- Monday, January 27, 2025
The artwork was illustrated by Pune-based guest artist Rohan Dahotre and the animals portrayed represent different regions of India
By: India Weekly
A SNOW LEOPARD in a Ladakhi dress, a ‘tiger’ wearing a dhoti-kurta holding a traditional instrument and a few other animals and birds representing different regions of India and its diversity feature in a special doodle by internet giant Google to mark the 76th Republic Day.
The colourful artwork, which borrows an element of surrealism, depicts the six letters of ‘GOOGLE’ artistically woven into the theme, giving the appearance of a ‘wildlife parade’.
A description of the doodle on Google’s website says, “This doodle celebrates India’s 76th Republic Day, an occasion marked by national pride and unity.”
The artwork was illustrated by Pune-based guest artist Rohan Dahotre. The animals portrayed in the parade represent different regions of India, it says.
The doodle also depicts a peacock in flight and an antelope in traditional attire walking with a ceremonial staff in hand.
“Republic Day holds great significance for India, as it unites people across the nation and ignites a sense of patriotism in every Indian. With its incredible diversity encompassing countless languages, cultures, traditions, and more – India feels like a vibrant world within itself,” Dahotre is quoted as saying in the description of the doodle.
Google Doodles are temporary and brief changes made to the Google logo to pay tribute to various themes — local and global — including holidays, birth anniversaries of prominent people, beginning of any significant event, and the like. They are presented in various forms — images, animations, slideshows, and videos, among others.
The annual Republic Day Parade, which is well attended and widely watched, covers several kilometres on the Kartavya Path to the India Gate.
Attendees enjoy colourful, grand floats, and cultural performances from across the country, along with marches and formations by different contingents of the nation’s armed forces.
Sixteen tableaux from different states and Union Territories, and 15 from central ministries, departments and organisations will roll down the ceremonial boulevard as part of the celebrations.
The Madhya Pradesh tableau will depict the Project Cheetah and the Kuno National Park.
The parade will see many other firsts as well, such as the tri-services tableau that will depict the spirit of “jointness” among the armed forces.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will be the chief guest. A marching contingent and a band contingent from Indonesia will be participating in the parade.
Subianto will be the fourth Indonesian president to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations. Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia, was the chief guest at India’s first Republic Day celebrations in 1950.
The Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949 and came into effect on January 26, 1950. (PTI)
