14 │ │ July 2019
meghalaya
N
ortheast India, being the
bio-diversity hotspot of
the country, is home to
innumerable orchid species. In
fact, the region is counted amongst
the eight hottest biodiversity
hotspots of the world. That is not
surprising as it harbours about
800 orchid species, constituting
nearly 70% of the total orchid
flora found in the whole of India.
According to the date presented
by the National Research CentreMeghalaya is now home to a first-of-its-kind orchidarium that hopes to
attracts locals and tourists alikeENe BureauBANKING ON ORCHIDS
for Orchids (NRCO), India has
about 1,300 species of orchids,
out of which 800 are found in
Northeast India. And what is
more interesting is that out of the
800 total varieties, 300 species
are found in Meghalaya. Hence,
the geographical advantage and
the high concentration of orchids
made it possible to establish a
first-of-its-kind orchidarium in the
State.Orchids on Display
Located in Upper Shillong,
the orchidarium is spread over
6000 square feet and is home to
several species of orchids, which
are displayed for public viewing.
The orchidarium is climate-
controlled, so the temperatures
inside ranges between 15 and 20o
Celsius. ‘The aim of setting up the
state-of-the-art orchidarium is to
attract eco-tourists travelling to
this part of the region every year.