Pune: The 44th Fruit, Flower and Vegetable Exhibition and Garden and Tree Conservation Competition, organised by the Parks Department and Tree Authority of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), began on Saturday at Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje Udyan on Junglee Maharaj Road, Shivajinagar.
The two-day exhibition is being conducted under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975, and will remain open to the public on February 14 and 15, 2026, until 9 pm. Entry is free for all citizens.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Deputy Mayor Parshuram Wadekar, Leader of the House Ganesh Bidkar, Group Leader Sopan (Kaka) Chavan, Corporator Neha Malvade and Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram. Senior civic officials including Additional Municipal Commissioners Prithviraj B.P. and Omprakash Divate, Joint Municipal Commissioner Dr Ashok D. Ghorpade, and officers and staff of the Garden Department were also present.
A special rangoli tribute has been created in memory of the late Ajit Ashatai Anantrao Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Participants in the exhibition include the Department of Botany of Savitribai Phule Pune University, Tilak Ayurveda College, Friends of Bonsai, Brahma Kumaris Vishwa Vidyalaya, Nisarga Sevak, Pushkarni, the Solid Waste Department of PMC and several environmental organisations.
The exhibition features bonsai displays, theme-based gardens, floral arrangements and creative installations made from recycled materials such as waste tyres and plastic bottles. Attractions include a flamingo garden, Zen garden, constellation garden, waterfall feature garden, backyard and fruit house concepts, and a floral artwork of Bharat Mata marking the 150th anniversary of the song Vande Mataram.
A total of 266 sections have been arranged, covering ornamental flower pots, medicinal plants, roses, seasonal flowers, vegetables, fruit carvings, salad decorations, garlands, bouquets, baskets and processed food products prepared by women’s self-help groups. Separate sections have also been set up for nature and environment-based photography.
Flowers such as dahlia, orchid, anthurium, gerbera, rose and carnation are among the main highlights. Replicas of various garden concepts have also been created for visitors.
As part of the competition, around 1,100 participants have submitted 2,480 entries across different categories.
PMC has appealed to citizens to visit the exhibition in large numbers and take advantage of this annual celebration of horticulture and environmental conservation.
