Artisans work on the tableau of the agriculture department on the eve of the Republic Day parade. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Patna, Jan. 25: Artisans were racing against time to give finishing touches to the colourful tableaux of different departments on the eve of the 62nd Republic Day parade at Gandhi Maidan.

Eleven tableaux on various themes will be on display during the parade. The Bihar Health Society (BHS), education directorate and Sudha Dairy will come up with innovative topics. Colourful tableaux of agriculture, information and public relations, disaster management, art, culture and youth affairs departments will also take part in the show.

Sources said each tableau is being made at an estimated cost of Rs 1-1.5 lakh. The price includes the cost of raw material used in making them.

Manoj Kumar, the artist preparing the agriculture department’s tableau, said: “We have been working on it for the past week. Today, we will work whole night to complete the work. There are only a few hours left.”

The agriculture department has one of the most detailed tableaux. Manoj said this year’s theme is mechanisation of agriculture. “Apart from the leading vehicle, several more instruments will be on display. We are trying to depict how agriculture in the state has undergone changes over the years,” he said.

Manoj has been making tableaux for the department for the past five years. He said this year the tableau features seven power trills along with a combined harvester machine.

Parvez Akhtar, the officer on duty of museums under the art, culture and youth affairs department, has been supervising tableau preparations of the department. Akhtar, also the nodal officer for the department’s tableau, told The Telegraph: “The department’s theme is Virasat se vikas ki aur (from heritage to development). In our tableau, we have depicted the various heritage sites in the state. The front portion of the tableau is based on the building of Patna Museum.”

The information and public relations department’s tableau, on the other hand, will depict various religious structures of the state. “The tableau depicts replicas and paintings of Mahabodhi Temple, Manersharif, Sun temple and others. We want to depict how the state has witnessed an amalgamation of various religions through the tableau,” said an artist associated with the project.

The theme of BHS’s tableau is “safe motherhood”. The tableau depicts a large plaster of Paris statue of a mother playing with her baby.

Mostly, students of College of Arts and Crafts, Patna, bag tableaux projects of various departments. Gautam Kumar, a final year student of the college, is preparing the disaster management department’s tableau.

“The department had recently organised a contest at our college to come up with a logo for the department. My logo was selected. Later, the senior officials of the department asked me to prepare their department’s tableau for Republic Day. This is the first time the department will take part in the parade and I am happy that I am designing its tableau,” said an elated Gautam.