The summer festival season in The Nilgiris kicked off with the 21st Rose Show organised at the Government Botanical Garden in Udhagamandalam on Thursday (May 14, 2026).
The show is being organized jointly by The Nilgiris district administration and the Horticulture Department and was inaugurated by The Nilgiris Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru. The Rose Show, one of three summer festival events to be held this year, is to take place till May 18.
Different varieties of bird decorations with flowers on display at the Rose Show in Udhagamandalam. | Photo Credit: M. Sathyamoorthy
Following the inauguation, Ms. Tanneeru told reporters that the district, known as the “Queen of hill stations” attracts tourists from across the country and the world each year. This year, the Rose Show has been organised around the theme – Birds’ paradise, and nearly 2 lakh flowers have been used to create exhibits showcased at the show.
Creating awareness among visitors of the avian diversity in the district, exhibits of hornbills, raptors, ducks, bulbuls, sunbirds, Indian roller and sparrows were also created as floral exhibits. “In addition, attractions inspired by ‘Angry Birds’ and ‘Tweety Bird’ have been set up to entertain children, along with selfie spots for visitors,” a press release from the district administration stated.
QR codes to hear birds’ sounds
A new feature introduced this year is the installation of QR codes near each bird display. Visitors can scan the codes to hear the sounds and learn more information about the birds displayed at the Rose Show. The rose garden currently hosts 4,301 varieties of rose plants, out of which more than 3,300 are in full bloom during the current season.
The Nilgiris district Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru visited the flower decorations after inaugurating the Rose Show in Udhagamandalam on Thursday. | Photo Credit: M. Sathyamoorthy
“Several competitions have also been organised for rose growers, and prizes will be distributed to winners during the closing ceremony of the exhibition. Last year, the Rose Show was conducted for three days. This year, it will be held for five days till May 18. A larger number of tourists are expected to visit this year. The District Collector further appealed to tourists visiting the Nilgiris not to use or bring banned plastic items into the district to protect the fragile hill environment,” a press release added.