Neelakurinji season concludes in Chokramudy and Korandakkad

Neelakurinji bloom on the Chokramudy hills, near Munnar, in Idukki. | Photo Credit: Sandeep Vellaram

Another Neelakurinji blooming season is drawing to a close at Chokramudy and Korandakkad in the Munnar hills, even as an active bloom is set to unfold at Meesapulimala soon.

This year, Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) bloomed primarily across the Chokramudy hills, which is under Forest department, and Korandakkad under the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP). Several smaller hills across Munnar also witnessed blooms this season.

As the season winds down, the encroachment-hit Chokramudy hills marked a remarkable revival for the flower. In August 2024, a section of Chokramudy hills in Bison Valley panchayat made headlines following illegal construction and large-scale encroachment on revenue land. Following reports of the violations, local residents in Bison Valley formed the Chokramudy Protection Council and launched widespread protests, prompting the government to take over the disputed land.