How 30 Lakh Chrysanthemum Blooms Brought Life, Livelihood & Tourism Back to Kashmir

“Every morning, I push my small wooden cart to the gardens, hoping the day will be kinder than the last,” says Aminul Gul, a kehwaseller from Srinagar.

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“For years, I was not earning enough to even feed my family. This year was the worst. After the Pahalgam attack in April, tourists left Kashmir overnight. Tourism collapsed, and with it, my only source of income. I remember standing outside the Mughal Gardens, selling Kashmiri Kesar Kehwa, but for an entire week I didn’t sell even a single cup. I would stand there all day and go home empty-handed.”

He adds, “I am the only earning member of my family. How was I supposed to feed them? April is our bahar, the season of life and tourism in Kashmir, but that month, everything died for us.”

“In winter, no one comes to Kashmir because the temperature goes below zero. Summer and spring are all we depend on. But this year, there was nothing. No earning, no profit, no hope.”

Everything shifted, he says, when the Government opened Bagh-e-Gul-e-Dawood in autumn (harud), just when the tourism season usually ends.

“When Kashmir was struggling, this garden became a hope for me. The day it opened, tourists slowly started coming again. I moved my cart outside the entrance, thinking maybe someone might stop by. I never expected such a change.”

He smiles at the memory of that turning point. “From the day the Chrysanthemum Garden opened, people started pouring in. They began drinking kehwaand kulchabrewed in the Kashmiri samawar, and after just one sip, I could hear them go ‘wah’,” he says. “For the first time in years, I felt my work was giving something back.”

His story reflects what many in Kashmir felt this season — a sudden shift from silence to revival. And that revival began with a garden unlike any seen before.

Where autumn meets opportunity in the Valley

As autumn drapes Kashmir in its golden hues and the famed tulips fade into memory, a new spectacle is taking root in the Valley. At the foothills of the Zabarwan mountains, overlooking the serene Dal Lake, Asia’s largest Chrysanthemum Theme Garden — Bagh-e-Gul-e-Dawood — bursts into life.

Spread across 100 kanals and adorned with more than 30 lakh blooming flowers, the garden marks the beginning of a fresh floral chapter in Kashmir’s horticultural story.

The scale is breathtaking: over 30 lakh flowers in fiery reds, warm yellows, deep purples, and pristine whites cover the vast landscape.

Developed by the Department of Floriculture at a cost of Rs 1.869 crore, the project is designed to fill the “grey tourism period” between summer and winter, extending the Valley’s tourist season with a new attraction just as nature begins to retreat. It is more than a garden; it is a strategic economic intervention.

And on the ground, the intervention is already changing lives.

A new chapter in Kashmir’s tourism story

This addition to Srinagar’s floral tradition not only enhances the city’s scenic charm but also highlights Kashmir’s ability to reinvent its tourism narrative through creative horticultural projects.

Feroz Ahmad Bhat, a worker at the garden, stands among the rows of chrysanthemums, his hands marked with traces of long days spent tending the soil. For him, the garden is not just a workplace — it represents a year of labour, hope, and quiet resilience.

“We spent one year preparing this Bagh-e-Gul-e-Dawood,” Feroz says. “I was a worker at the Tulip Garden. The introduction of these flowers in this garden boosted tourism once again. It extended the tourism season, because in the winter flowers are usually not present. To see this unique beauty, people come from various places.”

Remembering the difficult months, he adds, “We workers worked day and night to take care of these flowers, watering them in the scorching heat. If we hadn’t taken care, they would have burned.”

Feroz notes that chrysanthemums were earlier not available in the market, but from next year they will be sold. “There will be more varieties in the new year,” he informs. “There will be full bloom. Our new idea is that there will be more varieties of flowers in this chrysanthemum garden, and there will be separate tickets — one for visiting the Botanical Garden and one for visiting the Chrysanthemum Garden.”

Rows of chrysanthemums in shades of yellow, pink, and violet fill every corner, drawing families, photographers, and flower lovers alike. The Floriculture Department has left no stone unturned in making Bagh-e-Gul-e-Dawood a new emblem of Kashmir’s blooming charm and quiet resilience.

Traditionally, the Valley’s tourism season begins with the opening of the Tulip Garden each spring. This year, the department added a new chapter to its floral story with the Chrysanthemum Garden, marking the season’s final bloom.

World-renowned artist professor Zargar Zahoor called it a one-of-a-kind creation. “This is the world’s first garden where terraces have been maintained in a natural way,” he says. “You won’t find anything like this anywhere else in the world — surrounded by mountains on all sides, its beauty truly reflects why Kashmir is called the heaven on Earth.”

“We had the opportunity to work here, and I encourage students and art lovers to visit and experience it themselves.”

How chrysanthemums are extending Kashmir’s tourism season

It’s unusual to see chrysanthemums bloom at this time of year. By early October, the Valley’s gardens usually begin to lose their colour as most flowers fade. But the newly developed Chrysanthemum Garden has changed that rhythm, adding two extra months of floral beauty to Kashmir’s landscape. With their delicate petals and vivid hues, these short-day plants have become the highlight of autumn, drawing locals and tourists alike to witness a rare spectacle of late-season blooms.

Parvez Alam, a visitor from Delhi, walks slowly between the flower beds, stopping every few steps to admire the vibrant colours. “I’ve been to the Tulip Garden in spring, but seeing something like this in autumn is special.”

He adds that the garden brings a calmness many visitors seek in Kashmir. “It’s not just about flowers. It’s about how every bloom seems to carry the spirit of this land — peaceful, strong, and full of life. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to come back again.”

The Chrysanthemum Garden is also part of a larger initiative by the Department of Floriculture to introduce new theme-based gardens across Kashmir, giving each season its own floral identity, informs the director of the Floriculture Department, Mathoora Masoom.

By doing so, the department hopes to sustain tourism beyond the usual peak months and attract visitors well into late autumn. “It catches the eyes of visitors and adds a fresh identity to Srinagar’s landscape. Since chrysanthemums bloom till the end of November, we’re not just beautifying the Valley — we’re also extending the tourism season.”

Gul-e-Dawood: The flower of resilience

The flower at the heart of this revival is no stranger to Kashmir. Known locally as Gul-e-Dawood, the chrysanthemum is believed to have been introduced centuries ago, possibly brought from China along the ancient Silk Route. It holds deep cultural resonance — a flower that blooms when most others fade — symbolising renewal, resilience, and longevity.

It’s this deep symbolism that the new garden hopes to celebrate.

The garden has quickly become a favourite among locals too. Families move gently through the terraces, photographers pause over perfect frames, and children run along the pathways, filling the air with excitement.

What began as a floral project has grown into a space that touches livelihoods, emotions, and everyday life. The arrival of millions of chrysanthemums hasn’t only transformed the Valley’s landscape — it has revived movement, business, and conversation in a season once marked by silence.

Mehvish Mehraj, a resident of Srinagar, visits gardens every spring, but this time, autumn greeted her with something entirely new.

“I’ve always loved the freshness of spring, but seeing these flowers bloom in autumn feels magical,” she says. “Usually, we associate this season with fading colours and falling leaves — but this garden feels like a return of life. The colours, the fragrance, everything here feels so full of warmth and hope. It’s a reminder that beauty doesn’t just belong to one season.”

She added that the garden has given locals a new place to relax and connect with nature before winter sets in. “Evening walks here have become my favourite part of the day,” she shares with a smile. “It’s peaceful, and it feels like the Valley is smiling again.”