Directorate of Floriculture Kashmir is maintaining 211 Gardens, Parks and lawns spreading over an area of 8629.5 Kanals, which includes world famous Tulip Garden, eight heritage Mughal Gardens viz Nishat, Shalimar, Pari Mahal, Cheshmashahi, Jarokhabagh (Ganderbal), Dara Shikow (Anantnag), Verinag (Anantnag) and Achabal (Anantnag) and two Botanical Gardens (NMBG Cheshmashahi and Kokernag, Anantnag).
Tulip Garden was adjudged as second and fourth best Tulip destination of the world by World Tulip Summit Society in the year 2015 and 2017 respectively and Mughal Gardens of Shalimar, Nishat, Pari Mahal, Verinag and Achabal were included in the tentative heritage list of UNESCO’s heritage sites.
These gardens are important attraction for the visitors and every year lakhs of tourists (domestic/international) visit these gardens, which boost tourism of J&K.
The Garden tourism not only contributes to the revenue generation of the Department but also contributes to earnings of people across all spectrums related to tourism industry viz. hoteliers, transporters, traders, houseboat owners, tour operators, etc.
The botanical gardens in particular and other gardens in general are visited by researchers, educationalists and environmentalists for research purpose.
The Directorate is also involved in promotion of Commercial Floriculture from the year 2007. Commercial Floriculture in Jammu & Kashmir involves both open cultivation and protected cultivation of flowers.
A number of small & marginal farmers as well as small traders in the un-organized sector are eking out a living from this sector.
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