A Flowery Affair in Chandigarh

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Distance from Delhi: 266 kilometres

A riot of colours and perfumes welcomes you as you step into the garden. Everywhere you look, you are likely to see milling crowds excitedly pointing out a beautiful bloom, an astonishing display or a creatively designed corner. The warmth of the afternoon sun will  be enough to keep the chill away for the time being and the outing proves to be an enjoyable experience for all. If you happen to be in Chandigarh in December, you too are most likely headed for the Terraced Gardens of Sector 33, where the annual Chrysanthemum Show will be in full bloom!

Flowering Beauty

The Chrysanthemum Show is a much awaited annual event among the fun-loving people of Chandigarh, and a time every proud gardener and flora lover looks forward to. Easily one of the most well-known and best flower shows in the country, it has been held at the same venue for over a decade now having gained international fame. Over 250 varieties of chrysanthemums, including spider, football and pom pom, brought by nearly 850 entrants are on display at the event.

It is also an excellent opportunity for participants to show off their fine produce. There are several interesting competitions held during these days which include not just King, Queen and Princess of the show but also awards for the best flower, gardening and flower arrangement competitions.

Budding Talent

Hundreds of varieties of chrysanthemum, also known as guldaudi to Indians, are displayed not just as potted plants, but often arranged with great creativity and imagination in the form of birds and animals, leaving visitors suitably impressed. While the main attraction of the show are the flowers of course, visitors also come here to admire the many beautiful statues scattered across the popular Terraced Gardens, which is on other days a haunt for morning and evening walkers.

When in Chandigarh

Best known as one of India’s few planned cities and also the City of Gardens, Chandigarh offers several other attractions to visitors. Do not miss visiting the city’s famed Rock Gardens, Leisure Valley, Sukhna Lake and Open Hand Monument. Chandigarh can also be a convenient jump off point for trips to hill stations such as Kasauli, Shimla, Kufri and McLeod Ganj. It is also an excellent stopover on the way to the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

How to Get There

Chandigarh has a small but functional airport some distance from the main city with flights to and from Delhi, Leh and Amritsar. It is also well connected to other cities in North India by trains such as the Shatabdi Express. There are also regular buses from Delhi and some other major cities in the north.

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