A Himalayan orchid.

Gangtok, March 9: The hill state will hold the annual Sikkim Flower Festival and Orchid Show, beginning here from March 18.

Sikkim, which earned the sobriquet Kingdom of Flowers, is home to more than 500 species of orchids.

Eager to showcase the annual event in a big way, the Sikkim Flower Festival Committee, which has been entrusted with the responsibility since 2001, has announced various exciting cash prizes for the winners in the flower show.

According to the organisers, participants can take part in as many as six categories.

Entry forms are now available at the flower show desk of the Whitehall Complex.

Chief conservator of forests S.T. Lachungpa heads the committee, which comprises a select panel of floriculturists.

Lachungpa, who runs a reputed private nursery in Gangtok, is an avid orchid grower.

Elaborating on the significance of the event, the chief conservator of forests said: “We are committed to creating awareness among the nature lovers. It not only symbolises the commercial use of flowers that are found in the Himalayan belt but also the conservation of rare and endangered species of the region’s flora.”

Earlier, the show was jointly organised by the Sikkim tourism and the state forest departments.

At present, the committee manages the entire affair, ranging from the sale of daily tickets to the maintenance of the exhibition hall.

According to the organisers, around 80,000 visitors, including tourists and local residents, attended the show in 2002. This year, the footfall is likely to be more than one lakh. “We make good use of the amount raised through the entry fee. This includes maintenance of the exhibition hall and payment of the monthly salaries of the staff,” said Lachunga.

The exhibition hall — the venue for the annual event — has had its fair share of glory. It has hosted two successive international flower shows.

Then Prime Minister V.P. Singh had inaugurated the maiden International Flower Show in 1989.