A Blooming Republic Day Flower Show at Lalbagh-Blore
Mangaluru: January brings new beginnings and continues to keep old traditions alive. The bi-annual Flower Show at the Lalbagh Botanical Garden is one such tradition which marks the Republic Day in January and Independence Day in August. Lalbagh Botanical Garden is a lush green paradise, sprawled across an area of 240 acres, located in the heart of Bengaluru. The garden houses India’s largest collection of tropical plants and is one of the main attractions for tourists and locals in the Garden City- and The Flower Show at Lalbagh always is very popular as it brings forth new themes, a feast of vibrant colors and promise of a splendid day out.
This year visitors to the 205th Republic Day Flower show now going are enthralled by the replica of Vijayapura’s Gol Gumbaz made of nearly four lakhs red, white, yellow and pink roses, and to ensure their freshness and of those in and around Glass House, the horticulture department has installed 1,300 sprinklers that spray water. This grand Republic Day 2017 flower show which marks the Birth Centenary of Dr.M.H. Marigowda, Father of Horticulture in Karnataka is organized by Mysore Horticultural Society in association with Horticulture Department is held at Lalbagh Botanical Garden from January 20-29, 9:00 AM- 6:30 PM.
Visitors will be surprised to see the thematic display of flowers across the Lalbagh garden. The Glass House which is decked up with a floral replica of Gol Gumbaz is considered to be the largest dome in India. This Gol Gumbaz is a mausoleum of Mohammed Adil Shah, who was the Bijapur Sultan. A sculpture of Dr M.H. Marigowda, who is known as the Father of Horticulture in our country, is placed at the Glass House in Lal Bagh Botanical Garden to celebrates his centenary year. Large varieties of botanical plant species have been brought from over 40 countries to make this Lalbagh flower show an attractive one. The efforts made by botanist and garden designer Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, popularly known as G.H. Krumbiegal is showcased in this Lalbagh flower show.
You can also see about 250 Cymbidium flowers for the first time at this flower show, which are usually grown in places like Sikkim and Darjeeling. In addition, some cold climate flowers such as Fuchsia, Impatiens, Azalea, Begonia and butterfly replicas using orchids, rose, carnation, chrysanthemum are also on display at the show. Another attraction of the show is that people should catch a glimpse of the “trio-in-bloom spectacle” the three talipot palms, which flower once in a lifetime of 60 or 100 years, which are now in bloom. These three of the 12 mature palms in the botanical garden have simultaneously flowered — an occurrence that is seen once in 60 or 100 years.
Commonly known as century palms or fan palms, talipot palms (scientific name Corypha umbraculifera; called shreetali mara in Kannada) naturally grow in the evergreen forests of Kumta in Karnataka. Speaking to Team Mangalorean, an official of the Horticulture said that the talipot palms rise to a height of nearly 30 metres and have a girth of 2.5 metres. Credit should go to the botanist trained in Kew gardens in London John Cameron, superintendent of Lalbagh who took over in 1874 and established the Glass House, who planted two palms initially. He also said that of the 12 mature palms in Lalbagh, three, aged between 80 and 92, have flowered, and the 15 younger ones are awaiting their turn. The fronds of talipot palm have been historically used in India and Sri Lanka for writing manuscripts.
Innumerable varieties of flowers, fruits and vegetables are exhibited in the shows including the exhibition of potted plants, cut flowers, Thai Art, Ikebana, Indian Floral Art, Bonsai and vegetable carving. The Flower Show also provides information and guidance on emerging horticulture technologies. Inside the Glasshouse, flower arrangements will be made in three corners, by Lalbagh Botanical Garden, BNCS, Ooty Fernhill Gardens & Cymbidium orchids. Nearly 250 Cymbidium flowers, originally from Australia and the Netherlands, grown in Darjeeling and Sikkim are seen for the first time. On the left side of the Glass House, a mammoth vertical garden built over an area of 1,750 sq ft using 35,000 flowers of different colours and leaf variety plants would be displayed by Bhagylakshmi Farm and Nursery, a reputed floral company in Bengaluru.
On the right side of the Glasshouse replicas of colourful butterflies created using rose, chrysanthemum, orchids, carnation, etc. would be displayed. Huge floral cascades created using gorgeous Petonia flowers on the lawns outside the Glasshouse would be a feast for the eyes. India’s National bird the peacock is also displayed on the lawn in a floral avatar. The arrangement of attractive chrysanthemum flowers from various parts of the country and abroad, stunning cold climate flowers like Begonia, Impatiens, Azalea, Fuchsia and pot-grown perennial flowers also enthral flower enthusiasts. Apart from this, there are hundreds of stalls and nurseries where one can purchase manure, seeds, pesticides, plants, pots and other garden materials.
Due to some accidents that occurred int he previous years flower show, visitors will not be allowed to take selfies everywhere. In order to ensure safety, the authorities have fixed large boards warning visitors about spots to avoid selfies. Also this year few bee nets have been erected because in 2015 a little girl had died stung by a swarm of bees. Also in the wake of the death of a six-year-old boy recently, first aid boxes are kept on the premises and six ambulances are stationed. So for protection, home guards and police personnel are deployed in various places of Botanical garden. It is learnt that the show is expected to attract over 5 lakh visitors.
For the information of our readers, Lalbagh Republic Day 2017 flower show which is a 10-day event will end on 29 January. The entry fee to the show is priced at Rs. 60 on holidays for adults while on all other days the entry fee is Rs 50 for adults. For Children, it is Rs 20 as entry fee on all days. But the school children will be given free entries on January 24, 25, 27, 28 January.
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