Chandigarh, Feb. 20 -- Plagued by a debilitating financial crunch, the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) has managed to keep the upcoming 53rd Rose Festival flourishing without spending a single rupee from its coffers.

For the first time in the festival's history, the entire event-set to run from February 21 to 23-will be funded entirely through private sponsorships, totaling Rs.60 lakh.

Around 15 sponsors, including major firms and local businesses, have come forward to support the festival in exchange for advertising space at Zakir Hussain Rose Garden in Sector 16. The sponsorships start from Rs.50,000 and go up to as high as Rs.10 lakh. Additionally, MC has auctioned the Food and Game Zone, keeping the event going without tapping...