Visitors to Leh have a new attraction to add to their itinerary with the opening of the world’s highest-altitude twin flower fields at Choglamsar and Stakna. Located at an elevation of 10,600 feet, the fields opened to the public on September 18.
Spread across 40 acres, the two fields feature more than 25 lakh flowers, including around 24 lakh lilium and one lakh gladiolus. The project has been developed as a high-altitude floriculture initiative, introducing commercial flower cultivation to a region better known for its stark mountain landscapes and beautiful cold desert terrain.
The fields were inaugurated by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on September 17. According to the Ladakh administration, they are the highest flower fields in the world and also the highest and largest in India.
The Choglamsar field was developed in about two months, with plantation beginning on July 16. Its first blooms appeared in the first week of September. At Stakna, nearly 14 lakh lilium were planted in August, with the first blooms expected around the end of October.
Beyond being a visitor attraction, the project is intended to promote floriculture as an alternative source of income for farmers in Ladakh. The Agriculture Department is providing local farmers with training in scientific cultivation, modern farming techniques and post-harvest management.
The fields are also planned as training and demonstration centres for farmers and young people. In the first year, the Agriculture Department will oversee cultivation before handing the fields over to selected self-help groups and cooperatives for commercial cultivation.
The flower garden at Choglamsar will be open to tourists and residents for an entry fee of ₹25 for adults and ₹10 for children, with the revenue being used for its maintenance.