Mysuru palace, Kuppanna Park sport floral look

The garden of the iconic Mysuru palace and Kuppanna Park here have come alive, sporting a floral look ahead of the festive season.

Thanks to the fast approaching Dasara festivities, the two places are getting ready to provide a floral treat when tourists start arriving to the city.

Kuppanna Park will be hosting the Dasara flower show and therefore varieties of flowers and plants had been raised to attract visitors. This is the second edition of the show at Kuppanna Park since Curzon Park used to be its venue for over many years.

The horticulture wing of the palace had raised thousands of potted flower-bearing plants for decorating the premises when tourists start arriving with the palace being at the centre stage of the festivities, which had been scaled down this year.

Garden workers of the palace worked for the past several weeks to beautify the garden and raise plants in pots for arrangement various places inside the palace, including around the dais of Dasara cultural events in the forecourt, besides on the ground bordering the garden and lawns.

Indiramma, director, Mysuru Palace Board, told

The Hindu that potted flower plants will soon be assembled as resolved ahead of the festivities. These plants will be kept at vantage positions on the palace premises until January 26. The garden and lawns at the palace have been spruced up in the run up to Dasara, she added.

In spite of low-key Dasara, stakeholders of tourism industry here feel that tourist arrivals will not be disappointing since Mysuru Dasara is a brand by itself and tourists will visit to be part of the festive season.

The palace happens to be the cynosure of all eyes when the city celebrates Dasara. Therefore, the premises is being beautified with a coat of paint (outside the premises), replacing fused bulbs (for brighter illumination) and adding greenery by sprucing up the garden and lawn, to welcome visitors, the authorities said.

This year, the Horticulture Department is creating the stone chariot of Hampi which will be the main attraction of the annual show. The floral stone chariot standing 16 ft. tall will be created in about 1.5 lakh roses. All the roses will be replaced with fresh flowers after six days.

Another attraction will be the floral peacock created in capsicum and a large variety of flowers.

A floral depiction of late A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will be installed at the show as a tribute.