Thousands in Munnar to see once-in-12-years flower

September 24 (TravelAndy): The hills of Munnar in South India’s Kerala state are awash with tourists who have come to see the Neelakurinji flowers that bloom once every 12 years.

Though the visitor numbers are not as big as expected in the wake of the devastating floods that hit the state recently killing hundreds, Kerala will be happy that the tourism industry is pulling itself together again.

In Munnar, the flowers have bloomed at the hill stations of Rajamala, Kolukkumala, Kottakamboor, Vattavada and Kanthalloor, reports said. Munnar wasn’t affected by the floods.

The Neelakurinji flowers grow at a height of 30 to 60 cm on hills slopes between 1,300 and 2,400 metres altitude.