Vivekananda’s 16ft statue to stand tall at flower show

Bengaluru: The 211th edition of the Republic Day biennial

flower show

at

Lalbagh

Botanical Gardens will kick off on January 17. The main attraction this year will be a 16ft-tall

statue

of Swami Vivekananda made out of more than 40,000 cut flowers. It’s a floral tribute to the swami on his 157th birth anniversary, the organisers said.

The statue will stand on a 3ft-tall pedestal, making the floral arrangement itself over 19 feet high. It will be kept on display at the Glass House of Lalbagh along with a floral model of Kanyakumari fashioned out of 3.3 lakh flowers, and a floral replica of the Chicago Memorial made from 1.5 lakh cut flowers.

Some famous moral stories associated with Swami Vivekananda’s lectures, such as the Monkey and Crocodile, Frog in a Well and Frog in a Sea, will be visually depicted using 60,000 crysanthemums at the Band Stand.

Screening of films and documentaries depicting the swamiji’s life, exhibition and sale of books, special demonstration sessions on vertical gardening, growing micro-greens, landscaping and hydroponics will also mark the flower show.

Ninety-two species of flowering plants will be exhibited at this year’s edition. Over 2.21 lakh flowering pots will also be on display. Gardening, Ikebana, Bonsai, vegetable carving and Indian floral art competitions will be held on the sidelines.

The show will conclude on January 26.