National capital decked up with flowers on R-day

The 480-member troupe which performed on R-Day had dancers from various parts of country

A marching contingent of the NCC | Shkehar YADAV

NEW DELHI: The dancers selected through a national level competition--Vande Bharatam Nritya Utsav— performed at Kartavya Path as part of the Republic Day parade on Thursday.For the first time, the artists from far-flung areas of Kargil, Aryan Valley, Andaman and Nicobar Island, and Dadra Nagar and Haveli performed at the event before President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a large presence of dignitaries.The 480-member troupe also comprised of large representation from northern states.

“I learnt a lot. It’s the first time we are performing at a national level, so this is a really big deal for us. I have made friends from different places and I am happy to be a part of Vande Bharatam,” said Anjoy Kachari , Sherja Cultural Society (Assam), which performed Bodo folk dance.

Another artist from Mandi of Himachal Pradesh, Smriti Sharma of Mandavya Kala Manch, which performed state’s folk dance Luddi said, “We have been preparing for this for almost a month and it’s a matter of pride performing at the Kartavya Path on a National Day. It’s a great experience meeting new people from different places and learning from them. It’s a huge opportunity for us.”

Delhi Contigent march during the parade, folk artists perform during the 74th Republic Day, a tableau of the Uttar Pardesh take part showcasing the taste of the state and Rashtrapati Bhavan, North Block and South Block illuminated with lights | Shkehar YADAV

Vande Bharatam – NrityaUtsav is an initiative by the Ministry of Culture, which gives a national platform to young, budding dance artists from different geographies of the country.Artists irrespective of their age, background, status, or any barrier can represent their state’s pride with their high spirits on this special day. This year, Vande Bharatam, is the second edition with the theme ‘Naari Shakti’ for the Republic Day celebration, inviting participants specialised in different dance forms.

“It was exciting performing at the Republic Day celebrations. We have been preparing for this for a really long time and feel content about our dance piece,” said Sahaana Sukumar, (Chennai) from Bharatnatyam Dance Group.The music for the event was composed by Raja Bhavtharini and Aloknanda Das Gupta and the composition is infused with Hindustani, Carnatic and contemporary Jazz elements.

Traffic islands and roundabouts in Lutyens’ Delhi have been decked up with artistic floral designs for the 74th Republic Day. The NDMC said 18 flower boards and as many flower fountains have been set up and the civic body’s building has been illuminated with tricolour for the occasion.

Traffic islands decked up with artistic floral designs
Traffic islands and roundabouts in Lutyens’ Delhi have been decked up with artistic floral designs for the 74th Republic Day.  The NDMC said 18 flower boards and flower fountains have been set up and the civic body’s building has been illuminated with tricolour for the occasion.