Neelakurinji blooms as habitat loss continues to threaten

As Neelakurinji paints the Chokramudi hills violet in its 12-year flowering cycle, its spectacular return revives a centuries-old ecological and cultural story rooted in Western Ghats. But behind seasonal spectacle lies a growing conservation concern, with habitat loss, invasive species, tourism pressure and other threats putting the fragile montane grasslands—and the flower’s survival—at risk.