Using laser technology, sound and light and multi-media, the Army on Wednesday will demonstrate in Pune the evolution of warfare from ancient times to the modern era, drawing on themes from Indian epics and modern warfare.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to attend the event – ‘Gaurav Gatha’ — at the Bombay Engineers Group (BEG) Bhagat Pavillion and Center in the historic city of Maharashtra as part of the 77th Army Day celebrations .
Before this “big event”, the Union minister will also meet Veer Nari and the veterans for tea at the premises of BEG and Center on Wednesday evening, said a senior official here.
“The defense minister is also scheduled to unveil the action plan, lay the foundation stone of the Army Paralympic Node before attending the ‘Gaurav Gatha’ in the evening,” he said.
During this collaboration, Mr. Singh will also be given a ‘Kalash’ containing ‘holy water’ collected from various forts in Maharashtra along with the Maratha emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji. Singh will forward it to the person representing the museum in the province, said the official.
When asked how this water was collected, the official said that a team of soldiers collected it through a cyclothon and reached Pune on Monday, he added.
Before the hosting of the ‘Gaurav Gatha’ event, the rehearsals of which were going on on Tuesday, there will be a grand display at the Bombay Engineers Group (BEG) and the Center under the Southern Command’s Army.
The Nepal Army Band, an all-girl marching band from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and a collection of ‘robot mules’ are among the attractions lined up for the Army Day Festival, which is being held for the first time in Pune.
“If the parade will display platforms and see the participation of marching conventions, ‘Gaurav Gatha’ will show the evolution of wars from the ancient times to the modern era. The themes are drawn from our epics and the wars of the modern era,” said an official.
At the Bhagat Pavillion, large posters have been put up showing the various themes to be covered by the ‘Gaurav Gatha’ exhibition.
These themes are — ‘Prachin Ranniti’ a painting from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, ‘Yudh Kala’, ‘Yudh Parivartan’, ‘Yudh Pradarshan’, ‘Shaurya Gatha’, ‘Vijayotsav’, and ‘Samarth Bharat , Saksham Sena’ – – the theme of the 77th Army Day Parade.
The narrative will also refer to the story of Lord Ram as a hero who fought against ‘Vanar Sena’, the legacy of Maratha emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji, and freedom fighters like Mangal Pandey and Bhagat Singh, among others.
“It will be a show that lasts about 35 minutes, and uses laser, sound and light, and moving platforms to tell the story strongly,” said the official.
The program will generate both a sense of pride and great love among viewers, he said.
Published – January 15, 2025 04:15 am IST