Uttarakhand's annual flower exhibition Vasantotsav got underway at the Raj Bhawan lawns here on Saturday.

Governor Baby Rani Maurya officially inaugurated the event and launched the special cover of the expo depicting Uttarakhand's native Akarkara flower which is considered to have medicinal properties.

Apart from the 150 varieties (approximately) of flowers on display, the exhibition also has stalls showing village industry products and handicrafts.

Later, the governor handed mementos to differently-abled children who participated in a drawing competition held as part of the exhibition.

Talking to media persons on the sidelines of the event, Maurya said Vasantotsav aims to encourage local farmers and promote their produce.

A total of 1,731 participants are taking part under different categories in Vasantotsav, including conventional and non-conventional cut flowers, potted plants, loose flowers, cactuses, hanging pots and on-the-spot photography.

The two-day flower show attracts a large number of florists and flower lovers every year.

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