Jammu, May 26: Known for its lush green meadows, the picturesque Bhaderwah Valley, situated in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, is all set to host the two-day Lavender Festival on June 6 and 7.

Notably, nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, alongside rich culture and scenic beauty, Bhaderwah is famous as the birthplace of India’s Purple Revolution.

“The stage has been set for hosting this year’s Lavender Festival from 6 to 7,” Dr Zabeer Ahmed, Director, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) Jammu, said.

He said that Chief Guest, union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, along with Aroma Industries leaders, several experts and scientists will be gracing the occasion at the Lavender Festival to be organised at Government Degree College, Bhaderwah.

The union minister last year, while inaugurating the Lavender Festival, had lauded the agri-startup model of lavender farming as a transformative force that has rewritten the narrative of entrepreneurship in remote and hilly terrains and said that lavender has given the small town Bhaderwah in the Dida district of Jammu and Kashmir a national identity and also a national role in India’s growth story.

Meanwhile, divulging details further, the director stated that on the opening day (June 6), post registration, Start-Up Expo will be inaugurated by Dr Jitendra Singh, followed by his address, MoU signing, product launch and felicitation of Start-Ups and Farmers, while on June 7, a Lavender Field Visit will be organised that will be followed by a live demonstration of distillation, technical sessions, a buyer-seller meet, a feedback session and lastly the closing ceremony.

“We urge people to celebrate the vibrant lavender cultivation that has transformed the region’s economy and empowered its farmers,” said Dr Zabeer Ahmed.

He stated that the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) Jammu has been at the forefront of India’s Purple Revolution, playing a pioneering role in transforming lavender cultivation into a sustainable livelihood model for farmers.

“The institute developed an elite lavender variety, RRL-12, along with advanced agro-technology specifically suited for temperate rain-fed regions, making lavender cultivation viable in the hilly terrains of Jammu and Kashmir,” he stated.

“To strengthen post-harvest infrastructure and ensure better returns for farmers, more than 80 distillation units have been installed across various locations, enabling farmers to extract high-quality lavender essential oil locally,” he revealed.

He said that this integrated approach has empowered farmers to move beyond cultivation and actively participate in value-added product development, creating a robust ecosystem of rural entrepreneurship and making the Purple Revolution a national model for sustainable agricultural transformation.

“Over 1,600 hectares of land were brought under lavender cultivation, converting previously underutilised and abandoned land into productive agricultural assets,” he said.

“Under the CSIR-Aroma Mission, CSIR-IIIM has played a pivotal role in empowering rural communities through the cultivation of lavender by engaging over 5,000 farmers and young entrepreneurs in remote areas, providing free Quality Planting Material (QPM) and complete technological support, covering cultivation, processing, value addition, and marketing,” he said.

Dr Zabeer shared that Tehsil Bhaderwah last year has emerged as a model region under the mission, wherein farmers have sold QPM worth over Rs 1 crore, adding, “Local growers have produced 1,500 kilograms of lavender oil and 93,000 kilograms of dried lavender flowers, which were successfully marketed, and a total business turnover of Rs 10.5 crore has been recorded, highlighting the mission’s substantial socio-economic impact.”

He also disclosed that the prestigious Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar-Vigyan Team Award 2025 was also conferred upon the CSIR Aroma Mission Team, recognising their outstanding contribution to the Purple Revolution under CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) Jammu, playing a significant role in this national achievement.

The director informed that the stakeholders’ meeting held in April this year brought together farmers, scientists, startups, industry representatives, and officials from Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. (UNI)

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