Munnar will be the hotspot of botanists and visitors with the neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), which flowers once in 12 years, all set to cover the hills of Nilgiri-Palani-Munnar belt next year with its ravishing purple.
It was in 2006 that Munnar last witnessed its flowering. The hill station struggled to accommodate the crowd of visitors for three months during that time.
200 species
There are over 200 species of neelakurinji found in Asia and Munnar alone accounts for 45 varieties that have their flowering cycles varying from one to 16 years. It was in 2014, some of the species blossomed at Top Station road and Kuttiyar, near Mattupetty, in Munnar. Last year in August too, some blooms were seen in Kalyanathandu and Parunthumpara in the district.
The flowering season of neelakurinji could show mild changes depending on the weather conditions though the cycle is the same for each species. July to November is generally considered the flowering season.
Strobilanthes kunthiana is the most known species, which spreads across a wide area of the Nilgiri stretch. Since the species has one of the longest sleeping period, the blossoming of neelakurinji is an indicator of environmental damage to the grasslands caused by human intervention.
The first records of 10 consecutive flowerings from 1826 to 1934 were published in then Journal of the Bombay Natural History (vol 38) by Ms Morrison. The flowering of neelakurinji has been described in the Tamil Sanghom literature, showing its relevance in the early historical period of human existence. The tribes people of Munnar and nearby areas used to calculate their age based on the kurinji blossoming.
Unless a massive preparation for crowd management in Munnar is prepared, it would become an environment hazard, warns environmentalists. The damage to nature will be enormous once a crowd swells beyond manageable level, says a Forest department official, adding Munnar was experiencing severe thrust which includes traffic snarl for hours especially during the weekends.
The narrow ghat road from Kochi to Udumalpet allows only one-way traffic on several stretches. According to Sivakumar, a taxi driver in Munnar town who had witnessed the last massive blossoming of neelakurinji , business activities were boosted during the time but life became miserable to the local people for nearly three months. Hotels and shops were crowded with the tourists and even essential items went out of stock. Shop owners charged heavily for food items. Normal life went out of gear with human movements on the roads affected. The government should prepare in advance on a workable crowd management plan, he says.
