STORY: For many farmers in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhaderwah and other surrounding regions, lavender cultivation is bringing in the big bucks.The 'purple revolution,' the first of its kind in India, has spurred many to switch from traditional crops like maize to the fragrant lavender. Lavender is being grown in the region under the Union government's Aroma Mission. Union Minister Science and technology Jitendra Singh says the government initiative in raising awareness helped farmers overcome apprehensions. The Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine introduced lavender in the temperate regions of J&K's Doda, Kishtwar and Rajouri districts under CSIR-Aroma Mission in 2018. The results were encouraging. In the next 5 yers, the number of lavender cultivators grew to almost 2500. Fields in villages like Tipri, Lehrote, Killar, Koundla, Himote, Sartingal, Butla, Nalthi and Nakshari now wear a purple hue. The famous purple revolution has also helped women empowerment in a big way, besides giving birth to start-ups in the remote region. Beginning with lavender cultivation on a small plot in 2017, Touqeer Bagban now owns a company, which manufactures aromatic products. Farmers from other states with similar climate like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and some North Eastern states have also contacted Bagban for saplings and advice, with hopes off changing their fortunes.