While a part of the Delhi University campus simmered, the other saw visitors enjoying a spectacular display of flowers at the Mughal Garden near the Vice-Chancellor’s office.
Classes were suspended at Delhi University (DU) on Thursday so that students and teachers could visit the Annual Flower Show. The event offered a perfect excuse to ensure that students stayed away from campus, a day after the violent clash at North Campus.
‘Sheer bliss’
A DU official, however, said that classes are suspended every year for the flower show.
“It’s very rare to see so many flowers together. I could not imagine something like this in Delhi before coming here. Most of the time we are stuck in our PGs and colleges. This is sheer bliss,” said Laura Joycelyn, a visitor.
Many students, meanwhile, condemned the violence witnessed on Wednesday. “The flower show has come as relief for those shocked by the violence,” said Anubhuti Prasad, a 2nd year student.
“The flower show has always been a popular event among garden enthusiasts in the Capital. The idea behind the show is to celebrate the beauty of flowers and promote interest among the people. Also, this is the time of the year when many flowers are in full bloom, including some rare specimens,” said Professor Arun Jagannath, an organiser.
Keeping up with tradition, the show was open to all colleges and schools in the Capital. Also, competitions were held in 74 categories pertaining to gardening. “Not only educational institutions, but individual participants also take part,” Prof. Jagannath added.
Street plays performed
Street plays highlighting the importance of the environment were among the highlights. Speaking to The Hindu , members of Dhwani - the theatre society of Acharya Narendra Dev College - who performed at the event, said, “We have attempted to focus on major issues like deforestation and ozone layer depletion. The key message of our play was that if environmental degradation continues at this rate, Earth will soon become devoid of life.”
