The streets and corners of Kathmandu's main road section are awash with purple flowers commonly called "Jacaranda" which goes into full bloom during the month of March and April.
Called Jacaranda Mimosifolia, the purple flower has always been used to decorate the Nepali capital Kathmandu, a tradition that has been kept for at least a century and a half.
"Roadsides of Kathmandu are covered with blooms of Jacaranda flowers, the whole city has turned purple. Anyone who walks past the road sections would get attracted to the beauty spread out by the flowers. As the flowers keep lying on the roads, they also add to the beauty of the roads," Sanjit Pariyar, one of the residents of Kathmandu Valley told ANI.
Every year the road of Kathmandu's ring road and Kings Way are painted purple with flowers of Jacaranda also called the Hawaiian mimosa tree which cannot resist breeze and light showers.
But the recent cutting down of trees in many of the areas around Kathmandu has left admirers aghast.
"Back in 2016 I had taken a shot of Jacaranda around the Durbar Marg area, it was the time when the trees weren't cut down. The two major landmarks, the former Royal Palace and the Clock Tower, of which the two shots which I took at that time is something that I really admire myself for, I again tried to relive those shots but I couldn't because most of the trees in front of the area have been felled just to decorate it with artificial lights which have become the priority instead of the trees. The beauty of that area has faded after the fall of trees," Sushila, another resident of Kathmandu Valley complained.
It is believed that Rana rulers brought in the plant which grows from cuttings or grafting by seedling rootstock and normally takes two to three years to bloom. This genus thrives in full sun and sandy soils, which explains their abundance in warmer climates.
Mature plants can survive in colder climates down to -7 °C (19 °F); however, they may not bloom as profusely. Younger plants are more fragile and may not survive in colder climates when temperatures drop below freezing.
( With inputs from ANI )
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