The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Focus shifts to Coonoor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Focus shifts to Coonoor

By Our Staff Reporter

UDHAGAMANDALAM, MAY 25. With the annual floral carnival at the Government Botanical Gardens here coming to end, the focus has shifted to Sim's Park at Coonoor. The annual fruit and vegetable bonanza, which in a conventional sense is considered the final tourism-related event of the ``summer season,'' will be organised by the ad-hoc Nilgiris Flower and Fruit Show Committee at Sim's Park on May 30 .

Elaborate arrangements are being made by the Nilgiris Collector, K.Sellamuthu, and others on the committee.

According to the officer in-charge of the park, H.B.Ramakrishnan, while most of the flowers in the park were in good condition notwithstanding heavy rain, its beauty had been enhanced by the dwarf salvias and renanculous, which had been introduced this year. A boating facility and the children's park, which came into being a year ago were popular among tourists and locals.

The children's park, which was a long felt need particularly for the local children, turned out to be a big hit. On an average 5,000 tourists were now visiting Sim's Park. A police outpost had been opened near the park.

The emphasis at the Coonoor event would be on fruits and about 60 varieties were likely to be displayed. Among them would be durrian and lichie from the Kallar farm of the Department of Horticulture and four types of peaches, apart from apples, plums and pears. Stalls of some government departments and private ones would be put up. Prizes would be given for best maintained fruit gardens, fruit and flower and vegetable stalls.

Summer festival

The 2004 Ooty summer festival will be held here between May 26 and May 29, according to Collectorate release. The festival, which was originally scheduled to be organised at the Centenary Rose Park here from May 16, was postponed due to unfavourable weather conditions. The festival would be held at the Anna Stadium. Dance, drama and music programmes by various cultural troupes from Chennai would form part of it.

The president of the Nilgiris Rose Society (NRS), B. Suresh, told The Hindu today that a decision whether or not to conduct the Rose Show would be taken soon.

While it was announced that the show would be held on May 15, it was postponed to May 29. There was again a re-thinking, he said.

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