Overview
- Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena formally inaugurated the twin flower fields in Leh on Thursday, September 17, an event held to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday.
- The project covers about 40 acres at roughly 10,600 feet across Choglamsar and Stakna and contains more than 25 lakh plants, comprising roughly 24 lakh Lilium bulbs and 1 lakh Gladiolus.
- The two sites were developed in stages, with Choglamsar planted from around July 16 and producing first blooms in early September, while Stakna was planted in August and is expected to flower by the end of October.
- Officials say the gardens will serve as training and demonstration centres to teach modern cultivation and post-harvest practices, and aim to create new income streams for farmers, self-help groups and local youth through commercial floriculture and tourism.
- The gardens are due to open to the public on September 18 with a small entry fee, but officials have not yet detailed long-term water plans, post-harvest logistics or market links that will determine whether the model can be scaled across Ladakh.