128th annual flower show inaugurated in Ooty

Rains successful the Nilgiris contributed to a subdued inauguration of the 128^th yearly angiosperm amusement astatine the Government Botanical Garden successful Udhagamandalam connected Monday (May 18, 2026).

The taxable for this year’s exhibits centred astir the extortion and preservation of Tamil practice and culture. To commemorate this, the main attraction was an grounds of the British-built Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station, which was decorated with implicit 1.14 lakh carnation flowers. Other exhibits, including angiosperm galleries, were: angiosperm arrangements of an outline of the State’s borders, a Thiruvalluvar statue, a Bharathanatyam dancer, the Thanjavur bobble-head dolls, the Thiruvarur temple chariot, the Mahabalipuram temple, the 5 accepted ecological landscapes described successful Sangam-era literature, and assorted accepted Tamil dances, among others.

The Horticulture section said that a full of 7 lakh flowers were utilized to make the exhibits. Despite the rains, ample crowds thronged the botanical plot from aboriginal Monday morning.

The angiosperm amusement is to beryllium held till May 28. Many of the visitors were from the neighbouring States of Kerala and Karnataka, officials from the Horticulture section said.

The lawsuit was inaugurated by recently elected Ooty MLA, M. Bhojarajan, of the BJP.

Lack of preparedness

Despite the crowds, visitant numbers connected the archetypal time of the angiosperm amusement were expected to beryllium little than those during the erstwhile years owing to a reported deficiency of preparedness owed to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections. “In the erstwhile years, the lawsuit would beryllium announced good successful beforehand and tourists would program their trips astir the angiosperm show. However, this year, the time of the inauguration itself was lone announced 2 days anterior to its commencement. So, galore radical are unaware that the angiosperm amusement has started,” said an authoritative from the Horticulture department.

This year, the elections person led to a truncated summertime festival season, with lone the roseate show, angiosperm show, and effect amusement being held. The territory medication and Horticulture section appealed to residents and tourists to sojourn the angiosperm show.