In May, Ooty blooms like a rare summer flower and, at this time of the year, is always the place to be. Every May for the last 124 years, cocooned in calm and resting in the blue mountains of the Nilgiri Hills, Ooty has consistently undergone a chrysalis from the brooding and picturesque hill station it usually is, to a place exploding in colours and celebrations. This year too, the quaint little town of Ooty is ready to kick off the 2023 Ooty Summer Festival, with flowers everywhere like confetti in the air, and an array of activities scheduled between these dates, promising to keep you enthralled.
Vegetable Show
The Director of Horticulture and Plantation crops, R Brindha Devi has announced the dates, and as such, the annual event will start off with the 12th edition of the Vegetable Show as its first highlight, on May 6 at Nehru Park, Kotagiri. At this unique show, you&rsquoll find a stunning variety of vegetables handpicked by professional artists and gardeners, designed and arranged in intricate creations. Professional assistance and guidance to the local farmers make possible the creation of sculptures of figures and animals from vegetables and different crops. One of the crowd's favourite attractions here is the map of India made with green, yellow and red capsicums. Overall, the Vegetable Show in Ooty attracts close to sixteen thousand people every year.
Spice Show
This summer extravaganza will then go forward with the three-day Spice Show, to be held in Gudalur, a popular place in itself for tourists to visit, being in close proximity to the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, which lies under the much more popular Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. At the Spice Show, all the food connoisseurs team up to witness a variety of locally grown spices from the Ooty plantation farms, including cloves, tea, cardamom, and dried fruits, set up here to titillate your senses. The Spice Show will be held from May 12-15.
Flower Show
From here on, flowers start taking centre stage as the extremely popular Flower Show, held to showcase the best floral creations, realistic and contemporary floral creativity, and artistry, and to encourage new artists through these magnificent works of art, begins with over 30,000 flower pots being readied for display at the show. The Flower Show will be held in the Botanical Garden, which at this time of the year, looks nothing short of paradise on Earth.
Rose Show
Coming under its parent event of the Flower Show, the 18th edition of the Rose Show will also be gearing up to bewitch your olfactory senses, starting on May 13 and ending on May 15 at the Government Rose Garden. Home to almost 20,000 different kinds of roses, the Government Rose Garden is one of the biggest in the country. While the roses will be shown only on these three days, the leading Flower Show will have 19th-23rd May as its time period of organisation.
Fruit Show
The Fruit Show is another major attraction in the celebration of Ooty that this unique summer festival is. The Fruit Show is an invigorating approach to illustrating how art can be visualised through fruits of all shapes and sizes kept in specific formations. According to a press release from the committee, the 63rd edition of the Fruit Show in Ooty, which attracts an audience of close to 50,000 people, will be the final event of the Ooty Summer Festival. This stunning display of the best fruits in Ooty will be showcased at Sim&rsquos Park in Coonoor. With such a flurry of events happening in the picturesque town of Ooty, the Ooty Summer Festival is not to be missed.
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