A total of 829 varieties of roses and nearly 50,000 rose plants in 1,400 beds, will be on display that include hybrid tea, floribundus, polyanthus, miniatures and climbers of both indigenous, and exotic varieties
The much-anticipated 53rd Rose Festival is set to kick off at the Zakir Rose Garden, Sector 16, in Chandigarh on Friday.
The three-day festival, organised by the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC), will continue until February 23, featuring a host of cultural and entertainment programmes. For the first time in history, the event is being organised as a “Zero budget” festival, with all arrangements and events sponsored by private firms.
A total of 829 varieties of roses and nearly 50,000 rose plants in 1,400 beds will be on display that include hybridtea, floribundus, polyanthus, miniatures and climbers of both indigenous and exotic varieties.
MC commissioner Amit Kumar said the festival will be inaugurated by UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria. The grand opening will be marked by the beating of drums, live bands, folk dance performances from various states, regional art showcases, and vibrant floral decorations.
However, not all is rosy this year. Despite strong interest in advertising, no private firm came forward to sponsor the popular helicopter ride, which has been absent from the festival since 2020. Efforts to revive the aerial attraction, once a fan favourite at ₹2,000 to ₹4,000 per person, fell through after delays in negotiations with potential bidders.
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 will be held.
On Saturday, the events will include rose prince and princess competition, kite flying show, photography competition, gatka performance, rose king & queen (Senior Citizen) contest, rose quiz competition, Mr rose and miss rose competition, sufi music by Balbir & group, performance by noted artist group Lopoke Brothers.
The concluding day will see events like Bengali artists performance, on-the-spot painting competition, antakshari competition, closing ceremony and prize distribution, geet and ghazal by Atul Dubey and group, kavi sammelan by Naveen Neer and group.
