Neelakurinji Flowering 2006

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About Neelakurinji Flowering 2006

Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is a shrub that grows in the shola grasslands of Western Ghats in India above 1800 metres on the Rajamalai hills (the well-known Eravikulam National Park that is home to the Nilgiri Tahr is loacted here) near Munnar in the Idukki district of Kerala, India and near Klavarai on the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu state, India . Apparently, the Nilgiri Hills, which literally mean the "blue mountains", got their name from the purplish blue flower of Neelakurinji that blossoms on its slopes once in 12 years. Besides the Western Ghats, Neelakurinji is seen in the Selvarayan (often anglicized as "Shevaroys") Hill Range in the Eastern Ghats hat run along the east coast of South India.

2006 is a year in which the Neelakurinji has flowered once again - the last such flowering was witnessed in 1994 and the first time this 12-year flowering cycle was recorded was in 1838 though the tribals of these hills have been aware of this periodic phenomena for centuries.

This group is an attempt to collect photographs of this unique natural phenomena and of the flora and fauna of the region where it grows. It would be useful if each photo has a small description of where and when it was taken. You may also like to add "Neelakurinji" to your set of tags.

Note: Photographs / Comments that might not suit the theme of this group are liable to be removed by its Administrator)