Two-day Vegetable Show marks the beginning of summer festival in the Nilgiris

The Coimbatore stall had the Karamadai Aranganathar temple chariot made of yam, beetroot, red cabbage and brinjal and the Erode stall had a replica of Bhavanisgar dam.

Models of elephants made of bringal on display at the 12th vegetable show in Kotagiri. | Photo Credit: M. SATHYAMOORTHY

With the inauguration of the two-day 12th Vegetable Show at the Nehru Park in Kotagiri town on Saturday, the summer festival in the hilly district of the Nilgiris took off to a colourful start.

The show has display of mega structures and carvings made out of vegetables. This included shapes of teddy bear, hens, and ducks using vegetables. There were six district-wise stalls.

The Coimbatore stall had the Karamadai Aranganathar temple chariot made of yam, beetroot, red cabbage and brinjal and the Erode stall had a replica of Bhavanisgar dam.

To mark the International Year of Millet, vegetables were used to make structures replicating maize and jowar. The show also focused on ‘Ooty 200’ to mark the discovery of Ooty town by John Sullivan 200 years ago, Meendum Manjappai, Organic Nilgiris Mission, and mega constructions. Indcoserve, Tantea, and Kotagiri Collective Farmers Producers Company had stalls and there was sale of Nilgiris tribal products, too. The formations were also used to create awareness on issues such as human-animal conflict.

The Nilgiris MP, A. Raja, who inaugurated the event, said that the State government was giving impetus to organic farming. It has sanctioned ₹42 crore for the Kotagiri Combined Drinking Water Supply Scheme. Works for the project will start soon, he added.

Tourism Minister K. Ramachandran and Nilgiris MP A. Raja going around the stalls at the 12th Vegetable Show at Nehru Park in Kotagiri on Saturday. Also in the picture is District Collector S.P. Amrith. | Photo Credit: M. SATHYAMOORTHY

The MP said that lack of roads and electricity to 5,000 houses in Gudalur because of the Janmam land issue will soon be resolved as the expert committee appointed by the Chief Minister commenced works on Saturday.

Minister for Tourism K. Ramachandran said that four acres belonging to the government will soon be used to create a park to draw tourists. The government will also explore the possibility of introducing a rope car from Kodanad. Collector S.P. Amrith and Superintendent of Police K. Prabakaran were also present.