After a two-year hiatus, Goa’s tableau will be part of the annual cultural pageantry at Kartavya Path for the Republic Day Parade 2025 in New Delhi, on January 26, 2025.
Starting November 2024, a team of over 40 artisans and artists have been working to make the colourful float a winning one. The theme this year is – ‘Swarnim Bharat, Virasat aur Vikas’ (Golden India, Heritage and Development) – depicting Goa’s rich culture and progress.
SHOWCASE OF KAAVI ART, CULTURE AND TOURISM
In a candid chat with Gomantak Time Digital, Sushant Khedekar, who is spearheading the creation of the tableau along with Purnanand Paidarkar, said, “We decided to focus on Kaavi art, culture and tourism. Kaavi art is one of the oldest art forms of Goa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about it on Mann Ki Baat.”
Since Goa will be in the parade after two years, the team wants to ensure that the State’s culture, art and lifestyle is focused. Tourism being the livelihood for most Goans, the focus was on tourism, emphasising on watersports.
Starting November 2024, a team of over 40 artisans and artists have been working to make the colourful float a winning one. The theme this year is – ‘Swarnim Bharat, Virasat aur Vikas’ (Golden India, Heritage and Development) – depicting Goa’s rich culture and progress.
“The front of the tableau has a Goan woman holding a divja (a traditional lamp) with Kaavi art on it. We also made a model of the Aguada light house, which is one of the oldest in Asia,” says Sushant, who said that the trial parade went on smoothly.
Sagar Naik Mule, a talented Kaavi artist travelled to Delhi with Goa’s tambdi maati (red mud) to add a very Goan touch to his artwork on the tableau.
We decided to focus on Kaavi art, culture and tourism. Kaavi art is one of the oldest art forms of Goa and Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about it on Mann Ki Baat.
Sushant Khedekar, artist
MUSIC AND SONG
“Goa’s Kaavi art is about the red soil of Goa and I carried it with me to Delhi along with flowers as blessings from the Mahalaxami temple. I believe that Kaavi art will receive a lot of recognition post the Republic Day parade. People will also get to know what our traditional local art form is. This will in turn help Goans learn the art form and also earn from it,” says Sagar.
Music plays a great role in Goa and at the parade, a special song composed by Dr Saish Deshpande will be performed. Ya ya Goyaan Ya, a 49-second song, has Goa’s Ovi tunes sung by women with divjas and proceeds with indigenous maand music followed by modern music focusing on tourism.
“We had to sum up the entire theme in 49 seconds, which was a challenge. So we took the traditional music instruments and co-related them to western music. From dhols to drums and shehnai to trumpets, we have shown Goa through music,” says Saish, who was assisted by Mukesh Ghatwal to arrange the music. It has been sung by Archana Shinde, Queenie Fernandes, Mukesh Ghatwal and Saish Deshpande.
The performing artistes' team is led by Dinesh Priolkar, choreography is by Nishad, costumes by Sangeeta and Avani Khedekar whereas music is composed by Dr Saish Deshpande.
THE CREATORS
Artists, fabricators and artisans involved in fabrication include Pandurang Shet, Suresh Varekar, Vallabh Chari, Pralhad Shilkar, Viraj Teli, Sudesh Shetkar, Mahesh Kumbhar, Gauresh Shetkar, Kushali Shetkar, Shekhar Kumbhar, Satish Kumbhar, Vinayak Kumbhar, Ashok Jalmi and Shri Anup, while production in charge is Purnannad Paidarkar.
The Goa tableau, along with those of other states, will be on display in front of the Red Fort at New Delhi for public viewing as part of the Bharat Parv celebration from January 26 to 31, 2025.