Yercaud summer festival and ower show begins
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 imporing tance of sea aquatic animals like crabs, octopuses, oysters with pearls, starsh, seahorses, and others, all made from over seven lakh owers.
Other attractions at the festival include oral exhibits emphasising the planting of saplings through cartoon characters. Additionally, over 30,000 ower pots, fruits, vegetables, and varieties of coee beans grown in the hill station are on display, ocials said.
On the inaugural day, the Department of Tourism conducted a boat race for the tourists. Various competitions will be held in the coming days includThe football for men, throw-ball for women, 50metre 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 lms 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 oral decorations were impressive. T. Mohan, another tourist from Mittapudur, appreciated the arrangements in place for the festival.
With tourist inow expected to rise signicantly in the coming days, an ocial assured arrangements have been made to make the event a memorable one for visitors.
Mobile toilets have been stationed at tourist places, and temporary parking lots have been created on the hilltop. Tourists have been encouraged to use cloth bags (manjapai) from the automatic bag vending machines.
Apart from the 12 regular bus services, TNSTC is operating 40 special buses for the benet of tourists, while special package buses with a ticket fare of ₹300 are also being operated to cover important tourist spots.
A one-way trac system is in place on the Yercaud Ghat road, with vehicles moving towards Yercaud using the ghat road, while vehicles returning are diverted to use the Yercaud– Kuppanur–Salem road.