Lal Bagh flower show August 2014 & Dastkar handicraft fair

Lal Bagh Flower Show 2014

Flower show return to Lal Bagh this year with astounding display of floral replica of Mysore Palace and the famed Dasara procession. We happened to visit there on 15th of August. Not an ideal to visit as the crowd was huge.  The footfalls at the show was beyond the expectations of the organiser and they had to close the main gate number of times. Maneuvering through the suffocating crowd and handling the camera at the same time was perhaps the most strenuous thing to do.

As a tradition, the famous glass house at the Lal Bagh host the flower show twice in a year, on Republic Day and on Independence Day.

This year flower show celebrated its 200th anniversary, yes you read it right, 200th! And we happened to be there ! Some 3 lakh roses had been used to replicate the gorgeous Mysore palace, with elephants, people and soldiers guarding the procession and in every sense it was worth visiting it.

For me the star attraction was these beautiful elephants adorned with red and white roses. I get little obsessed with them, so there follows two more pics from different angle.

Tyres, helmets, bottles as planters.

The iconic Kempegowda tower at the Lal Bagh, Bangalore sitting high on 3 billion year old Peninsular gneiss.

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Dastkar Fair Bangalore 2014

Dastkar handicraft fair return to Bangalore after two years, the colorful tents erected neatly in rows at Manpho convention center was delight to watch. This year they have come up with more varieties, more number of stalls thus making it bigger than the previous ones. From sabai grass baskets, banana fibre bags and lamps to handmade paper stationary, black stone potteries from Nagaland, straw baskets from Manipur, to kawandi quilts from Karnataka, beads jewellery from Rajasthan, ochre jewellery from Gujrat to Rajasthani miniature furnitures, hand-woven silks from different parts of the country to pathachitra from Orissa and DIY painting kits of Madhubani arts, Warli painting and so many. Being close to the nature these artifacts were mostly made by the tribal populace of India, culminating in an art and cultural heritage that is inspiring in all its elements. The glitter and glamour added to it make it saleable to the western countries.

Few pics from the fair –

Grass and reed baskets

Black stone potteries from Nagaland

Banana fibre lamps

 Rajasthani furnitures

 Beautiful wall hangings

This year I splurged at the fair like anything, even the steep prices did not deter me. My private loot from the fair (read food propping !), not to mention the jewelleries, bags, lamps, baskets and cotton mats.

Guilty of being a food blogger, nature bazars are just heaven for food propping !

PS : All pics are taken by me. Please ask first before using it on your blogs or sites.

Until next

Sukanya