Roses and more at Chandigarh festival

The Rose Festival in Chandigarh boasts of not only flowers but also music.

Chandigarh: If you want to be a `rose prince` or a `rose princess`, come to the Rose Festival in Chandigarh that began Friday and which boasts of not only flowers but also music, dance and a host of competitions.

In the backdrop of drum beats and music, Chandigarh administrator and Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil inaugurated the 39th edition of the three-day Rose Festival here. Chandigarh administration is expecting tens of thousands of tourists. "There would be fun-filled activities like concerts, musical nights, comedy shows, `antakshri`, food streets and various competitions during the Rose festival. There would be live performances by singers Hans Raj Hans, Priyani Vani and Mohit Chauhan," said Ram Niwas, Chandigarh home-cum-tourism secretary, here Friday. "Besides the annual flower competition, there would be a rose prince and princess competition, brass and pipe band contest, on the spot painting competition, rose quiz, folk dances, photography and kite flying competitions." Also known as Zakir Hussain Rose Garden - named after India`s former president - the 46-acre venue was set up in 1967. There are around 32,500 plants of 850 rose varieties here. Officials here claim it is Asia`s largest rose garden. An important tourist destination, it is thronged by hundreds of visitors from India and abroad every day. IANS