Two-day long Vasantotsav-2014, an extravaganza of flowers, colours and joy, was inaugurated by Governor Dr Aziz Qureshi in the presence of State horticulture Minister Amrita Rawat at Rajbhawan on Saturday
The Governor released the first-day cover brought out by the P&T Department to mark the occasion. The cover featured Kedarpatri (Skimmia laureola), a medicinal plant and is eaten by the musk deer. Folk singers and dancers performed at the inauguration. After the inauguration, the Governor, the Cabinet Minister and senior officials went around the exhibition.
Dr Qureshi saw the 800 children from various schools painting and distributed among them the jute bags given by the ONGC to give them a message of protecting the environment. In his address, Dr Qureshi said the event was not just a flower exhibition but an occasion for families to get together amid beautiful surroundings and enjoy nature, music, art and food.
Floriculture could become a source of income in the hill state and was a good alternative to traditional farming. He said scented plants should be grown in the hills as they were less prone to damage by wild animals. He said marketing of flowers at the local level was required.