Four-day flower show begins at Alipore Agri-Horticultural Society
Kolkata: With over a thousand varieties of roses, dahlias, marigolds, chrysanthemums and many more in absolute bloom, the grounds of the Agri-Horticultural Society of India with its annual flower show on Thursday was a sight to
behold.
While addressing the inauguration ceremony of the show, Mayor Firhad Hakim said instead of building marriage houses, we need to utilise the same space in building gardens to provide a temporary respite for city-dwellers who are living amidst a concrete jungle.
"When I was child, I often used to come to the agri-horticulture society as I grew up in this Alipore locality. This huge garden is the only area amidst this concrete jungle, where the city-dwellers can breathe a sigh of fresh air. We also need to build more gardens to preserve the beauty of the nature", said Hakim.
The four-day flower show, which will be held from February 14 to February 17, saw visitors —young and young-at-heart flock to the Alipore address on the first day.
Avani Shree Kanoria, an architect who has hired by the society to design the exhibition this year, said: "More than 65 stalls, comprising of various nurseries, have been set up for the sale of flora. Around 250 growers who hail from different parts of Bengal and Assam are also attending the exhibition this year."
She further added: "Apart from this, the exhibition also has a first-of-its-kind vegan eatery, a farmers' market, and a children's park with joyrides and different enthralling activities like pot designing, which will be installed on the third day of the fair."
"While the show boasted variety, the large roses were undoubtedly the pick of the day, with colours ranging from red to pink. The dahlias in their vibrant hues of yellow and pink were close behind as were the cactus and bonsai", said Swathi Dasgupta, the mother of a seven-year-old who has been coming to the exhibition every year for the last three years without a miss.
The flower show, which will end with the prize distribution ceremony on February 17, will be attended by West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi.
