Srinagar, Oct. 18 -- In a first-of-its-kind autumn initiative, Lal Chowk and its iconic Ghanta Ghar were transformed on Saturday into a large-scale Chrysanthemum display, a renewed bid to position Srinagar as a year-round floral and tourism destination.

Nearly 3,000 potted Chrysanthemums locally known as Gul-e-Dawood were arranged overnight by postgraduate and doctoral students from SKUAST-K's Division of Floriculture. Under the guidance of Head of Division Prof Imtiyaz Tahir Nazki, the students showcased more than 15 indigenous varieties and 80 colours in the city centre.

The bloom show, earlier confined to the SKUAST-K Shalimar campus, was brought to Lal Chowk for the first time as part of an outreach move to "fill the tourism gap" be...