Kodaikanal: Tourists and biologists have more reason to come here this year with kurinji flower, which blooms once in 12 years, opening its petals yet again.
Fondly referred to as the Princess of Palani Hills and biologically called Strobilanthus Kuntianum, it bloomed last in 1994 over the shrubbery of Kodai hills.
The plant adorns the Kurinji Andavar temple in Kodaikanal, a major tourist spot in Tamil Nadu, as the temple plant. Kurinji means hilly region in Tamil and Kurinji Andavar refers to the God of Hills, Lord Muruga.
The flower has 50 different varieties, as botanists say, but is found largely in shades of blue - referred to as Neela Kurinji.
The flowering started during the end of 2005 and was expected to extend well up to the end of December 2006, said the priest of Kurinji Andavar temple, who had the privilege of witnessing it in 1994 too.
Comments
0 comment