Sikkim Celebrates Spring With A Flower Show

By Staff

Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 14:18

If the freezing cold of winter makes it difficult for one to be at the living room, there is always some thing nice that can be expected at the end of it. Yes, it's the spring – one of the four temperate seasons, which also marks the transitions from winter into summer. It's the time of the year when the trees are filled with the lush green leaves, flowers bloom at orchids, the wintry sun begins to turn warm and the days get longer, not to mention the flowers blooming in full splendor. And if some one is still unable to get the vibe – Sikkim awaits you.

A flower show begin on March 21 at the exhibition center of Gangtok, the capital and the largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. The exhibition displays some 3,000 varieties of orchids, which includes 200 different species of wild orchids and 60 hybrid varieties. The exhibition, which has participation from the neighboring towns of Mirik, Kurseong, Kalimpong and Sikkim is already attracting tourists from far and wide. "These flowers are amazing, and very beautiful. They are perfect and I just love them", said Marina, tourist from Moscow.

The organizing committee, too, seems to be in merriment. "We have been organizing this flower show since 1963, but the Orchid Flower Festival started in a big way from 1980's," said S.T. Lachungpa, chairman of the organizing committee. He adds, "The main idea behind this show was to encourage people to grow orchids for commercial purposes."

This year's exhibition included orchids like Clivia, Seneria, Primula, Primrose, Anthorium, Ezelia, and other seasonal flowers.