It’s that time of the year again when colourful blooms attract people to Bengaluru. Independence Day is here, and Bengaluru’s Lalbagh is presenting its 214th flower show, which this year is designed as a tribute to Karnataka’s second Chief Minister Kengal Hanumanthaiah.
The Independence Day flower show, which was inaugurated on August 4, witnessed a footfall of close to one lakh people from across the country in the first two days of its opening. As a floral tribute to Hanumanthaiya, a 14-feet statue of the former Chief Minister, an 18-feet replica of the Vidhana Soudha, and a replica of the Shivapura Satyagraha Soudha are among the attractions this year.
While it is common knowledge that Lalbagh hosts two flower shows every year, what is less known is the history of the flower show itself, which started way back in 1867. When the Agri-Horticulture Society of India was started in 1820, various programmes and exhibitions were put up by farmers and plantation growers. As part of this exhibition, in February 1867, a two-day flower show by many florists, fruit growers, and cattlemen emerged, wherein the best presenters were awarded.
