The 47th Yercaud Summer Festival and Flower Show, which will run until May 26, began on Wednesday.
The festival was inaugurated at Anna Park by Apoorva, Agricultural Production Commissioner and Principal Secretary to Government, Farmers Welfare Department, P. Kumaravel Pandian, Director of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, and District Collector R. Brindha Devi.
Organised by the Department of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, the show features exhibits highlighting the importance of sea aquatic animals like coral reefs, crabs, octopuses, oysters with pearls, starfish, seahorses, and others, all made from over seven lakh flowers.
Other attractions at the festival include floral exhibits emphasising the planting of saplings through cartoon characters. Additionally, over 30,000 flower pots were used in the flower show, officials said. Anna Park is illuminated with decorative lights, and selfie points have been set up at the park located on the lake premises. Fruits, vegetables, and varieties of coffee beans grown in the hill station are also on display.
On the inaugural day, the Department of Tourism conducted a boat race for the tourists. Various competitions that will be held in the coming days include cooking without gas stove, football for men, throw-ball for women, 50-metre running race, shot put, and tug-of-war. A dog show will be held on May 25 and a walk show for children will be held on May 26. Apart from this various cultural programmes are also planned and films will also be screened from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Apoorva, Agricultural Production Commissioner and Principal Secretary to Government, Farmers Welfare Department, Collector R. Brindha Devi and P. Kumaravel Pandian, Director of Horticulture and Plantation Crops viewing the flower exhibits at the 47th Yercaud summer festival and flower show in Salem district in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, 22 May 2024. | Photo Credit: E. LAKSHMI NARAYANAN
As moderate rain is predicted, the crowd was only normal throughout the day. V. Anitha from Salem said the weather was pleasant and the floral decorations were impressive. “Since the crowd was less, vehicle movement was also low,” she said. According to her, the price of food items was as usual. T. Mohan, another tourist from Mittapudur, appreciated the arrangements in place for the festival.
With tourist inflow expected to rise significantly in the coming days, an official assured arrangements have been made to make the event a memorable one for visitors.
Mobile toilets have been stationed at tourist places, and temporary parking lots have been created on the hilltop. Tourists have been encouraged to use cloth bags (manjapai) with automatic bag vending machines placed near the check post at the foothills, Anna Park, and near Yercaud roundabout. Apart from the 12 regular bus services, Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) Limited is operating 40 special buses for the benefit of tourists, while special package buses with a ticket fare of ₹300 are also being operated to cover important tourist spots.
A one-way traffic system is in place on the Yercaud Ghat road, with vehicles moving towards Yercaud using the ghat road, while vehicles returning are diverted to use the Yercaud–Kuppanur–Salem road.
