Head to the flower show at Lalbagh from this Friday

Lalbagh is gearing up for its Republic Day flower show, which will begin on Friday.

The 10-day event will see 85 varieties of seasonal flowers, potted plants, Thai art, vegetable carvings and paintings, among others.            

The flower festival will be based on the theme of 'Life of Bhagwan Bahubali'. There will be floral tributes to Bahubali along with foreign flowers from Sikkim and Darjeeling and floral pyramids.

The event will also have flower art by agencies like BEML, BDA, BBMP and other private companies.

Lalbagh will also have photo galleries, and a replica of Bahubali made of millets, among others.

"This is not a commercial venture. People are dedicating their art to the state and to the country, and this is probably the first of its kind," said Prabhash Chandra Ray, commissioner, horticulture department, and chairman of the Mysore Horticultural Society, Lalbagh.

He added that Friday will also see the inauguration of the 100-year-old Lalbagh library and water fountain, which is part of the water purifying system for the Lalbagh lake.

"We are dedicating five days, between January 21 and 25, for schoolchildren," he added.

Regarding the entry charges, he said that there is no special grant from the government and this is the reason that there is a charge of Rs 60 for adults and Rs 10 for children.                        
Beautiful Bengaluru

The horticulture department along with Beautiful Bengaluru has launched an initiative,   inviting citizens to 'Be The Change' for a  clean, green and safe city.

The drive aims to create a litter-free environment in  Lalbagh  during the Republic Day flower show.

M Jagadeesh, joint director, said that efforts are being made to ensure vendors do not use any banned items like plastic and thermocol. Penalty for using banned items and littering is being enforced strictly.

Odette Katrak, co-founder of a citizen-driven group Beautiful Bengaluru, said they are making a strong appeal to every visitor to do their bit to reduce litter and waste on the garden premises by using dustbins and carrying their own bags and water. They are also calling for volunteers from the public to spread the message  on cleanliness.