Parakram Diwas 2024: Celebrating Netaji's Legacy

Organised by the Union Ministry of Culture, the Parakram Diwas 2024, being held at the Red Fort, is celebrating Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's legacy.

The grand commemoration from 23 January, not only pays homage to a national hero, but also orchestrates a harmonious convergence of cultural heritage.

The event serves as a vibrant tapestry weaving historical reverence, cultural preservation, and the embodiment of national pride.

Parakram Diwas stands as a tribute to the valour, sacrifice, and unyielding courage demonstrated by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The event was instituted in 2021, marking Netaji's birth anniversary as a day of grand celebrations and national pride.

In the subsequent years, Parakram Diwas has evolved into a multi-day extravaganza, a vibrant canvas upon which the rich tapestry of India's cultural heritage is vividly painted.

Previous years witnessed the declassification and public accessibility of Netaji's files at the National Archives.

In 2022, during the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji, a statue was unveiled at the India Gate. The naming of 21 islands in Andaman and Nicobar after Param Vir Chakra awardees and the model of a National Memorial dedicated to Netaji on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep in 2023, showcased a bold step in connecting the memories of independence with the entire country.

For this year‘s celebration, the event is divided in three key zones, namely an open air exhibition, an indoor exhibition and main stage taking audience through different aspects of life of Netaji.

Open Air Exhibition

1) Archives Exhibition (National Archives): Curated by the National Archives, the Archives Exhibition unveils rare documents and pictures chronicling Netaji's life, from birth to his resignation from the Indian Civil Services and the INA's history.

An interactive screen enhances visitors' exploration of this historical journey.

2) Painting workshop (Lalit Kala Academy): Hosted by Lalit Kala Academy, it features painting workshops, including Sanjha painting.

3) Books Exhibition (Sahitya Akademi): The Books Exhibition offers a glimpse into different facets of Netaji's life through abstracts on larger panels.

A collection of 172 books across various languages are on display.

4) Sculpting Workshop (Lalit Kala Academy): sculpting workshops led by skilled artisans in clay, wood, and stone will create sculptures of Netaji, including a 10 ft wide INA sculpture and a life-size Netaji sculpture.

The curated exhibition by sculptor Naresh Kumawat features replicas of iconic statues of Netaji. Creations will be permanently displayed at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Museum after Parakram Diwas 2024. PM Narendra Modi offered soil from Moirang, Manipur, the historic site of the INA's first hoisting of the Indian tricolour flag.

5) Sand Sculpture — curated by the Padmashree Awardee, Sudarsan Patnaik and created with five tons of soil and 500 steel bowls, the sand sculpture pays a tribute to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Indoor Exhibition

1) Hologram: A 100 Sq.ft hologram of Netaji with narration of his iconic speech generated through AI.

2) Netaji Ke Patra: An interactive experience that allows visitors to see the letters to and from Netaji while an interactive screen showcases the communication in detail.

3) Netaji Ke Bhashan: The interaction allows visitors to listen to the speeches of Netaji from a number of selections. The visitors can simply tap on the speech they want to hear and can hear it using the headphone in this zone.

4) Netaji Ki Yatra: An experience zone with a large, curved screen and an interactive wheel lets visitors see the story of the origin of INA and Netaji’s foreign collaborations and proclamation of Independence of India.

5) 270 degree theatre: An immersive theatre to showcase curated content with real life images and footage of Netaji.

6) Main Bhi Bose AI photo-op: Artifuvula intelligence photo-op to create portraits of visitors in INA uniform. Visitors can scan the QR code to download the picture on their phone and post it on social media.

7) ’I am Netaji’ photo mosaic: A crowd sourced photo mosaic where visitors click a selfie using the tablet to populate a photo mosaic of Netaji. The mosaic will be posted by the relevant social handles thanking visitors for their contribution.

The crowning jewel of the event, the 5,400 sqft projection mapping on Deewan-e-Aam, synchronised with live performances, is a visual masterpiece and immersive experience that echoes the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat initiative, fostering national unity and celebrating India's diverse cultural richness.

It stands as a profound visual narrative, encapsulating the priority of instilling collective responsibility and pride among Indian citizens.

The exhibition's meticulous curation stands as a testament to the commitment to unravel India's historical narrative championing indigenous art and culture and exemplify the initiative to preserve traditional craftsmanship and break free from colonial mindsets.