Flowery Welcome

Another 16 were animal figures,made similarly and installed at various intersections,roundabouts and access points to the municipality’s jurisdiction,all on the travelling routes of the visiting world leaders.

There were figures of cheetah,peacock,bear,elephant,giraffe,fox and others,all made of fresh flowers.

“To make the animal figures,we got the frames from the market,stuffed and smoothened the surface in the same shape,and then fixed flowers with Fevicol. For the other boards,we were given the pattern,the BRICS monogram,which was carved out on thermocol,and then decorated with all sorts of flowers,” says J P Sharma,Horticulture director of

the NDMC.

One animal figure took four men and at least eight hours to make. Earlier,these horticulturalists created seven flower hoardings for Republic Day. “It is actually better in winters,the flowers stay longer. It is slightly difficult in this season,so we got marigolds from Mumbai because they last longer. The rest of the flowers come from our own gardens and nurseries,” Sharma says.

He is now busy preparing for a bougainvillea show at Nehru Park.

Sharma says their department received a lot of appreciation for its work on the figures,which were put up on the roads for only three days — March 27 to March 29.

Being a VIP area,Sharma says their department is busy through the year,maintaining,decorating and beautifying all roundabout parks and other major gardens in the area.