Every twelve years, the Nilgiri hills near Munnar in Kerala turn a magical hue of blue. The entire mountains are coloured with one tone of blue, and the sight befits a place in the world’s most amazing places.
Every twelve years, the Neelakurinji flowers bloom, and colour the hills. This is the origin of the name Nilgiri, the blue mountains. This August is the opportune time after 12 years. And every traveller must make their way to Munnar to catch this mesmerising sight.
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Spread over 3,000 hectares of rolling hills, Munnar is home to this rarely occurring neelakurinji flower plants. Each shrub reproduces once in its lifetime and dies after flowering. These plants take another 12 years for the flowers to bloom again.
Wherever you see, the hills around Munnar will turn into a sea of blue. Whenever the dense curtain of fog lifts, the ethereal sight of blue mountains, green valleys, streams traipsing along boulders, surrounded by tea estates, could take the breath away for any traveller.
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As your eyes feast on the picture perfect landscape, you can take ample pictures. You can also visit the other attractions in the vicinity like the Guruvayur temple, the Silent Valley National Park. Rajamala hills area another place where these flowers bloom in large numbers.
You can book tickets online as there are restrictions on the number of entry tickets to Eravikulam national park during Kurinji season. It is also advised to book accommodation at Munnar in advance, as many travellers from around the world plan a visit for this once-in-a-decade phenomenon.
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Make sure that you visit the place during the dawn. During the early morning, the mist blankets the valleys and the plants making it look like a piece of paradise.
You can arrive at Munnar by flying to Kochi. The nearest town is Erivakulam, which you can reach by road.
If you want to be amazed by a beautiful and magical sight of the natural world, head to Munnar this August or September.
