Puneeth Rajkumar to be honored with Karnataka Ratna

Thousands of flower enthusiasts gathered at Lalbagh Botanical Garden on Friday as the inauguration of the Independence Day flower show, which was making a comeback after two pandemic-hit years. From first-time visitors to hardcore annual visitors, everyone spends time looking at the rare and exotic flowers on display. However, flower sculptures and sculptures of late actors Rajkumar and Puneet Rajkumar were the center of attraction in the show.

Inaugurating the event, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that the state’s highest civilian honour, the ‘Karnataka Ratna’, would be conferred posthumously to Puneeth Rajkumar on November 1, Kannada Rajyotsava.

“A small committee will be formed to prepare for the award-presentation ceremony. Dr. Rajkumar’s family members will also be included as members of the committee. Together we will confer the award posthumously to Puneet in a highly respectable manner,” he said.

He also said that the celebration of 75 years of independence has made the flower show even more attractive and it will attract lakhs of visitors in the next few days.

For many, Puneet Rajkumar’s statue with his parents became a selfie spot, while for others Rajkumar’s idol depicting a scene from the film Mayura, was the favourite. The audience hummed along with various melodies from the films of the two actors played during the show. Many fans also expressed their love and compassion for the late actors by painting them.

Rare forms of orchids, coleus and anthurium caught the attention of many visitors on the first day. “I have been participating in this biennial festival since 2009. During the pandemic years, I was eagerly waiting for the flower show to return. Music, ambiance and flowers make the garden a paradise,” said Ramesh Dutt, a retired English professor on the show.

An international visitor to France, a retired military officer, Antony de Sojnar, said, “This is my first time in Bengaluru, but I had never seen such colorful flowers in Europe. I’m also excited about other activities, I’ve been informed, that will take place in the coming days, such as the Bonsai and Dutch Flower Show. So, I’m really looking forward to it.”

Dr. Rajkumar’s family members including Shiva Rajkumar, Raghavendra Rajkumar and Ashwini Puneet Rajkumar were present during the inauguration of the flower show.

(With inputs from Leesha K. Nair and Shuvam Roy)