• Listed among ‘Five Must-Visit Winter Flower Shows in India’ by Indian Holiday Private Limited
• Floral models of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Cheetahs from Namibia, Vande Bharat Express and Palace illumination main attractions
• District Minister to inaugurate 10-day event at 5 pm; Open from 10 am to 9 pm; entry free
• Two-time sanitisation of Flower Show venue daily 

Mysore/Mysuru: Destination management company Indian Holiday Private Limited (IHPL) has listed the Mysore Palace Flower Show, conducted annually by the Palace Board in December, among ‘Five Must-Visit Winter Flower Shows in India’ and true to the description and classification, the Palace Winter Flower Show this year promises to be bigger and better with floral replicas of India’s defining moments of 2022.

The Show is scheduled to be inaugurated at 5 pm on Dec. 24 (tomorrow) by District Minister S.T. Somashekar. The Show will be open for public till Jan. 2, 2023 from 10 am to 9 pm and the entry will be free.

This year, over 25,000 flowering plants from 32 species will be on display and a whopping 4 lakh flowers will be spread around the Flower Show area against the imposing backdrop of the illuminated Palace.

To facilitate smooth conduct of the Winter Flower Show, Sound and Light Show at the Palace between 7 pm and 8 pm has been suspended from Dec. 20 till Jan. 8, said Mysore Palace Board Deputy Director T.S. Subramanya.  

Main attractions

The main attraction of the Flower Show will be a floral replica of Kashi Vishwanath Temple that will extend up to 55×12 ft. and will have a height of 28 ft.

It may be mentioned, on Dec. 13, 2021, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the redeveloped Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and the Kashi Vishwanath Dham Temple complex in Varanasi, one of the holiest places in India.

The second defining moment of India in 2022 was the arrival of Cheetahs from Namibia. On Sept. 17, PM Modi released eight — five female and three male — Cheetahs, the world’s fastest mammals at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, as part of the ambitious Cheetah reintroduction plan.  A floral model of Cheetahs will be on display at the Palace.

Indian Railway, the world’s fourth largest rail network, got tech-savvy as it upgraded itself with a well-equipped, high-speed, world-class passenger train Vande Bharat Express. On Nov. 11, 2022, the nation’s fifth and South India’s First Vande Bharat Express train was flagged off by PM Modi on the Mysuru-Bengaluru-Chennai route. A floral replica of Vande Bharat Express at the Flower Show is set to bring back the memories.

Lakshmi and Sri Dattatreya

The defining moment of 2022 Mysuru Dasara was 22-year-old elephant Lakshmi from Bandipur elephant camp giving birth in the Palace premises on the night of Sept.13. This was the second time an elephant gave birth inside the Mysore Palace premises during Dasara. 15 years back elephant Sarala had given birth to a female calf and it was named ‘Chamundi’.

Later, member of the erstwhile Mysore Royal family Pramoda Devi Wadiyar chose the name ‘Sri Dattatreya’ for the new-born calf. Floral replicas of Lakshmi and Sri Dattatreya are bound to attract Flower Show visitors.

Wholesome attractions

Other attractions at the floral area include a portrait of first female teacher Savithribai Phule, Yoga For Life model, a model that will depict the conversation between Jayachamaraja Wadiyar and Sir M. Visvesvaraya, model of Shankaracharya, replica of Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, floral replicas of hockey legend Dhyanchand, Raja Ravi Varma and Padma Shri Amai Mahalinga Naik, models of Amar Jawan Jyoti and ‘Kambala’ sport at Karavali after it received international attention from blockbuster ‘Kantara’.

To ensure the freshness of the flowers, the Palace Board has decided to replace wilted flowers in between. This apart, the Vertical Garden at the Varaha Garden will be beautified after procuring ornamental plants. Over 500 saplings of aloe vera, tulasi, jasmine, betel leaf and other species will be distributed. 

There will be a photo expo  and a video display tracing the history of Mysuru Dasara – then and now, the rule of Wadiyars. Visitors can also listen to the songs and classical instrumental music composed by Jayachamaraja Wadiyar.

What’s on offer

December 24:

• 5 pm: Inauguration of the Flower Show.
• 6.15 pm: Inauguration of cultural programmes.
• 6.30 pm to 7.15 pm: Instrumental music (Vadhya Goshti) by Yadhu Kumar.
• 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm: ‘Mera Bharat’ Nrutya Sambhrama by over 500 artistes of Sri Nimishamba Dance School led by internationally-acclaimed Dance Guru Vid. Sridhar Jain of ‘Apthamithra’ fame.

December 25:

• 6 pm to 6.45 pm: Karnatak Classical Music concert by Gurudatta Nataraj.
• 7 pm to 9 pm: Musical Evening (Sangeetha Rasa Sanje) by renowned playback singer Rajesh Krishnan and Jogi Sunitha.

December 26:

• 6 pm to 6.45 pm: Classical music by B.N. Gayathri Devi.
• 7 pm to 7.30 pm: Dance programme by differently abled children from Nitya Niranthara Trust.
• 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm: Sangeetha Gaanamrutha by ‘Jai Ho’ fame playback singer Vijay Prakash, Anuradha Bhat and Lakshmi Nagaraj and team.

December 31:

• 11 pm to 12 am: Karnataka and English Police Band programme.
• 12 am to 12.15 am: New Year celebration by bursting of colourful soundless crackers.

Doll Show

Public may also view the Mane-Mane Dasara Doll Show at Flower Show venue. Following doll arrangement will be kept for display:

• ‘Paramparika Sri Kshetra Melukote’ by Geetha Srihari
• ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ by Jayashree Nagaprasad
• ‘Harihara Leelamrutham’ by H. Leelavathi
• ‘Namah Shankara Parvathibyaam’ by Annapoorna Gopala Krishna
• ‘Sri Venkateshwara Vaibhava’ by Krishna Bhat