Yercaud summer festival and flower show begins

Experience the 47th Yercaud Summer Festival and Flower Show with sea animal exhibits, floral displays, competitions, and cultural programs.

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.

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.