Vegetable show marks start of 2025 summer festival in Nilgiris

NILGIRIS: The 2025 summer festival kick-started in the Nilgiris with the commencement of a two-day vegetable show at Nehru Park in Kotagiri, on Saturday.

Nilgiris District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru inaugurated the 13th vegetable show, with the main attraction being a ‘jallikattu bull’ made of 2.5 tonnes of vegetables such as brinjal, potato, radish and carrots.

Tourists and locals were seen taking photos of designs such as ‘Tamil Maravan’ butterfly, made of carrots and beetroot, and ‘Silambattam’ design, made of potatoes.

Designs such as the Common emerald dove, made of brinjal, scarlet gourds and banana pepper, and a parrot made of green chilli and red chilli, were among the crowd favouries.

A Thanjavur doll made of zucchini, carrots, radish, green chilli, red chilli and scarlet gourd, was also displayed by the horticulture department.

Horticulture department officials and the Nilgiris district administration urged tourists to visit the park. Rose show, flower show, fruit show, spices show and hill crop show will also be a part of the summer festival and will be inaugurated in the coming days.

Horticulture department officials in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Kancheepuram, Vilupuram, Erode, Theni and Tiruvannamalai districts have set up stalls to show the variety of crops being cultivated in these districts.

The Nilgiris collector said those visiting the district must obtain an e-pass and refrain from carrying single-use plastics. She also sought cooperation from the public and tourists in avoiding plastic use.