UP's R-Day tableau depicts Lord Ram, Ayodhya Deepotsav

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh's tableau which rolled down the Kartavya Path during the 74th Republic Day parade depicted Lord Ram and Goddess Sita being welcomed by the people of Ayodhya on their return from exile, and the Deepotsav celebrations in the temple town. A grand Ram temple is currently under construction in Ayodhya and massive scale road-widening and other projects are also being undertaken in the Uttar Pradesh town.

Twenty-three tableaux -- 17 from states and Union territories and six from various ministries and departments -- depicting India's vibrant cultural heritage, and economic and social progress are part of the parade on the Kartavya Path, Defence Ministry officials had earlier said. Uttar Pradesh's tableau depicts Lord Ram and Goddess Sita being welcomed by the people of Ayodhya on their return from exile, according to a senior official of the state's information and public relations department.

Ayodhya Deepotsav is the main theme of Uttar Pradesh in its Republic Day tableau, a senior defence official had earlier said. "The side panels of the tableau depict 'Ram Ki Paidi' on the banks of the Saryu river in Ayodhya and a big 'Deepotsav Dwar' has been erected.

It also has a sculpture of Maha Rishi Vasishtha," an Uttar Pradesh government official said. This is the first Republic Day celebrations at the ceremonial boulevard after the historic Rajath was named to Kartavya Path last year.

Uttar Pradesh has been winning as the best tableau in the parade for the last two years. The spiritual city of Varanasi with Kashi Vishwanath Dham was the centrepiece of Uttar Pradesh's tableau in the 73rd Republic Day Parade on Rajpath in 2022. The first phase of the mega project, was dedicated to the people by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 13 last year and is expected to boost tourism in the holy town that is said to be one of the oldest cities in the world. In 2021, the state's tableau had depicted the ancient city Ayodhya's heritage and the Ram temple, during the ceremonial Republic Day parade on January 26. The bedecked tableau was fronted by a sitting model of Maharishi Valmiki and the temple model was on the rear side.