Mumbai: As you walk through the 22nd flower show and horticulture exhibition at Byculla Zoo, you will come across five wooden idols dressed in girls’ attire with beautiful plants on their heads — one of the idols holds a plank which reads, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (Save the girl child and educate her).
This is one of the civic body’s attempts to create awareness about female foeticide. The exhibition was inaugurated by civic chief Ajoy Mehta on Friday. Superintendent of gardens Jitendra Pardeshi said, “We wanted to spread awareness among people that they should raise their girl child with equal dignity and importance and educate her well. Hence, we decided to put up the message in the exhibition.”
The exhibition showcases hundreds of species of plants and flowers. Modeled on the lines of “Disney World”, it has floral replicas of Barbie Doll and popular cartoon characters. The exhibition will be open from 8am to 8pm; there is no entry fee.
