New Delhi: This year, tulips will not only adorn lawns, gardens and parks across Lutyens’ Delhi but also beautify green spaces around temples, gurdwaras and other religious sites.New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is planning to plant tulip bulbs — directly in the ground wherever space permits, and in pots where ground space is limited — in and around prominent temples, gurdwaras and other religious places. In addition, tulips will be arranged in patterns and forms in public parks to convey messages such as ‘One Nation, One Election’ and ‘Viksit Bharat’.
Speaking at the launch of the annual tulip plantation drive at Children’s Park, C-Hexagon, NDMC vice-chairman Kuljeet Chahal said, “This initiative serves a dual purpose. While it helps communicate central govt schemes, it also expands tulip plantations beyond traditional green belts and parks.” NDMC first introduced tulips in its area eight years ago, beginning with Children’s Park, where around 17,000 bulbs were planted. The civic body became the first in India to grow tulips in public spaces, which were previously seen only at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Tulips typically form buds about a week before flowering and bloom for nearly 25 days, depending on the weather. The bulbs need at least 15 days of cold temperatures around 5 degrees Celsius for proper sprouting, making cultivation challenging. “To address this, NDMC has procured pre-treated, ready-to-plant bulbs that can withstand changing weather conditions. From Feb onwards, blooming tulips will add vibrant colours to New Delhi,” Chahal added. This year, a total of 5,17,500 tulip bulbs have been procured, of which 3,25,000 are for NDMC and 1,92,500 for DDA. Approximately 2,25,000 bulbs will be planted at prominent locations including Shanti Path, Central Park (Connaught Place), the Convention Centre, Lodhi Garden, Talkatora Garden, Sardar Patel Marg, Mandi House, Windsor Place, Sher Shah Suri Marg, and roundabouts near the vice-president’s house. NDMC will also plant 15,000 bulbs preserved from last year at the Tulip House conservation centre in Lodhi Garden, along with 20,700 bulbs received from the CSIR–IHBT Research Centre in Palampur.
