Kerala Tourism, Munnar get ready for rare flower show
Thiruvananthapuram, July 11: Kerala Tourism and the state's Munnar are all set for a rare spectacle - happening once every 12 years - when the hills at the hugely popular tourist resort will be carpeted with the blossoms of the 40-odd varieties of a tiny reddish blue flower.
The Strobilanthes kunthianus is locally called 'Neelakurinji', neela meaning blue and kurinji the local name for the flower.
The last time this marvellous spectacle occurred in 2006 and generally the time this phenomenal blooming begins towards mid July and ends in October.
Another attractive sight to the naked eye will be the majestic Nilgiri Tahr, the endangered mountain goat found in these area, ambling down the hills that are swathed in neelakurinji blossoms in all their grandeur.
The Kerala Tourism Department on Wednesday launched a microsite - www.keralatourism.org/neelakurinji - on blossoming of Neelakurinji, as there will not be an inch of space in Munnar with tourists coming in large numbers.
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran launched the microsite which is rich in content and has detailed information regarding the tourist attractions on the way to Eravikulam National Park near Munnar, saying that it will help tourists explore more interesting facts about Neelakurinji and realise the real beauty of the place.
A 21-page e-brochure is also available on the site that enables tourists to get all the information about Neelakurinji. The e-brochure can be downloaded and be sent via WhatsApp.
Neelakurinji mainly blossoms abundantly at Rajamala, Eravikulam National Park, located along the Western Ghats.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
3.3 magnitude tremor hits Kutch in Gujarat; no casualty
Ahmedabad (PTI): A tremor of 3.3 magnitude hit Gujarat's Kutch district on Monday morning, the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) said.
No casualty or loss of property was reported in the district due to the seismic activity, officials said.
The tremor was recorded at 10.05 am, with its epicentre located 12 km west-south west of Rapar, the Gandhinagar-based ISR said.
This is the fourth tremor of more than 3 magnitude recorded in the state's Saurashtra-Kutch region so far this month, the ISR data showed.
Earthquake risk is very high in Gujarat. It has suffered nine major earthquakes in the past 200 years, as per information provided by the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA).
The 2001 Kutch earthquake was the third largest and second most destructive earthquake in India over the last two centuries, it said.
On January 26 in 2001, Gujarat was struck by an earthquake of 6.9 magnitude with its epicentre located near Bhachau in Kutch that affected the entire state.
The quake had left nearly 13,800 people dead and another 1.67 lakh injured, as per the information provided by the GSDMA.
