HUBBALLI: Tourists and nature lovers are thronging Sandur Hills in Ballari district as mass blooming of the Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes) flower has taken place again after 12 years. The flower has been the cynosure of all eyes for the past week as it has blossomed in the hills once hit by rampant illegal mining of iron and manganese ore.People from surrounding villages, tourists, environmentalists, wildlife photographers and forest department officials are flocking to have a look at the flowers. Deputy conservator of forests M S Manik said these flowers are found in Western Ghats areas such as Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu and Chikkamagaluru district."I saw the mass blooming of this flower in Mudigere taluk of Chikkamagaluru in 2014. I'm happy to see it again at Sandur Hills. The flower survives for 15 days. So, one can have a glimpse of them over the next 4-5 days," he added.Wildlife photographer Shivashankar Banagar said the mass blooming is a celebration for nature lovers. "The flower blooms in cold weather. Since the Sandur Hills are around 2,500 ft above sea level and there was good rain for the past few days, the flowers have bloomed. There are five varieties of Neelakurinji flowers in various parts of the country . Munnar, Mudigere, Kudremukh and other Western Ghats areas witness mass blooming of Neelakurinji."Environmentalists say the plant is usually 30-60 cm tall. They can grow well beyond 180 cm under congenial conditions. Environmentalists in Kerala have been taking up conservation of these flowers and such an effort is needed in the state too. The government should come forward to preserve the area that witnesses blooming of Neelakurinjis , they say.

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