NEW DELHI: Delhi’s tableau for the Republic Day celebration this year will portray the cultural intermingling in the Walled City and also the merger of its architectural heritage and modern-day infrastructure. Delhi’s float would be a three-deck design with replicas of historic places of worship— Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, Gauri Shankar Mandir, Central Baptist Church, Gurudwara Sis Ganj and Fatehpuri Masjid—built along the Chandni Chowk road over the centuries, said officials in the know of the matter.
“The Minister of Defence (MoD) has accorded final approval for the participation of the city’s float. It will convey the message of ‘unity in diversity’ and also showcase redevelopment of 1.3 km Chandni Chowk road. Besides religious sites in the Mughal era market, pedestrianisation with redone pavement and cycling track will be created at separate levels. Two minarets representing Fatehpuri mosque and doorways of Havelis in Old Delhi will be in the backdrop,” said an official, requesting anonymity. A group of cyclists will also accompany the tableau on Rajpath, added the official.
Shahjahanabad or Old Delhi featured on the Republic Day parade in 2001 when the Haveli of renowned poet Mirza Ghalib was depicted. In 1999, Chandni Chowk was highlighted as a symbol of national integration. In 1992, the subject was the trial of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar at Lal Quila. Delhi’s tableau was introduced during the third Republic Day celebration in 1952. “Music hasn’t been finalised yet but design and other things have been approved.
The selection committee examined the features of the float and suggested changes after which the design was finalised. The floats of only two union territories— Delhi and Ladakh— are participating with 15 states in the parade this year,” said the official. In October, the Delhi government chose ‘redevelopment of Shahjahanabad’ as the theme of its tableau to showcase beautification and pedestrianisation of the Mughal era Chandni Chowk—a longawaited project nearing completion.