Spring fest gets off to colourful start

Tribune News Service 

Dehradun, February 24

Colourful flowers and vegetables greeted the visitors, who thronged in large numbers  on the first day of the annual Spring Festival that commenced at Raj Bhavan today. 

Inaugurating the festival organised by the Department of Horticulture, Uttarakhand  Governor Dr KK Paul said the  commercial cultivation of flowers could improve the economy,  “I call upon farmers to take up floriculture. It will help them earn handsome income,” he said. 

He also said year after year, the total production of flowers was scaling new heights.

Dr Paul also released the first day postal cover of allium wallichii kunth, (a wild onion), commonly  known as Faran and Jambu, and used as a spice in the Himalayan region.      

The Governor then went on inspecting flowers and also visited the philately exhibition. A  stamp collector himself, Dr Paul  has also lent a few stamps from his collection that were also on display.  

A small cultural show comprising the khukhri dance by Army jawans  and yogic exercises by students from Haridwar left everyone   mesmerised.