Twin flower fields spanning 40 acres at Choglamsar and Stakna in Leh now open to visitors. More than 25 lakh blossoms — 24 lakh lilies and 1 lakh gladiolus — blanket the 10,600‑foot plateau after a two‑month planting drive.
The fields, inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday, are billed as the world’s highest‑altitude twin flower gardens. They will welcome the public from September 18, charging Rs 25 for adults and Rs 10 for children, with proceeds earmarked for upkeep.
Officials say the project will diversify Ladakh’s fragile agrarian economy and raise farmer incomes. By training local youth and cooperatives in science‑based floriculture, the initiative could become a model for similar high‑altitude regions.
Planting at Choglamsar began July 16, with first lilies blooming in the first week of September; Stakna’s 14 lakh lilies, seeded in August, are expected to burst into colour by the end of October.
In the first year the Agriculture Department will hand over the fields to selected self‑help groups, while from next year the cooperatives will manage cultivation, harvesting and marketing. The venture was launched on PM Modi’s 76th birthday, underscoring the government’s push for rural innovation.