123rd Annual Flower Show comes up with unique cacti, roses and bonsai

 

 

 

The floor, transformed into a canvas of floral carpets, greeted the first steps into the wide Kusumtai Wankhede Hall. A spell of fragrant flowers set a pleasant mood, and a splash of colours welcomed one as a treat to the eye. Hundreds of flowers, all gracefully lined in shades of butter yellow, sunset orange, blush pink, and deep crimson, glowed in filtered daylight streaming through the windows. Awestruck, as one walked through the 123rd Annual Flower Show, 49th Cacti and Succulent Show, and Dahlia and Gladioli Show, they came across seasonal flower arrangements filling corners of the hall, organised in semi-circular patterns guiding the eye inward to see tall green palms rising behind those. This event was organised by Nagpur Garden Club and ‘The Hitavada’ in memory of Leelatai Subhedar on Sunday, where dedicated sections were allotted to roses, bonsai, cacti.

 

One plant trained in expressive curves appeared to rise and wrap its vine-like stem around a sculpted figure placed within the pot. This one was so unique that none could pass by without glancing. A member of the Nagpur Garden Club was visibly dazzled as she strode eagerly towards it, admiring the form before gesturing toward the rich assembly of bonsai plants arranged on long, white-draped tables. “Look!”, she exclaimed, “Each bonsai plant here is over a decade old.” “As my eyes moved across the vivid colours of nature, my mind swirled with them like a dancing peacock,” said an awe-struck Astha Karlekar, Director, South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC), and the chief guest of the event, while speaking to ‘The Hitavada’. During the inauguration, Anuja Parchure, President of the Nagpur Garden Club, welcomed the chief guest.

 

Kedar Gokhale, Chairman of the Flower Show Committee, presented the event report. Samit Admane, Secretary, proposed a vote of thanks, and Padma Deshraj conducted the proceedings. Prashant Telang won King of Hybrid Tea Roses and Samrat of Indian Roses, Mansoora Zahoor Hasan won Queen of Hybrid Tea Roses and a special Tulip award, Gurpreet Singh won Prince of Hybrid Tea Roses, MMP Industries Limited won Princess of Hybrid Tea Roses, Samradini of Indian Roses, and King and Queen of Floribunda Roses, Lok Bhavan, formerly Raj Bhavan, won King of Miniature Roses, and Sonal Duddalwar won Queen of Miniature Roses. NADP secured the highest aggregate points, while Mansoora Hasan scored the highest points individually. Dr N V Shastri was felicitated for his contribution to rose-growing.In the drawing competition, from the Deaf and Dumb School, the awardees were Priya Balapure, Pratik Dhande, Gunjan Siddam, Dikshita Bobde, Yash Suryavanshi, and Samruddhi Ghodmare.

 

In the 8 to 12 years category, Avanish Paranjape of NEERI Modern School won first prize, followed by Anuj Ghorsekar of K John Public School and Namish Kale of Mahatma Gandhi School. In the 12 to 15 years category, Sanjana Prasad of Sandipani School won first prize, followed by Deeta Aknurwar of Hadas High School and Yashika Lanjewar of Bhavan’s Bhagwandas Purohit Vidya Mandir, Srikrishna Nagar. In the floral carpet competition for schools, Bhavans Trimurti Nagar won first prize, followed by Sandipani School and Dharampeth Public School. The judges were Anuja Parchure, Rekha Deshmukh, Samit Admane, Nitin Date, Nadeem Rehman, Rajashree Bapat, Neha Chopde, Sumedha Puranik, Chanchal Singh Renu, Arvind Sable, Vijay Goliwar, Anuradha Raina, Om Jajodia, Pallavi Komawar, and Shalini Das, while Tanmay Godghate, Samit Admane, Supriya Naware, Rajashree Bapat, and Swati Gokhale co-ordinated the drawing and floral carpet competitions.

 

Those present at the inauguration included Aasawari Shenolikar, Abhay Vaidya from ‘The Hitavada’, Gulab Mahant, Shrikant Doifode, Nitin Date, Nadeem Rehman, Atulchandra Mendhekar, Aarti Rajkondawar, Sunita Sharma, Ashok Pathak, Lata Andhare, Shanta Madnani, Ramesh Madnani, Saroj Desai, Shashikant Shrivas, and Gunjan Khandelwal from the Nagpur Garden Club. The prize distribution ceremony for the remaining categories will be held at the Nagpur Garden Club premises, opposite Jawahar Vasti Gruha on West High Court Road, Civil Lines, on January 18 at 10.30 am.