Chandigarh: Blooming in full glory, 35rd Rose Fest gets off to colourful start

The much-awaited 53rd Rose Festival kicked off at Zakir Hussain Rose Garden, Sector 16, amid pomp and show on Friday after formally inauguration by UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria.

City mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla, principal secretary VP Singh, municipal commissioner Amit Kumar, senior deputy mayor Jasbir Singh Bunty, deputy mayor Taruna Mehta and area councillor Saurabh Joshi were present during the inaugural ceremony.

While addressing the gathering, Kataria said, “What makes Chandigarh Rose Festival unique and special is the high level of local public participation. The Rose Garden holds historic significance—it is Asia’s largest, spread across 40 acres. Chandigarh became a Union Territory in 1966, and the very next year, in 1967, work on this garden began. The Rose Festival is an event people eagerly await each year, so its date should be fixed on a calendar year in advance. People should know across India that on these specific dates every year, they can plan a trip to Chandigarh.”

The mayor said, “It is a matter of great satisfaction to see the tremendous interest and enthusiasm has been shown by the different sections of society through their active participation in the festival. With the concern of people towards conserving nature and natural resources increasing year after year, it is sure that the coming years will see more colourful flower shows in the city and greater participation, and innovation in displaying the exhibits.”

MC commissioner Amit Kumar said, “To make the festival live, various cultural activities have been arranged during the three-day event. At least 829 varieties of roses in the garden and different hues decorating the landscape, breathtaking floral displays, innovative new designs and exotic exhibits are the high points of this flower show. This time, MC has arranged this festival as a ‘Zero Waste’ event.”

The festival witnessed array of events, including dance performances on Day 1. Brass and pipe band show, folk dance competition, bhangra by Chandigarh Nirol Savachar Academy and Punjabi musical evening featuring folk singer Sukhi Brar and group entertained audiences.

On Saturday, the events include Rose Prince and Princess competition, kite flying show, photography competition, gatka performance, Rose King and Queen (senior citizen) contest, rose quiz competition, Mr Rose and Miss Rose competition, Sufi music by Balbir & group and a performance by noted artist group Lopoke Brothers.

The concluding day will see events like performance by Bengali artistes, on-the-spot painting competition, antakshari competition, closing ceremony and prize distribution, geet and ghazal by Atul Dubey and group, and lastly Kavi Sammelan by Naveen Neer and group.

MC announces awards for competitions

MC also announced awards for various competitions on Friday, including those of arrangement of flowers (with or without roses), making of garlands, rangolis, ornaments gajras and others.

Rajni Thareja and Sanjay Thareja, the directors of the Gurukul chain of schools, swept away as many as 37 prizes in the festival and won in various categories, including flower arrangement categories of arrangement with roses, an arrangement without roses, dry flower arrangement, foliage, the advent of spring, garland and bouquets.

MC commissioner announced cash prizes will be released to winners of all categories as done in previous years.

Visitors applaud fest’s growing grandeur

Aarya Kumari and Manjari Verma

The three-day festival drew a large number of visitors. Many appreciated how the event has grown grander over the years, with each edition offering a more vibrant and engaging experience. Many attendees noted that the scale of celebrations, including floral displays, cultural performances, and interactive activities, has significantly expanded, making the festival more enjoyable.

Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Chandigarh, reminisced about his college days and how the festival has changed over the years. “Back in the 90s, this festival was much smaller. The crowd was never this large. Now, the number of visitors has increased significantly. The festival still holds cultural significance in tricity, and it continues to attract people from all backgrounds.”

Dorje, a visitor from Ladakh, observed a shift in the festival, “It feels more like a fair this time. There is something for everyone, stalls, exhibitions and entertainment for kids. The decoration is nice, and the exhibition is impressive. The police are doing a great job. They are not just managing the crowd but also helping people cross the road safely.”

For some, the festival was more about nostalgia than the event itself. Manpreet Singh, an elderly visitor, said, “I have been attending this festival since my college days, and today it is different, I have seen visitors apart from Punjab. Earlier it was more about flowers and cultural programmes. Now, it feels more commercialised. But it is still nice to see families enjoying it. It’s good to see the festival is evolving and reaching a wider audience.”

Despite different opinions, most visitors agreed that the Rose Festival continues to be an important event in Chandigarh, which attracts people from different cultures.