A massive tulip garden is now in bloom in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The garden overlooks the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar, the state's summer capital.

The tulip garden is seen as being essential to inspiring these early season tourists to enjoy Jammu and Kashmir.

[Ghulam Nabi Azad, Health & Family Welfare Minister]:
"Now we have a lot of tourists who visit the place in the months of March and April as well. It is even more than what we have in the months of May and June."

Tourism is the backbone of the economy of Indian Kashmir, which has taken a hard hit in a 20 plus year militant insurgency.

[Ghulam Nabi Azad, Health & Family Welfare Minister]:
"The biggest industry of the Kashmir valley is tourism. This has been badly affected due to armed insurgency in the region for the past 20 years. However, people always desired to visit this area."

Around a million tourists used to visit the Kashmir valley every year before the violence ensued.