Two-day Fruit Show opens in Ooty

Coonoor: Tourism has turned vibrant at the charming Sim's Park here in Coonoor as the  two-day Annual Fruit Show, 61st edition this year, got off a spectacular start here on Saturday morning.  

The show which is the last event of the summer related horticulture shows  in the Nilgiris, that heralds the end of busy summer season in the hills, saw tourists flocking the Sim's Park to have the glimpse of the varieties of fruits and the attractive art of fruits and fruity sculptures  amid beauty of the park's greenery.

While Mr. P. Selvaraj, the district revenue officer of Nilgiris, inaugurated the show, the cynosure of all eyes are the Fruit-Cart. Fruit-Peacock and Fruit-Butterfly and Fruit-Podium  all these fruity sculptures made up of 1.50 tonnes of different fruits added the flavor and elegance to the show.  This also show the creativity ability of the horticulture department which made commendable efforts to add sheen to the show.

Mr. Shiva Subramanian Samraj, joint director of horticulture, said that this show aimed to exhibit the pomological wealth of the district, the state and the role played by fruits in nutrition and economy, will make the tourists and other visitors appreciate the finer aspects of 'pomological wealth'.  The fruits used for various displays will be used to make jelly/squash  in the pomological station at Coonoor once the show was over.

Apart from exhibitors of Nilgiris, who showcased different varies of hill grown fruits like peach, pears, plum, avocado, durian,  jackfruit, persimmon, tree tomato, egg fruit, bilimbi, carambola, hill guava, velvet apple  and various types of wild fruits of the hills, horticulture department from 12  other districts including Madurai, Salem, Dindigul and Coimbatore have added flavour by exhibiting different varieties fruits grown in various districts.

Ms. Subhashini, a tourist from Begaluru said that this show is not only entertaining but also educative.  It helps the summer visitors take lessons on the pomological wealth and the nutritive significance of the fruits.  The organisers should try to make it extra charm in future by giving more publicity to attract more tourists as the lu green Sim's Park with its summer bloom and salubrious weather is really enjoyable and provides the summer treat, she added.