The 74th Republic Day was celebrated with pomp and gaiety across West Bengal like the rest of the country on Thursday as chief minister Mamata Banerjee was seen joining a group of singers to express her patriotism. A video shared by news agency ANI shows her in her trademark white cotton saree, along with other singers who are performing Bengali poet Dwijendralal Ray’s ‘Dhono dhanne pushpe bhora’ – a patriotic song that is said to invoke the rich resources and heritage of Bengal.
With Governor CV Anand Bose presiding over an hour-long parade by the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, policemen and civilians, including school students, Bengal saw grand Republic Day celebrations. Extending her greetings to the people of the state on the occasion, Banerjee urged people to take a pledge “to protect and uphold democratic ideals of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity as enshrined in our Constitution”. “Together, we shall strive to build a nation our founding fathers envisioned,” she tweeted.
Meanwhile, West Bengal showcased the famous Durga Puja of Kolkata, which was included in UNESCO’S Intangible Cultural Heritage list, in its tableau at the parade at the Kartavya Path in Delhi. The tableau also highlighted the state’s rich tradition in art and culture.
The tractor part of the tableau was fronted with the model of ‘Mang & Ghat’ or ‘Mangal Kalash’ with the green coconut atop representing the beginning of the worship of the Mother Goddess.
