Waiting for the Neelakurinji
Once every twelve years, the hills around Munnar turn violet as the Neelakurinji comes into flower all at once.
When
The last great bloom was in 2018. If the twelve-year cycle holds, the next will be around 2030.
Where
The flower grows on the high grasslands of the Western Ghats; the Kurinjimala Sanctuary to the east of Munnar was created to protect it.
In the meantime
Smaller patches flower in other years, and the hills are green and open in every season. Ask our travel desk where to look.
