Vasantholsavam registers record footfall of over 1.5 lakh visitors

Thiruvananthapuram: The ongoing festival of flowers and lights Vasantholsavam at Kanakakunnu Palace grounds in the city registered a record footfall of over 1.5 lakh visitors since the event opened on Dec 24.The festival is being organised by the state tourism department in association with District Tourism Promotion Council. New Year's Eve witnessed a big surge in visitors as the venue turned out to be a vibrant and elegant space for city residents and tourists to gather and welcome the year ahead. The show will conclude on Jan 4. Meanwhile, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, emerged as the overall champion in various contests held in the institutional category, scoring 648 points. The Museum and Zoo became the first runner-up with 497 points and Legislature Secretariat was the second runner-up with 182 points. Offering a stunning visual treat, an amazing range of over 35,000 pots of flowering plants brought from different parts of the country are on display at the event. The flower show is curated by Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute, Palode. The chrysanthemum festival, displaying over 8,000 chrysanthemum flowers and plants, has been a highlight of this edition of the festival. Also on display are a wide variety of dahlias, marigolds, petunias, zinnias, daisies, anthuriums, lilies, tulips, besides a range of locally grown flowers. Besides seamlessly blending with the stunning range of flowers, the lighting spectacle elevates the festive mood at the venue.