KARACHI: Thousands of people on Friday visited the sprawling lawns of Frere Hall, a 19th century British colonial-era building, to attend a colorful exhibition of three different varieties of marigold flower right ahead of spring season.
“Spring, which brings colors and floral scent, is celebrated everywhere in world, but very few people know that Pakistan has a native flower, marigold, which grows in winter,” Taha Saleem, director Parks and Horticulture, said while talking to Arab News, adding that people were enjoying the three-day festival.
Men, women and children thronged the heritage site in downtown Karachi to take selfies and photos with orange, yellow and green flowers.
Several social organizations and a large number of nurseries participated in the festival which is expected to attract more residents of the city in the next two days.
This picture shows an artistic display of flowers at the three-day marigold festival arranged at Karachi’s Frere Hall on Friday, January 22, 2021 (AN Photo/S.A.Babar)
“This is a collaborative effort that aims at creating awareness about this flower,” Saleem said. “It spreads colors in winter and attracts honey bees.”
He continued that the exhibition was arranged for the first time, adding that the authorities would add more color to it in the coming years.
This picture taken on January 22, 2021, shows different varieties of marigold flower that have been displayed at the sprawling lawns of Frere Hall, a 19th century colonial-era building, in Karachi. Officials plan to arrange the festival every year in winter season. (AN Photo/S.A.Babar)
“We also plan to hold a mega flower festival in spring,” he informed. “The one we are holding now is just to let people know that they don’t need to wait for spring to see all this beauty.”
