Under a crisp winter and adorned in tricolour, the capital city celebrated 75 years as a republic nation. The celebration also marked a tribute to the Indian Constitution with a tableau by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) displaying a massive replica of the Constitution, and the Ashok Chakra.
Dr BR Ambedkar’s speech played in the background: “Our difficulty is how to make the heterogeneous mass that we have today, take a decision in common and march in a cooperative way on that road which is bound to lead us to unity. Our difficulty is not with regard to the ultimate; our difficulty is with regard to the beginning.”
Heritage, especially through temples, formed a key thread to the tableaux theme of different state governments blending into the larger theme “Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas”.
Haryana’s tableau displayed Arjun and Lord Krishna in Kurukshetra; Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno tigers and Tripura’s Kharchi pooja were other highlights. A grand carriage featured replicas of the Lakshmi Narayan Temple, the Kasivisvesvara Temple, and the pillars of the Nanneshwara Temple in Lakkundi in Karnataka.
West Bengal’s tableau included terracotta temples of Bishnupur and folk art forms like the chhau dance.
Grand Etikoppaka wooden toys from Andhra Pradesh were another charming component of the parade. These GI-registered toys are carved out of softwood and then painted in bright natural dyes.
Uttar Pradesh’s Mahakumbh cart portrayed a scene from samudra manthan whereas maternal care and female leadership were the major focus of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The recently launched Mission Mausam found its place in the tableau presented by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). Mission Mausam is a way forward to make India a climate-smart nation, with better weather management and climate mitigation systems in the country.
In another first, around 5,000 artists from across India came together to present the cultural performance Jayati Jai Mamah Bharatam.
Captain Dimple Singh Bhati set a world record as the first woman officer of the Indian Army to salute President Droupadi Murmu while mounting a 12-foot ladder on a moving motorcycle. Captain Bhati is a member of The Daredevils, a part of the Corps of Signals.
Innovation and futuristic warfare technology were at the heart of the military display with Raksha Kavach’, the DRDO’s tableau presenting advanced warfare technology with the multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle Divyastra, bullet-proof jacket Abhed, Zorawar light tank, the Electronic Warfare (EW) system Dharashakti, and the Pralay weapon system.
The Pralay is a short-range ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is designed for quick, precise strikes against enemy targets.
