NEW DELHI: Odisha‘s colourful tableau, which showcased women empowerment and the state’s rich handicraft and handloom sector during the 75th Republic Day parade, has won the first prize among the tableaux presented by various states and Union Territories, officials announced on Tuesday.
Gujarat‘s tableau, featuring the Dhordo tourism village, clinched the first place in the people’s choice category.The awards were revealed and presented during a ceremony held at Delhi Cantonment.

Gujarat’s tableau at the R-Day parade in Delhi
The culture ministry’s tableau, themed ‘Bharat: Mother of Democracy’, secured the first prize among the tableaux displayed by various ministries and departments during the ceremonial parade. The ministry of home affairs’ tableau, depicting ‘vibrant villages’, won the second prize.

As many as 16 tableaux from states and Union Territories, and nine from central ministries and departments, were showcased during the grand celebrations. French President Emmanuel Macron attended this year’s parade as the chief guest.
Participating states and Union Territories included Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Ladakh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana.
“The tableau presented by Odisha has secured the first position in the judge’s choice category, while Gujarat’s tableau has won the top spot in the people’s choice category,” a senior official said.
In the judge’s category, Gujarat secured the second position, with Tamil Nadu ranking third.
In the people’s choice category, Uttar Pradesh secured the second position and Andhra Pradesh was ranked third. Winners in the people’s choice category were selected through public voting conducted via the MyGov platform.
Odisha’s winning tableau prominently highlighted women’s involvement in the handicraft and handloom sector through live demonstrations. It also acknowledged women’s adaptation to technology by showcasing cashless transactions and e-platform marketing. A large umbrella symbolized the unwavering support of the central and state governments for artisans under the “Viksit Bharat” program. The “War Horse of Konark Temple” represented Odisha’s rapid progress towards shaping a developed India. The divine elephant “Kandarpa Hasti” symbolized Odisha’s women’s dedication to “Viksit Bharat,” akin to the devotion of Gopis to Lord Sri Krishna.
Gujarat’s tableau, based on the theme ‘Dhordo: Global Identity of Gujarat’s Border Tourism,’ showcased interesting aspects of the art and culture of Kutch. Tamil Nadu’s tableau highlighted the historical significance of the Kudavolai electoral system, which emerged during the 10th century Chola era and marked an early stride towards democracy. Uttar Pradesh’s tableau featured an artistic image of Ram Lalla, whose new idol was recently consecrated at a grand temple in Ayodhya. It also depicted the country’s first-ever operational high-speed regional rapid transit system (RRTS), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October on the priority section of its first corridor. Uttar Pradesh’s tableau had won the top award in 2022, with the theme ‘One District One Product and Kashi Vishwanath Dham’.
(With inputs from PTI)