Had Japan on your bucket list for a day of cherry blossom gazing? Witness the splendid winter spectacle right here in India. Tap the screen to check out the destinations in India where cherry blossoms bloom gloriously.
Every year, towards the end of November, Shillong gets covered in a beautiful purple-pink blanket of Himalayan cherry blossoms. The city hosts an annual cherry blossom festival around this time – the aim of which is to promote music, art, and culture. The festival hosts contests including a beauty pageant, local wine-making and Japanese/Korean cooking.
Khangchendzonga National Park, the bio reserve located in Sikkim, comes alive with delicate cherry blossom in shades of purple and pink towards the end of November.
Catch the Cherry Tea Festival at the Temi Tea Estate, which is approx 48 km away from the Khangchendzonga National Park. During this period, the Temi Tea Estate is covered in rows and rows of eye-catching rhododendrons and orchids, apart from cherry blossoms.
Another spot to check out cherry blossoms (the Sakura variety) is Kohima, Nagaland. You’ll find these flowers in full glory at Kohima during the autumn season, which is between September and October.
Every year, during the first few days of November, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, has blush and white-coloured cherry blossoms blooming at different parts of the hill station. These flowers are also in full bloom some a brief period between March and May.
Apart from Dharamshala, many other hill towns in Himachal Pradesh, including, Bhutti, Kumarsan, Kandyali, Narkanda and Kotgarh, attract tourists in spring who visit to witness cherry trees blooming with hundreds of white flowers.
Please remember that cherry blossoms bloom only for a week or two, so you’ll need to plan your visit accurately – that too, in sync with the COVID-19 travel restrictions.