The City of Flowers, Chandigarh, is currently abuzz with excitement as it hosts the highly anticipated three-day Rose Festival. Spread across 46 acres at Zakir Hussain Rose Garden in Sector 16, the festival kicked off on Friday and will enchant visitors until February 25, running from 10 am to 9 pm daily.
The zero-waste Rose Festival witnessed a grand inauguration by Chief Guest Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of UT Chandigarh. The ceremony was attended by notable figures such as Kirron Kher, Member of Parliament, City Mayor Kuldeep Kumar, and other dignitaries.
As part of the inaugural event, Banwarilal Purohit, Kirron Kher, Kuldeep Kumar, Rajeev Verma, Nitin Kumar Yadav, Anindita Mitra, and Saurabh Joshi unveiled an artistically designed brochure and a ‘Do it yourself’ pamphlet, offering citizens valuable information on growing roses at home.
Chief Guest Banwarilal Purohit praised the Municipal Corporation officials for organizing a splendid show and encouraged citizens to contribute to the city’s beauty by creating small gardens on their terraces or balconies. He acknowledged the gardeners (Malis) as the unsung heroes behind the enchanting beauty of the city’s parks.
MP Kirron Kher commended the Municipal Corporation for engaging citizens of all age groups in this annual festival, which, in its second consecutive year, has embraced a zero-waste initiative. Alongside the captivating display of roses, the festival features stalls dedicated to three major categories: Informative, Interactive, and Empowering the community. These stalls, set up by the MC team and Self-Help Groups (SHGs), showcase the Municipal Corporation’s commitment to sustainability and community empowerment.
The special attraction of the “Zero Waste” 52nd Rose Festival 2024 is the Swachh Game Zone, dedicated to Indian games and cleanliness. Activities such as Stapoo, Skipping, Sack Race, Lemon Run, Tug of War, and DIY flower-making using paper aim to engage citizens of all ages. A new game, “Sortify,” challenges participants to correctly dispose of waste based on categories and colors.
To enhance the festival experience, Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has arranged public amenities, including a lost and found counter, medical facilities, water stations, and clean public conveniences.
The ‘Zero Waste Rasoi,’ an eco-friendly food court organized by MCC, offers reasonably priced food items within the festival grounds, strictly prohibiting the use of plastic items and promoting biodegradable and recyclable products.
City Mayor Kuldeep Kumar expressed appreciation for the efforts of gardeners and officials who added vibrancy to the event with a stunning display of chrysanthemum flowers. He lauded the organization of the three-day show as a zero-waste event.
