Come February 22 and the Raj Bhawan will explode with a blaze of colours as Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi inaugurates this year's spring festival, the Basantotsav on its sprawling lawns.
The annual event, at which a wide variety of flowers are exhibited, will be open to public free of cost, a Raj Bhawan release said. The event will end on February 23 with cultural programmes followed by distribution of prizes to winners of various contests held as part of the festival.
Ghingaroo (Crataegus Crenulata), which is consumed by wild animals and birds and is used by local people to make fences around fields, has been chosen as the event's theme, it said. The festival has been held for the several years at the Raj Bhawan to promote floriculture and create interest among people in environment and nature.
The folk culture of the state will also be highlighted at the event. India Post will also release the first day cover of the annual event featuring Kedarpatri (Skimia Laureola), a medicinal plant unique to Uttarakhand. At a meeting held on Saturday to review the preparations for the festival, the Governor directed officials to encourage participation of local people in the cultural programmes so as to recharge them with hope and optimism after last year's devastating calamity.
Floral rangoli contest, painting competition for children, photo exhibition, painting exhibition and a Judo Karate performance by ITBP personnel will be part of the event. The Governor said that a domestic gardening category would also be included to encourage individual efforts in gardening. Besides the usual stalls at the fest, a demonstration would also be made as a prelude to the Yoga Mahotsav to be held at Rishikesh from March 1 to 7.
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