Bhubaneswar: After three years of rejection, Odisha’s tableau, featuring the intricate art of Pattachitra from the heritage craft hub of Raghurajpur village, will roll down the Kartavya Path during Republic Day parade in New Delhi on Friday (January 26).
The 45 ft long, 14 ft wide and 16 ft high tableau is a fusion of tradition and modernity, showcasing women empowerment while capturing the essence of heritage craft village in Puri district and its artistic legacy, and a ‘Kandarpa Hati’, a popular Pattachitra design depicting Krishna Leela where nine women are entangled with each other to form the shape of an elephant. It has been designed by eminent artists Gajendra Sahoo and Kirti Kishore Maharana.
It will also have a Sambalpuri song to go along with it.
While tableau showcases how women in every family of Raghurajpur are empowering themselves and becoming financially independent with the local craft, Kandarpa Hati is an attempt to depict them as fierce protector with enormous strength, the artists told the media.
This year, tableaus from 16 states have been approved for participation in the parade.
Odisha’s culture and heritage were last on display at the 71st Republic Day parade in New Delhi with a tableau on Rukuna Rath Yatra of Lingaraj Temple, which won the second prize. It included a replica of the Lingaraj temple, Nandi (the bull) and the Rukuna Rath. Odissi artistes had also accompanied the tableau.
This came two years after Dola Yatra, one of the most celebrated festivals of Odisha observed during the Hindu month of Falguna, was showcased in 2017.
The other tableau from the state which made the cut were based on the themes of Boita Bandana (2016), Chandan Jatra (2013) and Gita Govinda and Jayadev (2011).
But did you that Odisha had made its debut in the Republic Day Parade in New Delhi in 1952.
A tableau representing the mass movement of princely states was showcased in 1973 while Bali Jatra was the theme in 1985.
The state had won the first prize for its colourful and vibrant tableau in 2007.
