Over five lakh flowers from across South India, careful planning by the Horticulture Department and the creative outpourings of floral designer Kalidas Raj, come together for the Lalbagh Independence Day Flower Show each year. In 2019, the magnificent floral displays pay lavish tribute to Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar on his birth centenary. This is Bengaluru’s tribute to its glorious botanical and cultural heritage. Kalidas Raj, the man behind creating the floral displays, gives Vishaka V. Warrier an inside look at the work that goes into it.
The flowers arrive three days before the show, over five lakh of them, in fact. Orchids, roses, poinsettia, anthurium, begonia, carnations and gerberas, to name just a few! These make up the breathtaking displays at the iconic Lalbagh Flower Show, put together by the Horticulture Department. And the man behind it is Kalidas Raj, an agriculture graduate and floral design enthusiast.
Some flowers are sourced locally, from Cubbon Park, others come from different parts of South India like Ooty, Dobalapur and Tumkur, while some come from as far as Thailand.
“This time was risky,” he smiles. With the festivities around Varamahalakshmi in full swing just as he began his work, the price of flowers was higher than usual and difficult to obtain, too. The flowers, which are supplied by their sister group, arrived three days before the actual assimilation of flowers. The challenge is of course, to keep them fresh, for which the team employs scientific methods of cold storage.
“The theme for each flower show is decided by officials from the Department of Horticulture,” says Kalidas. This year, Dr M. Jagadeesh, Joing Director of Horticulture (Parks and Gardens), decided on the centenary celebrations of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar.
The process begins with preparing a sketch of the Glasshouse, with various displays allotted to specific locations. This year, a bronze bust of the Maharaja took over the front of the glasshouse. At the centre is a replica of Chamaraja Circle in Mysuru. On the left, replicas of musical instruments, created entirely from flowers, pay tribute to the Maharaja’s musical patronage. The right-wing was dedicated to the city itself, with vertical gardens to reflect the changing urbanscape.
Kalidas describes his approach as a “melting pot of multicultural floral art,” as he brings traditions from the Netherlands, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand in close association with traditional Indian displays. Floral representations of Red Fort, Hampi, rockets and the Siachen glacier are among the most memorable creations of this agricultural graduate and passsionate floral designer.
Supported by a team of 60 members, Kalidas’ work begins when the sketches are released by the Horticulture Department. “I visit the original structure to get the geometric ratios right,” he says. “Then, working in consultation with the Horticulture department, we decide the number of flowers, which varieties, colours and methods of arrangement.” These floral displays are suported by steel skeletons. “Altogether, it takes about 15 days,” he says.
The actual arrangements are done in two nights. “FOr the first time, we managed to complete the task 12 hours before the inauguration,” says Kalidas, with pride. Floral foaming, the art of attaching flowers to the wet foam base so they absorb water is done, after which the flowers are assimilated.
“My brother Devaraj and my batch-mate, Jagdheesh, have played an integral part in accomplishing the task,” says Kalidas. “While Devaraj manages the inflow of flowers, Jagdheesh plays a key role in executing the arrangements.” Kalidas also emphasises the support garnered from Dr Ashwant, the former Joint Director of the Horticulture Dept (retd) and Dr Jagadeesh who is the current JD.
As the city’s green cover has been replaced by never-ending traffic, concrete jungles and Metro tracks, the warmth and tropical joy that comes to Lalbagh every year brings a much-needed respite to Bengaluru’s residents.
