The Western Ghats of south India are known to come alive during the monsoons. And one of its many unique feats is the blooming of Kurunji or Neelakurunji shrubs spread across the hilly terrains of Shola forests.
On Saturday, August 26, the Karnataka State Forest Department shared glimpses of the blooming beauty on its Twitter handle.
A truly breathtaking sight indeed, the flowers can be seen in their glory near the Pushpagiri and Mandalapatti hills of Kodagu in Karnataka.
The blooming of neelakuranji (Strobilanthus kunthiana) a plant that blooms once in 12 years could be seen in Pushpagiri and Mandalapatti of Kodagu. A truly breathtaking sight! pic.twitter.com/VpisW6pa7C
— Karnataka Forest Department (@aranya_kfd) August 26, 2021
Blooming once in over a decade
The last time these shrubs were spotted in full bloom was around Kerala in the year 2018.
Neelkurunji, scientifically known as Strobilanthus Kunthianus, can be mostly found at an altitude of 1,300-2,400 meters and is known to bloom from July to November.
While the Pushapgiri peak, 1700 meters is near Somwarpet in North Kodagu, Mandalapatti at 1600 meters is about 18 km from Madikeri.
The flower that gave India's famous Nilgiri Mountains in Tamil Nadu its name (neel/ nil meaning blue) used to once cover the Palani Hills, Anamalai Hills, Cardamom Hills, Nilgiri Hills, Kudremukh and Bababudangiri in South India as a blue carpet. However, with more plantations and dwellings replacing the species' natural habitat, the cover has been reduced to only 10 percent of the Shola forest.
Earlier in August, Shalomkunnu hills in Idukki, Kerala was reportedly spotted with this once-in-a-blue hill sight.
