Flowers of Jammu & Kashmir
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Gar firdaus bar-rue zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin ast
It is indeed true, if there is a heaven on earth then it is here, here and only here...
Our heaven is incomplete without the beautiful flowers which bloom in the meadows and valleys of Jammu and Kashmir.
In your visit to 'Heaven on Earth' do not forget to visit the valley of flowers in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a study, it is found that there are more than 3000 species of plants in Jammu and Kashmir. This vast variety of flora is not yet documented completely.
There are many beautiful flowers of Kashmir that you should know about, some are unique to the region while others are global.
Some are of herbal use, Some are used to make tangy pickles, while some are used to prepare local cuisine, but all are beautiful.
Jammu and Kashmir have a rich bio-diversity mainly comprises of the plants and flowers of the usual Himalayan region.
Jammu and Kashmir have a number of major parks and garden which attracts tourists from all over the world.
In ancient times, it was the beauty of Kashmir that lured the Mughals into the valley and encourage them to built gardens in which Kashmiri flowers grow in abundance.
These are the list of famous flowers grown in Jammu and Kashmir:
- Tulip
- Lotus
- Kachnar
- Marigold
- Rose
- Narcissus
- Amaranth
- Gulmohar
- Hollyhock
- Sunflower
1. Tulip
There are many gardens dedicated to the Tulips in the Kashmir valley. Tulips are among the beautiful flowers of Kashmir valley which are grown by the Floriculture Department of Kashmir.
This Tulip Garden is spread over an area of 700 Kanals in the heart of the Kashmir valley surrounded by majestic Zabarwan mountain ranges and Dal Lake.
It was in the year 1998 when Tulips were first introduced in the valley, however, due to the limited financial resources, the cultivation was limited.
But in the year 2006, then Cheif Minister of J&K, Hon. Sh. Ghulam Nabi Azad put forward the idea of Tulip Garden in the Srinagar city.
From then on the Tulips are the flowers of Kashmir valley, which attracts tourists from all over the country.
The Garden has now achieved the tag of Asia's largest Tulip Garden- Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden formerly known as Model Floriculture Centre situated in Srinagar.
2. Lotus
Lotus which is known as Pamposh or Pumm-Buchh in Kashmiri, is a freshwater plant mainly grow in Southeast Asia.
Lotus is an inseparable essence of Kashmir, a Kashmiri flower, grows abundantly in the lakes of Kashmir.
Among all the flowers in Jammu and Kashmir. It is one of the most beautiful flowers of Kashmir Valley.
Lotus seeds are used by Kashmiri Pandits for sacred rituals- Jagnas, Hawans. Lotus is considered sacred in Hinduism as well as in Buddhism.
Moreover, the stems of Lotus locally known as Nadru are used to make a delicious cuisine- cooked with Lotus Stems, yoghurt & other local aromatic spices. Lotus Stem is also used to make pickle which is also unique to the Kashmir region.
These lotus stems are the livelihood of many local vendors. Many people have started cultivating Lotus on large scale in order to meet the demand of the local population.
I remember tasting Nadru for the first time in my life which was cooked by my father. He had spent some good old days in Kashmir, and when he returned back to Jammu he came with his recipe of Nadru, it was good, but no match to a local Kashmiri household.
Nadru is famous not only in Kashmir but also there's an increasing demand among the Jammuites.
3. Kachnar
Kachnar is often known as- The Indian Orchid Tree.
Hollyhocks are Sazaposh in the local language of Kashmiri. Hollyhocks are beautiful flowers grown in flocks in Jammu and Kashmir.
Kachnar is a flower grown abundantly in the Jammu region, contrary to the other flowers grown in Jammu & Kashmir, Kachnar is grown on a tree in the month of Oct-Nov.
Kachnar has medicinal properties as well and used in the treatment of Diarrhoea. The buds of the Kachnar are edible which are mainly useful.
The buds of Kachnar is used to prepare a Dish or Krede-Sabzi. The buds are usually plucked from the tree before its blooming as after the blooming of the buds the flower is of no use but aesthetics.
In the Jammu region, Achar, Pickle of Kachnar buds is also very popular. It is very good for health, however, it increases body heat so mainly eaten in the winter season.
Kachnar has grown abundantly in the Jammu region. Farmers with vacant land plant the saplings of the Kachnar to utilize the wasteland. Also, Kachanr leaves are useful to the cattle which fed on it.
4. Marigold
Marigold is the most commonly grown flowers of Jammu and Kashmir.
It is known as Guti in Dogri and Jaffur in the Kashmiri language.
These flowers are grown on small plants, which are a part of most of the households in J&K. In Jammu city, people have planted these flowers in small flowerpots.
Marigold is grown in almost all parts of Jammu and Kashmir. It is grown commercially in Jammu & Kashmir as tonnes of Marigold and other flowers in Jammu and Kashmir are exported to Katra.
In the holy Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji, Marigold is widely popular among the pilgrims and in the Navratras, the Shrine is decorated with lakhs of flowers most of them imported from all over the world.
Marigold is extensively grown in the Jammu region because of the high demand in Jammu for its temples as Jammu is known as the city of temples.
Apart from the use in temples, Marigold is also often used in sacred ceremonies, functions, family gathering conducted in Jammu.
Due to this, there is a whole network of Marigold cultivators to dealers to decors in Jammu which contributes to the economy of the region.
5. Rose
Roses are the pride of every garden. It is grown widely in the Indian subcontinent.
Jammu and Kashmir is no different, Roses are also grown widely in Jammu and Kashmir for commercial as well as recreational purposes.
Roses are locally known as Gulab in Jammu & Kashmir. There are wide varieties of roses grown in Jammu & Kashmir- Bush Roses, China Roses, Minature Roses, Musk Roses etc.
In Kashmir, around 65 Km from the Srinagar city, Kokernag Rose Garden enriches the beauty of the Kashmir valley with thousands of roses of different species from all over the globe.
In Jammu as well as in Kashmir, the feminine form of God (Devi) is worshipped widely in the temples- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple Katra, Bahu Fort Temple Jammu, Ksheer Bhawani Temple Kashmir etc.
There is a ritual of offering Rose flowers to Goddess by the unmarried women. Hence, Roses are sold commercially in the Temples.
Rose flowers grown in Jammu and Kashmir are one of the most beautiful flowers in Jammu and Kashmir.
6. Narcissus
Narcissus is commonly known as Daffodil in Jammu region while it is called Yemberzal in Kashmiri.
It is grown in the Spring season like most of the Kashmiri flowers. It embarks the coming of the Spring season in Kashmir.
Narcissus, Kashmiri flower, is mainly grown in two colours- White & Yellow, however, white colour is most common in the Kashmir region.
It only grows in the high elevation areas mainly in the Kashmir region and some parts of Jammu region- Kishtwar, Udhampur, Kathua etc.
Narcissus has medicinal properties and used widely in ancient European civilization.
Narcissus, the flower of Kashmir, derived its name from an ancient Greek legend of Narcissus, who was perplexed of his own beauty & spend most of his time staring at himself in a lake, which also gave birth to the Narcissist philosophy.
7. Amaranth
Amaranth is a collective name of more than 60 species of wildflowers of Kashmir which grow in Jammu and Kashmir.
Amaranth is locally known as Mawalin in the Kashmiri language.
The flowers of Amaranth vary in colour as there are many species found in the region, however, Purple, Red, Golden are the most common ones.
Amaranth has medicinal properties and used in the treatment of various diseases. It reduces the inflammation on the body. The seeds of the plant are edible, rich in Protein and Nutrients.
Its seeds are considered as one of the best grains as they are low in Cholesterol and have high Protein and Calcium.
The flower grows on tall shrubs with long leaves generally vary in pigmentation from one species to other.
8. Gulmohar
Gulmohar (Delonix Regia) is generally found in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, among the widely grown flowers in Jammu and Kashmir.
Gulmohar is generally planted to increase the aesthetics of the megacities as after plantation it requires less care and provides with shade and flamy flowers.
It is grown on a tree which is very common in Metropolitan like Delhi and Mumbai in which it commonly referred to as The Street Tree.
In Jammu, Gulmohar is planted in most of the Green spaces in Jammu- Bahu Plaza, Maharaja Hari Singh Park, Bagh-e-Bahu.
Gulmohar blossoms with Orange-Red flowers in the month of November.
9. Hollyhock
These are mostly 4 to 6 feet in height with no branches at all, flowers bloom in a wide range of colours from white, red, purple, yellow, even black.
These shrubs can last for several years, usually, flowers do not grow in the first year.
Hollyhocks are beautiful Kashmiri Flowers grown to increase the ambience of the place.
10. Sunflower
Sunflowers are grown in Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir primarily for the Sunflower Oil.
Mustard (Sarso) Oil and Sunflower (Akhtaab) Oil are widely popular in the Indian subcontinent, hence, grown on a large scale to extract oil.
There are many species of Sunflowers grow in Jammu and Kashmir. Sunflowers were originally grown in America, however, they were introduced in Indian plains for the oil.
Sunflowers bloom in the month of Feb-March and are generally grown in the plains of Jammu region- districts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua.
Conclusion
Above mentioned flowers are the most significant flowers grown in Jammu and Kashmir, however, there are many other flowers of Kashmir- Hyacinth (Sumbal), German Iris (Sosan), Ashok Tree, Prunella Vulgaris (Kalavyoth), Ipomoea, Jasmine.
There are many gardens as well as parks full of beautiful flowers in Jammu and Kashmir showcasing the beauty of heavenly paradise- Kashmir.
In your visit to Jammu and Kashmir, do not forget to visit Mughal Gardens in Kashmir.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Which is the flower of Kashmir?
A. Lotus is the state flower of Jammu and Kashmir which blooms in the month of Jun-Oct.
Q. What is the state flower of Jammu and Kashmir?
A. Lotus (Pamposh) is the state flower of Jammu and Kashmir. It is primarily cultivated in the Lakes of Kashmir region. It is the most beautiful flower in Kashmir.
Q. What is the main city of the Valley of Kashmir?
A. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is the main city in the Valley of Kashmir. It is at an elevation of 1500 meters.
Q. What is Rice called in Kashmiri?
A. Bhath, is Rice in Kashmiri Language. In Jammu, rice is known as Choul in Dogri language. It is one of the main sources of carbs.
Q. What is the List of Flowers in Kashmir?
A. List of flowers found in Kashmir:
- Tulip
- Lotus
- Ipomoea
- Narcissus
- Hollyhocks
- Gulmohar
- Kachnar
- Marigold
- Jasmine
- German Iris
Q. What are the Wildflowers of Kashmir?
A. Wildflowers of Kashmir- Kachnar, Narcissus, Ipomoea, Wild Rose, Amaranth etc
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