Flower show draws 1.5 lakh visitors

All roads led to Lalbagh on Friday as more than a lakh people turned up to witness the Independence Day Flower Show.

Organised by the Department of Horticulture and the Mysore Horticulture Society, the eighth day of the show drew crowds from all walks of life.

The entry fee for elders was fixed at Rs 50 on the Independence Day, instead of Rs 40, while there was no entry fee for schoolchildren. The Horticulture department officials maintained that the entry fee will remain unchanged till the show ends on August 17.

Deterred by the serpentine queue and traffic jams, a few visitors tried to catch the glimpse of the flower show from outside. “I was keen to see the floral replica of the Mysore Palace, the showstopper of the event, but could not gain entry inside. But I managed to watch from outside,” said one of the visitors.

Horticulture department deputy director J Gunavantha said that the public response was encouraging when compared to last year’s edition. Schoolchildren have turned up in large numbers, he added.

As many as 400 police personnel were deputed for security purpose and the number of CCTV cameras was increased from 44 to 47 this year.

According to sources in the Horticulture department, 25 per cent of the visitors viewed the show without tickets, another 25 per cent comprised schoolchildren and the remaining 50 per cent came to the show, purchasing tickets.

However, the garbage strewn in and around the Lalbagh premises was an eyesore. Plastic covers, papers, eatables and other leftovers discarded by the visitors were spotted everywhere. Hawkers cashed in on the opportunity and made brisk business.