Neelakurinji

That time of the decade has come; the time nature lovers and travel buffs have been waiting for. After 12 long years, Neelakurinji bloom is set to return to the valley, mountains, and slopes of "Kashmir of Kerala" , the Kanthalloor. The last bloom took place in 2018 when social media were in their infant stage and not so popular. In 2018, travellers celebrated the bloom on social media, attracting and inviting globetrotters all over the world.

There is a multitude of blooming valleys and flower-laden grasslands all over the world, but there are many factors that Kanthalloor and its Neelakurinji unique and stand out. The peculiarity of Neelakurinji is its exclusivity.The Neelakurinji plants are camouflaged into the thick vegetation of Munnar and they go unnoticed during off-seasons. During the bloom season, the Neelakurinji flowers take the center stage in Munnar. The proliferating azure flowers turn the place ethereal and the sight of the valley decked in blue is too spectacular to be true.

When to visit Kanthalloor for Neelakurinji Blooming?

As mentioned earlier, the Kurinji blooms every 12 years; the second last known bloom was in 2006, the last bloom was be in 2018 and next bloom in 2030, which will be followed by a flowering season in 2030 and so on. If you wish to descry the blue wonderment, 2018 would be the right time. The Neelakurnji flowering season coincides with the spring season of Kerala. The Kurinji flowers start flowering in limited numbers in the last phase of the monsoon. As the monsoon clouds slowly recede, the blue florets carpet the valleys, mountains, and grasslands. The blooming season starts in August and ends in November. The peak blooming period would be in September and October.

If you want to visit a place where it is less crowded and noisy, the beginning of the flowering season would be ideal for you. As the flowering progresses, it is more likely to spread across social media, attracting more crowds to the hills. If you yearn to witness the bloom in all its glory and if you don’t mind the crowd and the hullaballoo, the peak months of September and October will suit you the best.