Varanasi: The much-awaited Malaviya Memorial Flower Show 2025 commenced on Thursday with a grand opening at the Malaviya Bhawan premises of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), captivating visitors with vibrant floral displays, artistic installations, and innovative horticultural exhibits.
The exhibition was formally inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, who later toured the exhibition area and visited various stalls and artistic displays. Praising the creativity and efforts of the organising team, the Vice-Chancellor appreciated the stunning floral arrangements and extended his best wishes to the officers and staff of the Horticulturist Unit for successfully organising the event.
Several senior university officials and dignitaries were present on the occasion, including Registrar Prof. Arun Kumar Singh, Secretary of the Flower Exhibition and Professor In-charge of the Horticulturist Unit Prof. Sarfaraz Alam, Co-Coordinator Dr. Kalyan Barman, Dean of Students Prof. Ranjan Kumar Singh, Director, Institute of Agricultural Sciences Prof. U. P. Singh, Director, Institute of Medical Sciences Prof. S. N. Sankhwar, Chief Proctor Prof. Sandeep Pokhariya, Honorary Director of Malaviya Bhawan Prof. Patanjali Mishra, along with deans of faculties, senior officers, teachers, and Senior Horticulture Officer Ashwini Kumar Deshwal, among others.
Providing details about the exhibition, Prof. Sarfaraz Alam said that this year’s flower show features an impressive collection of potted plants and floral varieties, including chrysanthemums, coleus, ornamental plants, and colorful foliage. Cut flowers such as chrysanthemums, roses, gerbera, carnation, gladiolus, tuberose, marigold, and roses have been artistically displayed, with chrysanthemums showcased in multiple forms.
Among the key attractions are displays of fruits and vegetables, creative floral arrangements, decorative pavilions, a floral model of the university’s main gate, a Chandrayaan mission model adorned with flowers, floral kalash, green foliage collections, architectural models inspired by Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya, human and bird figures, and beautifully designed artificial waterfalls.
The exhibition also highlighted premium rose varieties, with the following receiving special recognition:
- King of the Show: Freedom
- Queen of the Show: Top Secret
- Prince of the Show: Hot Soft
- Princess of the Show: Peach Avalanche
In addition to various university departments, hostels, and campus gardens, several prominent institutions from Varanasi and neighbouring districts have participated in the event. These include the 39 GTC Cantonment Board, Varanasi Development Authority, Horticulture Department Varanasi, Horticulture Offices of Varanasi, Mirzapur, and Chandauli, BLW Varanasi, Central Jail Varanasi, North Eastern Railway Varanasi, District Jail Varanasi, Dhirendra Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Vindhya Gurukul College (Mirzapur), and local nurseries, continuing the tradition of wide participation seen in previous years.
A major attraction for visitors is the display of organically grown vegetables cultivated in pots, along with medicinal plants and spices. Due to the overwhelming public response, a facial recognition system was installed to count visitors, recording nearly 8,700 visitors within the first two hours of the exhibition. Special arrangements were made by the Chief Proctor’s Office and the SSS Unit to ensure smooth crowd management and orderly movement of visitors.
This year, 167 individual and institutional participants are taking part in the exhibition, showcasing around 2,500 exhibits across various categories. The Malaviya Memorial Flower Show will remain open to the public daily until 6:00 PM on December 27, 2025, offering visitors a unique blend of nature, art, and innovation.