President Kovind arrives in Amsterdam; names new breed of yellow tulips ‘Maitri’

On Monday, President of India Ram Nath Kovind arrived at the Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, on his three days official visit and visited Keukenhof, the World famous Tulip Garden.

Marking the 75 years of diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and India, President Kovind named a Tulip flower ‘Maitree’.

President Ram Nath Kovind being received by the Netherlands Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wopke Hoekstra, at Keukenhof, in Amsterdam. ANI

On the three day official visit, President Kovind is accompanied in the Amsterdam by his wife and the First Lady Savita Kovind.

Talking on the occasion at the Tulip Garden, President Kovind said “Today, a new flower will bloom for India-Netherlands relations. We are naming the tulip flower ‘Maitri’ which in Sanskrit means friendship. I sincerely thank the Government of the Netherlands for this unique gesture and also wish to appreciate the efforts of the breeders of this beautiful new Tulip variant. It will inspire us to work towards strengthening bonds of friendship and ties between people of India and the Netherlands.”

President Kovind further said, “It is my pleasure to be in the Netherlands. I have undertaken this State Visit on the special occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries.”

“I am very happy to be at the Keukenhof the garden of Europe and home to the world-famous tulips. The garden attracts millions of visitors each year and heralds spring in the Netherlands. It showcases the Dutch expertise in horticulture which makes it the world’s largest producer and exporter of tulips,” he added.

Known as the Garden of Europe, Keukenhof is one of the world’s largest flower gardens, situated in the Netherlands, in the municipality of Lisse.

According to the official website, the garden of Keukenhof is spread over an area of 32 hectares, and the park flaunts approximately 7 million flower bulbs which are planted annually in the gardens.

Keukenhof is generally known for its tulips but also features many other flowers, including irises, hyacinths, carnations, daffodils, roses and lilies. The area where the garden is located, in province of South Holland, south of Haarlem, and southwest of Amsterdam is called the “Dune and Bulb Region.”

Keukenhof park being open for year-round for festivals and private affairs is open to the general public for tulip display only for 8 weeks.