Tourists visiting the Mysuru palace, the coming week, will be welcomed by a riot of colours as the landmark will host a flower show from Friday.
Mysuru is expecting a surge in travellers for the Christmas holidays and they will get to see a large collection of flowering and ornamental plants which had been specially raised on the palace premises for the show.
An entry ticket to the flower show for adults is Rs. 20 and Rs. 10 for children. The show concludes on January 1, said Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep, who is also the executive officer of the Mysuru Palace Board.
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Visitors can enter the palace to watch the flower show from Varaha Gate from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. and from the three gates – Varaha, Jayamarthanda and Balarama – from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate the show on December 23 at 5 p.m. Minister in-charge of the district H.C. Mahadevappa will inaugurate a photography exhibition and free Wi-Fi hotspot, child care centre and health kiosk.
More than 15,000 flowering and ornamental plants will be on display.
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About one lakh flowers such as African Marigold, Anthurium, Dutch Roses, Gerbera, Blue Daisy, Bird of Paraside and other flower varieties had been procured from markets in Bengaluru, Ooty and Hosur for sculpting replicas of elephant carrying the ‘Ambari’; two elephants; two camels and two horses with two soldiers on their back.
The children’s gallery at the show will have popular cartoon characters created in flowers.
Spiderman, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck are among those besides flowery butterflies.
A replica of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar will come alive in flowers besides two lions and other models.
Visitors can witness the flower show on the right side of the palace entry gate while the rose garden can be glimpsed visiting the left side of the entry gate, according to the palace board.
During the visit to the flower show, visitors can get to listen to the classical instrumental music on the works of Sri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, the last Maharaja of Mysore.
Visitors can also glimpse rare photogpraphs of Mysuru Dasara – Then and Now; the Wadiyars; the grandeur of Mysuru Dasara and the video of an age-old Dasara procession at the photography exhibition.
A health kiosk will be launched on the palace premises for emergency healthcare needs of tourists visiting the palace. In addition to this, a child care centre will also be inaugurated on Friday.