A large number of tourists visit Horton Plains to see the lotus flowers

A large number of tourists visit Horton Plains to see the lotus flowers

A large number of people from all directions came to Horton Plains during the long weekend to see the lotus flowers that bloom on the lotus plants of the Antonius genus, which bloom once every 12 years, says Horton Plains National Park Warden Sisira Ratnayake.

Since some species of the lotus plant grow and flower in a period of between 7-12 years, and the lotus plant is destroyed, many environmentalists define it as a flower born of the mother's death.

There are about 35 species of lotus in Sri Lanka, of which about 30 lotus plants are endemic to the country, and we were able to see that the lotus flowers are blooming in abundance in areas such as Horton Plains, Pattipola, Ohiya, Kirigalpottha, Thotupolakanda, etc.

These days, lotus flowers have bloomed in several colors including white, blue, purple and pink in several areas of the Horton Plains National Park.

In 2013, lotus flowers bloomed in this way in the Horton Plains National Park and environmentalists say that the lotus plant will bloom again in 2037.

Due to the large number of local tourists visiting the Horton Plains Botanical Garden, there is heavy traffic congestion on the Pattipola-Horton Plains road, and additional police officers have been deployed to control it, said Pattipola Police OIC Chief Inspector Anil Jayasinghe.