{"id":5529,"date":"2018-06-30T06:45:22","date_gmt":"2018-06-30T06:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/?p=5529"},"modified":"2026-10-15T08:39:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T08:39:57","slug":"neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Neelakurinji Blooms AgainNeelakurinji Is Blooming in Munnar Right Now \u2014 And You Have Until End of September to See ItNeelakurinji Blooms Again"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The hills are blue again. Munnar&#8217;s Chokramudi hills have been in bloom since July 2026 \u2014 four years ahead of the bloom everyone&#8217;s been saving their calendar for.&nbsp; Here&#8217;s what most people get wrong: Munnar&#8217;s Neelakurinji flowers don&#8217;t exist as a single population \u2014 different colonies follow different 12-year cycles. The Chokramudi\u2013Mattupetty population last flowered in 2014, making 2026 its expected year. The population at Eravikulam National Park last bloomed in 2018; its next mass flowering is expected in 2030.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if you&#8217;re waiting for 2030, you&#8217;ll miss this one entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Is Neelakurinji?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Neelakurinji-Blooms.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Neelakurinji-Blooms.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Neelakurinji-Blooms.webp 640w, https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Neelakurinji-Blooms-300x211.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) grows in the shola grasslands of the Western Ghats at altitudes between 1,500 and 2,500 metres. It blooms once in its lifetime (covering hillsides in violet-blue) before dying and leaving behind seeds that germinate and flower again after 12 years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Muthuvan tribes, Munnar&#8217;s original inhabitants, have traditionally measured age by the number of Neelakurinji blooms they have witnessed. The IUCN assessed the species for the first time in 2024 and classified it as Vulnerable, highlighting growing concerns about its declining population and habitat. This makes witnessing a bloom and doing so responsibly more meaningful than ever.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Where to See It in 2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Neelakurinji-5.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Neelakurinji-5.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Neelakurinji-5.webp 640w, https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Neelakurinji-5-300x211.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The current bloom is concentrated around Chokramudi, Korandakkad, and Mattupetty. Forest officials expect it to spread to Meesapulimala, Edalimedu, Sevenmala, and Gundumala as conditions improve. Scattered blooms have also been reported around Chinnakanal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Korandakkad (along the Munnar\u2013Mattupetty road) is the most accessible viewpoint. Entry tickets here cost \u20b9250 for adults, \u20b9100 for children under 12, and are free for children under five. After the viewpoint, you can continue to Mattupetty Dam, Kundala Dam, Echo Point, Top Station, and the village of Vattavada, 7 km from the national park.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chokramudi is for those who want the full experience on foot. The forest department manages entry here from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Tickets cost \u20b9200 for adults, \u20b950 for children, and \u20b9400 for foreign nationals. KSRTC runs special bus services from Munnar town to Devikulam to manage road congestion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Practical Information<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Nearest airport: Cochin International Airport (COK) \u2014 110 km, approximately 3 hours. Nearest railway station: Aluva \u2014 110 km, approximately 3 hours. Recommended duration: 2 days, 1 night.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Private vehicles and taxis are not permitted beyond Munnar town. Park in Munnar and board KSRTC shuttle buses to the Devikulam entrance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A note on responsible visiting: Neelakurinji is listed under Schedule 3 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Plucking flowers or damaging plants carries a fine of up to \u20b925,000 and up to three years in prison. The bloom ends \u2014 and so does the plant&#8217;s life. Treat it accordingly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>When to Go<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Bell-Shapd-Flower-Neelakurinji.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Bell-Shapd-Flower-Neelakurinji.png\" alt=\"Bell Shaped Flower-Neelakurinji\" class=\"wp-image-5534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Bell-Shapd-Flower-Neelakurinji.png 640w, https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Bell-Shapd-Flower-Neelakurinji-300x211.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The bloom window closes around September 30, 2026. The next comparable opportunity \u2014 Eravikulam National Park&#8217;s mass flowering \u2014 is in 2030.&nbsp; Plan your trip with us \u2014 custom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/tourpackage\/Kerala-Tour-Packages\/\">Kerala tour packages<\/a>, no fixed pricing, and someone who actually knows these hills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The hills are blue again. Munnar&#8217;s Chokramudi hills have been in bloom since July 2026 \u2014 four years ahead of the bloom everyone&#8217;s been saving their calendar for.&nbsp; Here&#8217;s what most people get wrong: Munnar&#8217;s Neelakurinji flowers don&#8217;t exist as a single population \u2014 different colonies follow different 12-year cycles. The Chokramudi\u2013Mattupetty population last flowered&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[274],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kerala-guides"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Neelakurinji 2026: Where to See the Bloom in Munnar Now<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Neelakurinji is blooming in Munnar&#039;s Chokramudi hills in 2026. Here&#039;s where to go, entry fees, timings, and how to plan your visit before the season ends.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Neelakurinji 2026: Where to See the Bloom in Munnar Now\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Neelakurinji is blooming in Munnar&#039;s Chokramudi hills in 2026. Here&#039;s where to go, entry fees, timings, and how to plan your visit before the season ends.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Paradise Holidays - Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paradiseholidays\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paradiseholidays\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-06-30T06:45:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-15T08:39:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Neelakurinji-Blooms-Again.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"633\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ratheesh R.Nath\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ratheesh R.Nath\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Neelakurinji 2026: Where to See the Bloom in Munnar Now","description":"Neelakurinji is blooming in Munnar's Chokramudi hills in 2026. Here's where to go, entry fees, timings, and how to plan your visit before the season ends.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Neelakurinji 2026: Where to See the Bloom in Munnar Now","og_description":"Neelakurinji is blooming in Munnar's Chokramudi hills in 2026. Here's where to go, entry fees, timings, and how to plan your visit before the season ends.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/","og_site_name":"Paradise Holidays - Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paradiseholidays\/","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paradiseholidays\/","article_published_time":"2018-06-30T06:45:22+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-15T08:39:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":633,"url":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Neelakurinji-Blooms-Again.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Ratheesh R.Nath","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ratheesh R.Nath","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/"},"author":{"name":"Ratheesh R.Nath","@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b6875ce5b94e0fa1eae177eabe4f635b"},"headline":"Neelakurinji Blooms AgainNeelakurinji Is Blooming in Munnar Right Now \u2014 And You Have Until End of September to See ItNeelakurinji Blooms Again","datePublished":"2018-06-30T06:45:22+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-15T08:39:57+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/"},"wordCount":488,"commentCount":2,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Neelakurinji-Blooms-Again.webp","articleSection":["Kerala Guides"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/","url":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/","name":"Neelakurinji 2026: Where to See the Bloom in Munnar Now","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Neelakurinji-Blooms-Again.webp","datePublished":"2018-06-30T06:45:22+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-15T08:39:57+00:00","description":"Neelakurinji is blooming in Munnar's Chokramudi hills in 2026. Here's where to go, entry fees, timings, and how to plan your visit before the season ends.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Neelakurinji-Blooms-Again.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Neelakurinji-Blooms-Again.webp","width":900,"height":633},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/neelakurinji-where-to-see-the-bloom-in-munnar-now\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Neelakurinji Blooms AgainNeelakurinji Is Blooming in Munnar Right Now \u2014 And You Have Until End of September to See ItNeelakurinji Blooms Again"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/","name":"Paradise Holidays - Blog","description":"A Blog on Kerala and its experiences","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Paradise Holidays","url":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/newlogos-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/newlogos-1.png","width":500,"height":500,"caption":"Paradise Holidays"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paradiseholidays\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b6875ce5b94e0fa1eae177eabe4f635b","name":"Ratheesh R.Nath","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cc6a37554fa75dd164b4a9edec9d8d0f0341f680862c1d8c7d81f9a92325c949?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cc6a37554fa75dd164b4a9edec9d8d0f0341f680862c1d8c7d81f9a92325c949?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cc6a37554fa75dd164b4a9edec9d8d0f0341f680862c1d8c7d81f9a92325c949?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ratheesh R.Nath"},"description":"Managing director at Paradise Holidays Cochin","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paradiseholidays\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/author\/ceo\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5529"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18498,"href":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5529\/revisions\/18498"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paradise-kerala.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}