SRINAGAR, March 20 -- It's a riot of colours at Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden as Asia's largest tulip garden is ready to welcome tourists from this weekend.

The garden, formerly known as Siraj Bagh, is ensconced between Dal Lake and Zabarwan Hills. It will be opened to the public on Saturday as tulips of different colours have started to bloom, floriculture department officials said.

They added that five new varieties of tulips have been added to the existing 68 varieties this year. The department has also increased the area under the tulip garden by adding another two lakh bulbs.

A record 17 lakh tulip bulbs have been planted in the garden that spreads over 55 hectares of land, the officials said.

Other spring flowers, such as ...