The Lal Bagh Flower Show 2023: A Spectacular Display of Natural Beauty and Creativity

 In the lead up to Independence Day 2023 on August 15, Bengaluru's Lalbagh Botanical Garden is hosting the Independence Day flower show till August 15.

This show is keeping up with a long series of Lalbagh flower shows dating back to the time when the Band Stand was used for smaller flower shows. 

This year, the flower show pays tribute to former Karnataka CM Kengal Hanumanthaiah, who played a major role in constructing the Vidhana Soudha at Bengaluru in 1956. This is the 214th flower show.

The theme of the flower show this year is the Vidhana Soudha, seat of state legislature in Karnataka. A replica of Vidhana Soudha was erected with flowers inside the Lal Bagh, right next to Kengal Hanumanthaiah’s statue.

The publication quoted Karnataka’s Horticulture Minister S S Mallikarjun as saying, “The floral Vidhana Soudha will be 18-foot high, 36-foot long and 18-foot wide. It will be made of 7.2 lakh flowers of various species. The Hanumanthaiah statue will be about 14-foot high.”

A display of Kengal Hanumanthaiah itself is adorned with red roses, carnations, and pink lilies.

The culture of the state is also on display, with facsimiles of traditional drummers alongside flowers arranged in the shape of the Kannada alphabets.

The displays at the festival take other directions too – one display, for instance, represents 30 years of the Chinese practice of Falun Dafa (part of the discipline of the persecuted Falun Gong group) represented by an arrangement of yellow chrysanthemums.

The Lal Bagh flower show is not just a visual treat but also has great significance. The event promotes environmental awareness and highlights the importance of conserving biodiversity. The displays at the flower show showcase the beauty and diversity of nature and the need to preserve it for future generations. The event also generates revenue for the state government and provides a platform for local horticulturists and florists to showcase their skills and products.