Many firsts as Rose Festival kicks off in Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 17

After muted celebrations over the past two years owing to the Covid pandemic, hundreds of visitors thronged the Rose Garden as the 51st Rose Festival kicked off amid pomp and show here today.

The three-day festival was formally inaugurated by UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit in the presence of MP Kirron Kher and Mayor Anup Gupta.

This year’s event has several firsts to its credit, including a food court inside the garden, a light and sound show, LED screens for display of roses and adherence to zero-waste policy.

Results of folk dance competition

Schools

1. GMSSS, Sector 21

2. Guru Harkrishan School, Sector 40

3. GMSSS, Sector 47

Colleges

1. Post-Graduate College, Sector 11

2. Govt College for Girls, Sector 42

3. Govt BEd College, Sector 20

New to the show

Food court inside garden

Light and sound show

LED screens for display of roses

Zero-waste event

The Administrator appreciated the efforts put in by the Municipal Corporation employees and officers in organising the festival. He said people from all walks of life could enjoy an array of flower arrangements and cultural items.

The three-day event was a mega celebration of nature and a way to pay tribute to the magnificence of roses. What made it unique was high level of participation by local public, he said. “I am happy citizens can enjoy a variety of engaging events, especially the light and sound show, being organised by the MC for the very first time,” said Purohit.

MP Kher said competitions for all age groups such as ‘Rose Prince & Princess’, ‘Mr Rose & Miss Rose’ and ‘Rose King & Rose Queen’ (for senior citizens) would be organised over three days.

The Mayor said to make the festival lively, new cultural activities had been introduced at the venue to cater to the tastes of all categories of visitors. As many as 831 varieties of roses amid decorative landscaping, floral displays, innovative new designs and exotic exhibits were on offer, he said.

A brass and pipe band competition, photography exhibition, Bollywood (junior) artistes’ show, cultural evening and light and sound show would be key attractions at the event. LED screens had been put up inside the garden for display of roses. Asserting that it was a zero-waste event, the Mayor said the MC had this time allocated space for a food court allowing general public and visitors to savour delicacies within the garden itself.

Artistes from various parts of the country performed Rajasthani dance, Bean Jogi, Himachali Nati, Ghoomar, Bhavai, etc. throughout the day. In the evening, a folk dance competition was organised in which teams of young artists from different colleges of Chandigarh performed various items. Also, rush was witnessed at the weapons display arranged by the ITBP in the open ground.

Awareness on energy conservation

The UT Administration organised an awareness programme to promote energy conservation at the Sector 16-17 underpass as part of Rose Festival. The aim was to raise awareness among masses about benefits of energy conservation, use of energy-efficient appliances and electric vehicles. The programme was presided over by CB Ojha, Chief Engineer, UT.

Teacher duo steals show

Vandana and Sangeeta Saini, teachers of The Gurukul, Panchkula, stole the show by pocketing nearly all prizes in all categories of flower arrangements, making of garlands, bouquets and rangolis. The teachers swept away the first and second individual prizes in fresh arrangement with roses, fresh arrangement without roses, fresh foliage, dry arrangement, arrangement on advent of spring, garland making, making of bouquets and rangoli with environmentally friendly material categories.

Scholarship mela

Aryans Group of Colleges and Aryans Overseas inaugurated 'Aryans Scholarship Mela' at the festival. Hargunjit Kaur, Secretary Tourism, was the chief guest and Rohit Gupta, Director Tourism, the guest of honour. Dr Anshu Kataria, chairman, said eligible students would get 10% to 100% scholarship on merit-cum-means basis. — TNS

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