JOIN USCovered in a colourful blanket, Lalbagh is all geared up to celebrate yet another Independence Day with its coveted flower show. Attracting hordes of people from all over the city, the iconic event is always a delight as it has something different to showcase each time. Creativity is at its peak this time as well with a replica of the Parliament House that has been constructed using lakhs of roses inside the Glass House.
The show, organised by the Department of Horticulture and the Mysore Horticultural Society, is a tribute to Dr M H Marigowda, considered the Father of Horticulture in India, whose birth centenary falls on August 8. A sand sculpture of Dr Marigowda has also been set up for the occasion. Besides the various floral attractions on either side of the Glass House, an Israeli mist technology, providing a cooling effect, is the highlight this time.
It’s a perfect place to find enthusiastic visitors taking selfies against the varied backgrounds of the display. Ayophy from Manipur, who’s living in the city, came for the show two years back and this time she says, “I didn’t go through the show in much detail last time but this time I have viewed it properly. There are several different varieties of flowers and all of them are very beautiful. Especially the orchids are very pretty.”
Rachna and Prashanth with their daughter Kriti also visited the show. It was Rachna’s first time here. “The mist is a good feature and it’s refreshing. The overall arrangement is lovely and I really liked the Parliament House replica,” she said.
As for Rajesh and his wife Veena, they felt that the hanging pots with flowers was something unique this time. “Many new varieties have been introduced and the flower show keeps getting better each time. Every aspect is praiseworthy,” they expressed.
Meanwhile, Mishri who was visiting with her husband Simon from Washington DC, seemed to be enamoured by the vibrant display. “I am visiting Lalbagh after 25 years and it’s a wonderful feeling to be able to appreciate the flowers and the finer details on my own as an adult,” she said as Simon termed it as ‘impressive’. For many Bengalureans, the show is a must visit every year and something that they are proud of. “The show has always been a crowd puller. I particularly liked the windmill replica which gives a message about non-conventional energy generation. Also, the green house model is a reminder that the ozone layer needs to be protected from depletion,” said N N Sharma, another visitor.
Though the show draws applause from most people, some also have a different take on it. Jaya felt that a bed of naturally grown roses would be better than having them plucked out and used in a replica. “Cost efficiency is also something that needs to be taken into consideration,” said Jaya.
What’s better this time and which aspects of the show need improvement remains to be seen in the days to follow.