Union Minister of State Independent Charge for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Jitendra Singh hosted a high-tea interaction for the Jammu and Kashmir tableau team that participated in the Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path.
The interaction was held a day after the Jammu and Kashmir tableau received wide appreciation during the Republic Day Parade for its vivid and immersive presentation of the region’s cultural diversity. The tableau offered a seamless visual narrative that brought together heritage, architecture, folk traditions and community life, reflecting Jammu and Kashmir as an integral and vibrant part of India’s cultural landscape.
During the interaction, the Minister met the artists, performers, designers and officials associated with the tableau, congratulating them for their disciplined performance and coordinated effort. He noted that the presentation successfully conveyed the cultural depth and artistic richness of Jammu and Kashmir to audiences across the country, enabling viewers to connect with the region’s traditions, colours and rhythms even from a distance.
Jitendra Singh said the tableau echoed the vision articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where development is firmly rooted in cultural heritage. He emphasised that national platforms such as the Republic Day Parade play a crucial role in reinforcing cultural confidence while highlighting the diversity that underpins India’s unity. According to the Minister, cultural pride and development must move forward together for the country’s progress to be inclusive and sustainable.
The tableau featured a carefully curated sequence of visual elements representing both the Kashmir and Jammu regions. It opened with a grand engraved Kashmiri Samovar symbolising warmth and hospitality, followed by depictions of traditional wooden architecture, houseboats and everyday community life. The centrepiece included a Dogra Chhajja staged on a village Thadda, portraying the continuity of cultural practices in the Jammu region.
The tableau was further enlivened by the visual portrayal of purple fields of lavender, highlighting the region’s evolving agricultural identity, and the intricate miniature art of Basholi, reflecting a centuries-old artistic tradition. Folk performances such as Rouf, Kud, Jagarna, Pahari, Gojri and Dumhal added rhythm and energy, while the concluding display of vibrant papier-mâché artefacts arranged in a willow basket presented Jammu and Kashmir as a living canvas of creativity and craftsmanship.
Encouraging the contingents, the Minister said that preserving traditional art forms while adapting them to contemporary platforms was essential for keeping cultural practices alive among younger generations. He observed that India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat by 2047 would be shaped not only by economic growth and technological advancement, but also by strong cultural foundations and active community participation.
The interaction concluded on a cordial note, with the Minister expressing confidence that such cultural representations would continue to strengthen national unity and present India’s diversity as a source of inspiration and strength on the path of long-term development.
