Yearlong flower festival begins with display of cymbidium orchids

GANGTOK, 18 March: Sikkim Flower Festival 2012 was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pawan Chamling at the Flower Exhibition Centre here at the Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal Memorial Park on Saturday. Following the inauguration, students from ten schools from in and around Gangtok were given free passes to visit the exhibition which has opened with a dazzling display of cymbidium orchids.
Also on the inaugural day, the prize winners in various categories were also announced and handed over their cash prizes and certificates [see below for details].
The judging of the displays was done a day earlier on 16 March by a panel of judges comprising of eminent plant experts- Ganesh Mani Pradhan from Kalimpong, former forester an authority on Himalayan plants of Sikkim, Bijay Gurung, and an orchidologist of international repute, Mohan Pradhan.
The judging, the organisers inform, was done on the basis of the health of plants, number of varieties, artistic arrangement and new introductions. The judges put on record that the flower show here has come a long way since its humble beginnings in a temporary shed to the well appointed structure now in place to display the flowers. They commented that there has been a substantial improvement in the quality of plants on display and stated that the exhibition has a very promising future ahead because of the involvement of local plant growers. They did however express hope to see more species being introduced and more artistic arrangements. They added that the Forest Department and other government bodies should encourage cultivation of wild orchids in private nurseries.  
Interestingly, this year the exhibition has received the highest participation from growers in Assam Lingzey.
The Chairperson, Sikkim Flower Festival Committee, informs that Sikkim is the leading state in production of Cymbidium cut flowers and pointed out that even compared to last year, the growers are adopting improved technologies this time around, underlining how this exhibition is helping develop floriculture in
the State. Plans are now afoot to further expand the space available for the exhibition, he added.
Regarding orchid cut flowers, Sikkim focuses only on cymbidium orchid, which is not easily grown in other countries. The demand for Cymbidium cut flowers in the domestic market is so high now that exports are not even required any more, he informed while adding that the speciality of orchid cut flowers is its very long shelf life compared to other plants.
The first Flower Show in Sikkim was held at the Loop Garden at Kabi in North Sikkim in the year 1963. It was inaugurated by the then Gyalmo Hope Namgyal. Since then, the flower show has seen considerable developments, shifting to a temporary setup here to now a permanent Flower Exhibition Center. It receives a
lot of tourists and has become a centre of education and recreation. The show is now a regular feature and is managed by the flower show committee with the help of few dedicated staff and the Department of Horticulture.

THE BEST AT THE FLOWER FEST
The “Special Division Sikkim Flower Festival Orchid Award”of Rs. One Lakh was won by the Orchid Valley [a unit of Green Wood Plantation, Darjeeling], while the second prize of Rs 50,000 won by Laxmi Prasad Rai of Assam Lingzey and the third prize of Rs. 25,000 went to Kumar Yonzon of Pakyong. Meanwhile, special consolation prizes of Rs. 10,000 each were awarded to Karma Bhutia of Karthok and Karma Tempa of Assam Lingzey.
In the “Specimen plant of cymbidium ebernum” category, the first prize of Rs. 2,500 and second prize of Rs 2,000 were won by BK Basnett of Samdur, while the third prize of Rs 1,500 was awarded to the Development Women’s Co-operative Society, Sikkim. In “Cymbdium hybrids standard white or ivory” category, the first prize of Rs. 2,500 was won by Arpan Rai of Assam Lingzey, Sikkim.
For “Cymbdium hybrids standard Pink Rose” category, the first prize of Rs. 2,500 was won by Sonam Choki Yonzong of Pakyong, while the second prize of Rs. 2,000 and third prize of Rs 1,500 were bagged by Kumar Yonzon and Karma Bhutia, both from Pakyong, respectively.
In “Cymbdium hybrids standard red brown” category, the first prize of Rs. 2,500 was won by Topden Tamang of Mirik, the second prize of Rs. 2,000 went to Karma Bhutia of Pakyong and the third prize of Rs. 1,500 to Laxmi Prasad Rai of Assam Lingzey.
In “Cymbidium hybrid std. in 3 different shades”, the first prize of Rs. 2,500 went to Neelam Tamang of Mirik and the second prize of Rs. 2,000 was bagged by Aruna Kumari Rai of Assam Lingzey.
Likewise, the winners in Division C categories also received cash prizes on the inaugural day.