Tulip and Flower Festival, New Delhi : Neena Gupta/Sumita Ganguly

Neena Gupta and Sumita Ganguly share their pictures taken separately during their visits to the gardens. Enjoy the colours of the different flowers including the special floral arrangements for the G20 meetings.

New Delhi is known for its gardens with colourful flower beds neatly planted in distinct patterns. Many of these gardens surround historic monuments, tombs of the Mughal rulers and public buildings, including the famous beautiful gardens in Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s residence) complex. 

Since Independence, new areas were developed for housing government buildings and foreign embassies (Chanakyapuri). The broad roads are tree lined with flower beds alongside as well as in the roundabouts (circles as they are called here). They are meticulously maintained by the New Delhi Municipal Corporation ( NDMC) with pride. In the past few years, tulips were brought in from the Netherlands to add variety and colour, the tulip patches interspersing among other flowers of the gardens.

India assumed Presidency of the G20 in 2023 and preparations were in full swing to showcase India’s progress, its culture, the picturesque environs of G20 meeting venues. As such, the gardens got attention and it was decided to expand, add more tulips in larger patches and in more gardens throughout Delhi. Apparently, NDMC imported 125,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands in January to beautify Delhi in time for the tulip festival in February and the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting. The public were invited to walk through the gardens especially during the tulip festival (15-28 February) and contests were announced for paintings and photographs of the blooming tulips. Around this time, the end of Delhi winter, Delhi’s annual Garden Festival takes place when all the gardens are in full bloom - a beautiful sight for Delhi’s citizens and visitors.