Munisyari (Uttarakhand), Sep 5 (IANS): Far from the famed hill stations of Uttarkhand such as Mussoorie, Nainital and state capital Dehradun, lies the hamlet of Munisyari in Pithoragarh district which is also a popular tourist destination in its own rights.
Also described as "The Little Kashmir", the place has been getting lots of attention and tourist footfalls especially due to its serene Tulip Garden situated in the backdrop of snow-clad Panchachuli ranges.
Located at an altitude of 2,200m from the sea-level, Munisyari generally experiences a cold climate round the year due to which it receives a lot of tourists during the summer.
The hamlet's name has two words -- Mun and Syar -- meaning of whose locally are ice and mud.
The ancient name of Munisyari is Tiksen. It was one of the major trading centres prior to the 1962 India-China war. Later, the hamlet came to be known as Himnagri.
Located around 264 km away from Nainital, Munisyari is visited by thousands of tourists every year.
The Tulip Garden here was set up at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore, and the eco-garden is spread over an area of 30 hectares.
The work on the garden project began in 2018.
Upon completion of work two years later, then Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on May 9, 2020 had tweeted: "I am happy to share the first pics of the successful pilot of my dream project -- Munsiyari based Tulip Garden. Set amidst the backdrop of Panchachuli ranges, this garden will be one of the biggest tulip gardens in the world and will transform tourism in Munsiyari region."
The Forest Department's efforts for converting a barren stretch of land into a breath-taking floral sport has been lauded by everyone.
The idea of coming up with a garden of such a magnitude had then germinated as the soil was losing its fertility due to large-scale growth of wild grass.
DFO Pithoragrh, Vinay Bhargav, said that the local residents have also played a key role in the setting up of Tulip Garden. Also, the garden went on to generate employment for the locals.
He also that said Tulips were first found in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand.
"We would like to have at least 1 lakh tulips here... That would draw more tourists to the place, and also generate source of living for the local residents," he said.
The Tulip Garden is said to be the largest of its kind in Asia. The seeds were imported from the Netherlands to grow the flowers. Besides, 7,000 tulips were also brought in from there.