Chandigarh, Feb. 21 -- The much-anticipated 53rd Rose Festival is set to kick off at the Zakir Rose Garden, Sector 16, in Chandigarh on Friday.

The three-day festival, organised by the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC), will continue until February 23, featuring a host of cultural and entertainment programmes. For the first time in history, the event is being organised as a "Zero budget" festival, with all arrangements and events sponsored by private firms.

A total of 829 varieties of roses and nearly 50,000 rose plants in 1,400 beds will be on display that include hybridtea, floribundus, polyanthus, miniatures and climbers of both indigenous and exotic varieties.

MC commissioner Amit Kumar said the festival will be inaugurated by ...