Goa’s ‘save the frog’ to J&K’s ‘back to village’: the 22 tableaux that rolled down Rajpath today

Team Udayavani, Jan 26, 2020, 12:26 PM IST

New Delhi: Goa’s ‘save the frog’ campaign, Jammu and Kashmir’s ‘back to village’ programme, architectural wonders and UNESCO world heritage sites in Jaipur and Gujarat and 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev were thematically showcased among the host of tableaux in the 71st Republic Day Parade on Sunday.

Jammu and Kashmir, which participated in the parade for the first time as a Union Territory, had the “Back to Village” programme for the displaced Kashmiri Pandits as the theme for its tableau.

The rich sartorial and cultural heritage of the region was depicted in the tableau with a shawl weaver in the front. The flora and fauna were shown in the middle complemented with Dogra and Kashmiri folk culture.

Out of the total 22 tableaux, 16 were of various states and UTs and six of ministries, departments and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

The Walled City of Jaipur, which was accorded the UNESCO World Heritage tag in 2019, was the overriding theme of the Rajasthan tableau, depicting the Pink City’s architectural grandeur and the state’s vibrant culture reflected in its folk songs and dances.

The 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in 2019 was the theme of the Punjab’s tableau in the parade.

The Sikhism’s architectural and cultural heritage was portrayed in the tableau, with messages ‘Kirat Karo’, ‘Naam Japo’ and ‘Vand Chhako’, which form the cornerstone of the Sikhism, depicted in panels.

Gujarat’s architectural wonder Rani Ki Vav was the centrepiece of the state’s tableau, complemented with folk culture and dances performed by artistes.

Rani Ki Vav or Queen’s Stepwell initially built by Rani Udayamati as a memorial to her husband King Bhimdev I in the 11th century in Patan district of the state was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014.

The majestic architecture of the stepwell was showcased in the tableau that was fronted by a statue of a village woman wearing Patola saree of Patan.

Other states which took part in the grand parade were Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.

Cutting-edge technology and instruments used by the the National Disaster Response Force during rescue operations in flood-hit areas and Delhi’s Anaj Mandi inferno last year were showcased in the NDRF tableau.