Three-day flower and fruit show begins in Shivamogga

Annual flower and fruit show in Shivamogga featuring replicas of famous landmarks and local handicrafts, attracting hundreds of visitors.

The three-day flower and fruit show, organised to mark Republic Day, began at Allama Prabhu Park in Shivamogga on Friday. Hundreds of people visited the show on the first day.

The replicas of Kavimane, the house of poet Kuvempu at Kuppali in Tirthahalli taluk, and Renukamba temple at Chandragutti in Sorab taluk are the special attractions of the show. Many of the visitors were seen taking selfies with these replicas in the background. The Department of Horticulture and Zilla Udyana Kala Sangha jointly organised the show.

Besides, an exhibition of artifacts of the Malnad region – Karakushala Utsav Saras Mela – has been organised. Many artists have put up stalls exhibiting their products. They include artists of Hase Chittara, a traditional art form of drawing geometric patterns.

MLA for Shivamogga S.N. Channabasappa inaugurated the show and appreciated the arrangements made for the flower-fruit show and the exhibition.

He stressed the need for a permanent system for the artists of Malnad to showcase their products. “The local talents should get a place to sell their products. The government should work towards setting up a shopping mall for such talents,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegade said that over 4.28 lakh flowers had been used in the show. The exhibition provided a platform for the local handicraft artists. He appreciated the efforts of Zilla Panchayat CEO N. Hemanth and others in organising the event.

Mr. Hemanth said that this flower-fruit show is on the lines with the one regularly conducted in Bengaluru. The handicraft artists of the district had an opportunity to showcase their talent. He also appreciated the artists who created the replicas of the Kavimane and Renukamba temple.