Lalbagh pays floral homage to Swami Vivekananda

More than 10,000 visitors thronged Lalbagh Botanical Garden on the opening day of this year’s flower show. The 2020 edition of this popular city event is dedicated to Swami Vivekananda. Apart from the floral installations, the event is also conducting horticultural competitions. Scheduled to go on till January 26, the flower show saw over 36,000 visitors during the first weekend.
Commenting on the 211th chapter of the flower show, MR Chandrashekhar — Secretary of the Mysore Horticultural Society and Deputy Director of Horticulture, Lalbagh Botanical Garden — says, “It took more than two months to put up the entire floral arrangement. Around 120 people worked on a tight schedule to ensure that we met the deadline. This year, we have tried different installations, with the most popular one so far being the vertical garden that uses fences or trellis to
support the plants.”

Docus, books and flowers mark SWAMI Vivekananda’s legacy
This year’s show is a tribute to Swami Vivekananda on his 157th birth anniversary. From Belur Math to the

Vivekananda Rock Memorial

in Kanyakumari, the Glasshouse is filled with floral replicas of these places, along with his statues. Another highlight was a depiction of him delivering his famous Chicago speech. The flower arrangements featured more than four lakh flowers of different colours, while the statues were carved out of bronze and sandstone. A documentary on Vivekananda is being screened at the venue, while visitors were also spotted browsing through books on him. The glasshouse also had a display of over 106 boards, listing different inspiring quotes by him.

Complete ban on plastic
There is a complete ban on the use of plastic at Lalbagh during the flower show, with over 60 workers and 40 volunteers from different NGOs making sure that visitors do not litter the place. According to organisers, a total of 240 bins and signs, reading ‘do not litter’ and ‘do not use plastic’, have been put up. Meanwhile, earthenware is turning out to be a popular choice among shoppers at the exhibition this year.

Popular flower choices
On display are around 92 varieties of flowers. Out of these, 37 are imported from countries like South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Holland and Thailand. Some of the popular choices are:
1. Gloxinia
2. Dwarf

Ixora

3. Medinilla
4.

Cyclamen

5. Petunia
6. Vinca
7.

Cymbidium

Orchid

Ornamental horticulture competitions
The event is hosting many ornamental horticulture competitions, like Janur Dry Flower Arrangement, Dutch Flower Arrangement, Vegetable Art and Sculpture, Thai Art.
The iconic flower show is in its 211th edition
This iconic flower show, which generally takes place twice a year, began in the year 1912. It was started by Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, the then manager of the botanical garden. Lalbagh is also said to hold an international record for conducting the most number of flower shows in a year. The Glasshouse, which is the primary attraction during these shows, was built in 1889.