Three-day marigold festival begins at Frere Hall today

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) is hosting a three-day marigold festival starting Friday (today) at the Frere Hall lawn. The entry to the flower exhibition will be free.

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab visited the Frere Hall on Wednesday to monitor the arrangements for the coming flower festival. He said a large number of citizens would enjoy the festival in the winter season.

Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Parks and Horticulture Director General Junaidullah Khan, Senior Director Information and Printing and Media Management Ali Hassan Sajid and other officers accompanied the mayor during the visit.

Wahab said the marigold festival had become an annual tradition of the KMC. He explained that marigold flowers bloomed in the winter season and they were popular among the people of Karachi.

He said marigold plants were planted six months before the blooming seasion. “After six months of continuous hard work, this flower shows its bloom.”

Wahab said thousands of brightly coloured marigold flowers would be on display on the lawn of the Frere Hall during the three days of the festival. He stated that besides developing the basic infrastructure of Karachi, small and big parks of the city were also being improved. He vowed that arrangements would be made to keep all the fountains on the Frere Hall lawn in good condition.

“Thousands of citizens visit the Frere Hall every day and benefit from the facilities here. The Frere Hall is a hallmark of Karachi. The renovation work on this historical building is also ongoing,” he said.

Wahab remarked that flowers were a beautiful gift from God and we should take care of flowers and trees. He said plantation work was going on to make the city green and beautiful.

Pakistan was facing the challenges of climate change so it was important to plant more trees in Karachi and grow greenery in open spaces, he said as he asked the citizens to attend the marigold festival with their families to see colourful flowers.