On Sunday, Bagh-e-Rizwan in Karachi's Gulshan-e-Iqbal presented a captivating spectacle of colours and fragrances.
Home to a three-day flower show organised by the East district municipal corporation (DMC), it was frequented by families and individuals, young and old, over the weekend.
On the last day of the show, and the two preceding it, visitors were welcomed by an enchanting mix of delightful fragrances and vivid sights of daisies, marigolds, dahlias, even cactus, and then some.
While some busied themselves with photographing the beautiful view, Rabia Khan, a student of intermediate, thought it better to live in the moment, eternalising the memory in her mind.
"Flowers imbue life with colour and happiness and their fragrance is a source of comfort for me," she said with a smile.
A few paces away, an elderly woman, Sakina, thought the setting was a pleasant contrast against the otherwise generally dreary sights Karachi had to offer.
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"Seeing these flowers has a soothing and calming effect," she said. "We are far away from the nature and coming here, it feels good to have fresh flowers surround one."
Another visitor, Sarmad Sheikh, on a wheelchair, was of the opinion that flowers and trees should be planted in abundances across the city.
"The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Sindh government and DMCs should take steps to beautify the city and provide citizens with a pleasant and healthy environment," he stressed.
In line with this, the KMC and DMCs have moved to organise flower shows in the city, and Bagh-e-Rizwan has been home to one of them.
The KMC plans to host another flower show, focusing on marigolds, at Frere Hall next week and preparations for it are underway. A section of the historic grounds, where marigolds are being planted ahead of the three-day show, has been closed for the public.
The parks director general was contacted, but he remained unavailable to comment on the matter.
However, East DMC parks director Abdul Ghani Sheikh, speaking in relevance to the flower show at Bagh-e-Rizwan, assured that all Covid-19-related standard operating procedures were being followed at the event and that his department plans on hosting the show annually.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2021.
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