DASARA FLOWER SHOW AT KUKKARAHALLI LAKE

Dasara flower show at Kukkarahalli Lake

Hi guys! Finally we are near to our world famous ‘Dasara festival’ and Mysore city is busy waiting for the grand celebrations. Only 3 more days to go and Mysore is beautifully dolled up with lights. How fascinating it is to watch this week's  vivid shows and exhibitions hosted in the city. The ‘Dasara exhibition’ has started already .

‘Dasara flower show’ at Kuppanna Park is attracting thousands of people just like bees swarming into a flower garden. ‘Dasara ornamental fish show’ held in J.K grounds was a big hit, ‘Open street festival’ held on Oct 13^th Saturday made all our youngsters go crazy, and on Sunday 14^th Oct a pet show was conducted too. Once again the ‘Yuva Dasara’ programmes every evening is attracting a huge crowd. 

A midst of all these grand shows, there is a show in the city which is made just for the nature lovers like you and me. Like every year, the horticulture department of University of Mysore has exhibited colourful flowers and plants this year  I made a visit to the Dasara flower show at Kukkarahalli Lake yesterday and got inspired to write this. So scroll down the page to know more about the flower show. 

This is the '15^th Dasara flower show' conducted in Kukkarahalli Lake. The lake is in the midst of city spreading across 62 hectares of land, which is also a part of Manasagangotri campus. I remember when I was a student of Manasagangotri, I used to visit the lake for birding, butterfly watching and even for testing the water quality of the lake.

  

 After 4 years when I visited the lake yesterday, I was stunned to see the lake beautifully decorated with flowering pots and enhancing the lake beauty. 

 There are about 8,000 pots displayed on the lake garden and walking paths. Most of them being the flowering plants. 

 

 Marigold, Cosmos, Zinnia, Bougainvillea, Celosia, Tithonia, Gladiolus, Canna, Amaranthus, hollyhock are some of the prominent flowering plants exhibited.

 Kochia, palms, Decin, Anthurium, Peporima and ferns are the leafy plants used for the display. 

 Apart from these showy plants, carrots, French beans, cabbage, radish, beet root, tomato, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, bottle gourd, chilli, and other vegetable yielding plants were included too.

  Local herbs like Coriandrum, methi (fenugreek) and dill plants were kept along the vegetable plants. 

In the middle of the lake garden, there is a tree named Nagalinga pushpa (cannon ball tree) Couroupita guianensis, which attracts devotees residing nearby. The tree produces unusual big flowers and its ovaries resemble ‘Shivalinga’ (God in Hindu mythology); the localites collect these flowers every morning after their morning walk and take it to their houses for worshipping.

Recently 3-4 dholes (Indian wild dog) were spotted by the crew members of the show. Lake is home for number of aquatic birds, leaf birds, raptors and migratory birds from European countries during winter seasons. There are fresh water crocodiles spotted several times by the visitors. I too had spotted a crocodile while I was birding. Likewise there are many plants, animals and microbes residing in the lake and adding on the biodiversity of Mysore.

In short, the Dasara Flower show at Kukkarahalli Lake is the best show among all the shows for the nature lovers. The show entry is free of cost, eco-friendly and aesthetically admiring. If you are in Mysore this week then, don’t forget to visit the lake to enjoy the show in a pleasant and peaceful atmosphere like Kukkarahalli Lake. The show lasts on 20-10-2018, so hurry up before its late. 

I offer my sincere thanks to the S.K Mujavar, Assistant Director of Horticulture department, University of Mysore and the staff involved in the show for providing me the necessary information. I wish them a grand success this year and for the upcoming years as well.