‘National Rose Award’ for floriculture contributions

Raipur: Meena Chandel, of Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh, has been awarded for her outstanding contribution to the field of floriculture. Recognized for her exceptional work, Meena was honoured with the prestigious National Rose Award 2024. Dinesh Chakraborty, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, handed her the award.

Meena got this award due to her passion and dedication. She has made a great effort in attracting women and unemployed youth to take up floriculture as a livelihood. Floriculture has become a flourishing industry across the state, and credit goes to Meena for this. Currently, 4000 people are engaged in this sector, and they are making the local economies more potent.

Meena’s success story has motivated many to follow her path, turning floriculture into a reliable source of income for countless families. Her hard work has caught the attention of top officials of the Agriculture Department, such as Dr. Suresh Kumar Yadav, Director of CSIR/IHBT Palampur; Dr. Bhavya Bhargava; and Dr. Seema Shahar, Project Coordinator at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Barthin; all of them extended their heartfelt congratulations to her for her amazing feat.

She went on to say that “the prospect in floriculture is immense, and I always encourage people to adopt it as a means to their livelihood to enhance their economic stability.” Her success has not only brought pride to her hometown but has also set an inspiring example for those looking to make a difference in the agricultural sector. Roses have been associated with Indian history for over 5000 years. As per Hindu mythology, Vishnu used to love roses. After seeing Vishnu’s holy garden laden with full roses, Brahma called roses superior to all flowers.

At least 15 varieties of wild roses are found in the Himalayas. It is believed that the existence of these roses has existed for a long time, as mentioned in the medical texts by Charaka and Susruta, the founders of Ayurveda, India’s ancient system of medicine. They are thought to have lived in the 1st century B.C. The medicinal benefits of different rose species were well-known, and each rose was given a specific Sanskrit name that reflected its healing properties for various ailments.
Meena Chandel

Nursery Today