NEW DELHI: People on Republic Day parade will witness brave Birsa Munda who mobilised the tribals for freedom on the one side and Krishna unraveling the knowledge of Gita as part of Jharkhand and Haryana Tableau this year at the Republic Day Parade. Twenty-three tableaux – 17 from States/Union Territories and six from various Ministries/Departments, depicting the nation’s rich cultural heritage, economic progress and strong internal and external security will roll down the Kartavya Path during the Republic Day parade on January 26, 2023.
Seventeen tableaux of States/UTs from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Dadar Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala will be showcased during the parade, depicting the geographical and rich cultural diversity of the country.
Six tableaux from Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Home Affairs (Central Armed Police Forces), Ministry of Home Affairs (Narcotics Control Bureau), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (Central Public Works Department), Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare will also be on display, showcasing the achievements in the last few years.
Jharkhand
Jharkhand’s tableau this time will features the iconic Babadham Temple in Deoghar which is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga in India and is considered to be the most sacred abodes of Lord Shiva. A statue of Birsa Munda, a young freedom fighter and a tribal leader, known for spirit of activism against British rule in India, will also be placed in front of the tableau.
Traditional dance “Paika” will be performed beside the tableau and that the Adivasi art form “Sohrai” would be displayed on the side panel. The state will return to the big event after a seven long years.
Haryana
Haryana’s tableau will showcase the ‘virat swaroop’ form of Lord Krishna, as the theme of this year’s tableau will be International Gita Mahotsav. There are nine heads of Vishnu namely Agni, Narsimah, Ganesh, Shiv, Vishnu, Brahma, Ashwini Kumar, Hanuman and Parshuram from left to right in sequence carrying sword, trishul, lotus, sudershan chakra in the statue of virat sawroop.
Maharashtra
Maharahstra government decided to present the tableau (Chitraratha) with the concept of ‘Three and a half Shaktipeeths and Shreeshakti Jagar’. The Three and a half Shaktipeeths of Adishakti are famous in Maharashtra. They include Mahalakshmi Temple of Kolhapur, Sri Kshetra Tuljapur of Tuljabhavani, Renukadevi of Mahur and Saptshringi Devi of Vani. The concept and three-dimensional replicas have been created by Tushar Pradhan and Roshan Ingole, youth sculptors and art directors.
Bengal
West Bengal’s tableau will depict the famous Durga Puja in Kolkata, which was included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List, to showcase women’s empowerment on Republic Day in New Delhi this year.
The tableau will also highlight art and culture displaying pieces of terracotta pieces. The tableau will have a traditional Durga idol with those of goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati and gods Kartikeya and Ganesh. Goddess Durga is symbol of women’s empowerment and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee claims to have launched series of beneficiaries schemes for women.
Assam
The tableau of Assam will feature legendary Ahom General Lachit Barphukan and the Kamakhya temple. Barphukan was an Ahom commander known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat against the Mughals. The temple was rebuilt by Nara Narayan, the last ruler of undivided Koch kingdom of Kamata.
Uttarakhand
The theme of the tableau displayed by Uttarakhand on the occasion of Republic Day is “Manaskhand”. The tableau of the state will be seen in the fourth place. In the front and central part of the tableau, Deer, Reindeer, Ghurl, Peacock and various birds found in Uttarakhand and on the surface of the tableau, Jageshwar temple group and cedar trees will be shown, including famous folk art ‘Aipan’.
On the selection of tableau for parade, the Ministry of Defence said it has been made on a zonal basis. There had been controversy over Karnataka, which did not get selected. The criteria this time was to include states and UTs which were selected the least number of times in the last eight years. Karnataka has been represented 12 times.
