Republic Day preparations: As Abu Dhabi crown prince arrives, date palms to greet him

With leaves of the palm trees on top, these pyramid-like structures are covered with moss.

“These are part of our routine work. At the time of any event such as Republic Day or Independence Day, flower arrangements and decorations are done by us in this area. The palm tree installation has come up at one point. We are looking at more ideas for other parts that fall under NDMC’s jurisdiction,” said a senior horticulture department official at the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

Even as the horticulture department called the installations “routine”, senior officials maintained that this was being done just for the UAE delegation visiting Delhi.

This will be the crown prince’s second visit to the country in a year. One of the top cultivators of date palm in the world, the UAE hosts an International Date Palm Festival and dates are their national fruit.