Chandigarh: Three day Rose Fest opens today, promises an enthralling experience

The 52nd edition of the annual Rose Festival will get underway on Friday, offering an array of events, competitions and stalls to enthral the visitors.
On display will be thousands of rose blooms of 829 varieties, spread over 46 acres at Zakir Hussain Rose Garden in Sector 16.
MC commissioner Anindita Mitra said Punjab governor and UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit will inaugurate the festival in the presence of member of Parliament Kirron Kher.
From 10 am to 10 pm everyday, visitors can enjoy craft exhibition, amusement park and food court, along with business and exhibition stalls. Visitors can also participate in yoga sessions from 8 am to 10 am, which will be conducted at the Government Museum and Art Gallery in Sector 10. From 2 pm to 3.30 pm, the UT tourism department will screen a film on sustainable wildlife travel. Visitors can swoon to music concerts in the evenings.
Awards for potted flowers and plants declared
On the eve of the festival, the municipal corporation (MC) declared results for Classes D and E for flowers and plants grown in pots.
Under Class E, which is open to government bodies, institutions and private nurseries, PGIMER won the first prize for aster, brachycome, geranium, marigold, nasturtium and collection of foliage plants.
Panjab University won the first prize for antirrhinum single, cineraria and dahlia. Other institutions to win awards include CSIR-IMTECH in Sector 39, Saint Soldier Public School, Sector 16, Panchkula; Gurukul Global School, Sector 13, Manimajra; and Hari Bharee Phulwari Nursery, Sector 4, Panchkula, among others.
Under Class D, which was for individuals, winners include Dinesh Gawri of Sector 4, Panchkula; Rupan Deol Bajaj of Sector 2; Dr Manjari Bhargava of Sector 8-B; and Chotte Lal of Sector 15 Panchkula.
Police issue parking advisory
In view of the three-day Rose Festival, the Chandigarh Traffic Police have issued an advisory for the general public.
Visitors are advised not to park/ply their vehicles on cycle track/pedestrian pathway and no-parking areas, else vehicles will be towed away and legal action will be initiated. If a vehicle is towed away/clamped, contact Traffic Helpline No 1073. Avoid honking in case of congestion, states the police advisory.
A traffic police official said carpooling and public transport may be considered in view of heavy footfall. Further, traffic movement may be restricted/diverted on certain road stretches.
Visitors are advised to park only at designated parking places. These include Army Tank parking in Sector 10, parking area behind Chandigarh Police Headquarters; Chandigarh Housing Board, Sector 9; behind Punjab Police Headquarters up to Kendriya Sadan, Sector 9; in front of main gate of Rose Garden, Sector 16; rear side parking of Rose Garden; in front of Hotel Taj, Sector 17; in front of TDI Mall, Sector 17; multi-level parking, Sector 17; in front of SCOs of Sector 9 on Madhya Marg; parking lots in Sector 17 and in front of MC Office, Sector 17.