CM inaugurates book, flower and food festivals in Surat

Surat: Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the 20th Swami Vivekananda National Book Fair 2026 and the 18th Horticulture Fair and Flower Show, organized by the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), at the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) ground on Sunday. The CM also inaugurated the 10th Shilpgram Fair and a Food Festival. All events will be open to the public from Feb 22 to March 1.During the inauguration, Patel visited the book fair stalls and viewed a thematic pavilion showcasing the books of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The book fair features 11 domes: five for books with 63 stalls, one Shilpgram dome with 44 stalls, four plantation domes with 40 stalls, an 800sq m flower show, and a food zone dome with 36 stalls. The book domes will also host lectures, competitions and cultural programmes.The horticulture fair includes 40 nursery stalls from leading nurseries in Gujarat and Maharashtra, offering flowers, gardening tools and pots. The flower show features 45 varieties of seasonal, perennial flowering and foliage plants.The Shilpgram fair will feature unique handcrafted items by artisans and craftsmen.Union Minister of jal shakti C R Patil, mayor Dakshesh Mavani, municipal commissioner M Nagarajan, police commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut, collector Saurabh Pardhi, and other dignitaries were present at the event.