The colourful Uttarakhand tableau which showcased the state's wildlife and religious sites at the 74th Republic Day parade has won the top prize, while the Army's Punjab Regiment has been adjudged the best marching contingent among the three services, the government said on Monday.
In a statement, the ministry of defence said the official winners were picked by panels of judges.
Gujarat's tableau emerged as the numero uno in the popular choice segment.
Uttarakhand's tableau showcased the state's wildlife and religious sites during the ceremonial parade at Kartavya Path on January 26.
In the foreground of the tableau, reindeer, deer and various birds were shown roaming in the world-famous Corbett National Park. The central part of the tableau depicted the state animal of Uttarakhand, musk deer, national bird peacock and ghoral.
Jageshwar Dham, a group of 125 small and big ancient temples in Manaskhand's Almora district, and popular deodar trees were shown in the rear part of the tableau.
"The best marching contingents and tableaux of Republic Day Parade 2023 have been announced. Separate results – one by a panel of judges and other through an online public vote conducted by MyGov – have been declared," the ministry said in a statement.
Three panels of judges were appointed for assessing the performance of the marching contingents from the three services, those from Central Armed Police Forces and other auxiliary forces, and tableaux from various states and union territories, and various ministries and departments, it said.
On the basis of the assessment of the panels, the Punjab Regiment's contingent won the best marching contingent among the three services, while the Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) marching contingent won the top prize among the CAPFs and other auxiliary forces, the statement said.
Uttarakhand won the first prize for its tableau, followed by Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh in the second and third positions respectively.
The tableau of Maharashtra on Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav presented "Sade Tin Shaktipithe" and "Nari Shakti", while that of Uttar Pradesh showcased Ayodhya Deepotsav.
Among the ministries and departments, the tableau of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (Eklavya Model Residential Schools) won the best prize.
The Central Public Works Department's tableau on biodiversity conservation and 'Vande Bharatam' dance group earned a special prize, the statement said.
In addition to the panel of judges, a web page was created on the MyGov platform for online registration of citizens for watching the Republic Day parade and the Beating the Retreat ceremony online.
Citizens voted in an online poll on MyGov for their favourite tableaux and marching contingents in the popular choice category, the ministry said.
The poll for the popular choice was conducted between January 25 and 28.
The IAF's marching contingent emerged as the winner among the three services in the popular choice category, it said.
Among the tableaux from states and union territories, Gujarat won the first prize in the category, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra in that order.
Kutchi embroidery and decoration, known for its mirror work, traditional 'bhungas' and renewable energy production were the focus elements in the Gujarat tableau.
The village of Modhera, famous for its Sun Temple, and being India's first round-the-clock solar-powered village was also showcased in the tableau.
Among the central ministries and departments, the tableau by the CAPF, the Ministry of Home Affairs, emerged as the best in the popular choice segment.
