25 Lakh Flowers At 10,600 Feet, Ladakh's Twin Gardens Open Today

Yellow, white, orange and red in the foreground. Ladakh's bare mountains in the background. At 10,600 feet, it is an unusual sight. More than 25 lakh flowers have been planted across twin fields at Choglamsar and Stakna in Leh, spread over 40 acres. Over 24 lakh are Liliums and one lakh are Gladiolus.

From Friday, visitors can see them for themselves.

The Flower Garden opens to the public on September 18. Entry is Rs 25 for adults and Rs 10 for children, with the revenue to be used for maintenance and upkeep.

The twin fields were inaugurated on Thursday by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 76th birthday. The administration has described them as the "world's highest-altitude twin flower fields".

From Bare Mountains To A Sea Of Flowers

At Choglamsar, plantation began on July 16 and the first flowers started blooming in the first week of September, about two months later.

At Stakna, nearly 14 lakh Liliums have been planted since August. Their first bloom is expected around the end of October.

The project is meant to do more than add another tourist stop to Leh. Officials say it aims to diversify agriculture, raise farmer incomes and create livelihoods through commercial floriculture. If successful, the model could be replicated elsewhere in Ladakh.

Saxena said the fields, developed in about two months and inaugurated on PM Modi's birthday, were aimed at farmer empowerment and agricultural diversification.

"This facility will serve as a vital training centre for progressive farmers," he said in a post on X, adding that it would blend technology with traditional farming and help farmers and youth explore opportunities in floriculture.

Why Ladakh Is Betting On Liliums

Liliums can fetch around Rs 60 to Rs 70 per stick in wholesale markets, according to the administration.

Choglamsar will also serve as a demonstration and training centre for growing Liliums, Gladiolus, Tulips and other ornamental flowers. Farmers and young people will be trained in scientific floriculture, modern cultivation and post-harvest management.

In the first year, the Agriculture Department will develop the field and hand it over at bloom to selected self-help groups and cooperatives, while helping them market the flowers.

From next year, the cooperatives are expected to undertake cultivation, harvesting and value addition themselves.