R-Day tableau -- Ghalib beats cyberia

R-Day tableau -- Ghalib beats cyberia
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, JAN 11: Mirza Ghalib has returned to prevail over Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's pet projects -- Bhagidari and cyber city. The famed Urdu poet and his times have been selected as theme for Delhi government's Republic Day tableau.

Scheduled to be at the head of the tableaus on second position, Mirza Ghalib's Delhi is expected to be one of the Capital's most expensive and attractive ones.

The theme was selected only after the expert committee responsible for approving themes rejected Delhi government's official favourite citizen-government partnership programme -- Bhagidari. The Union Government committee, responsible for selection, is chaired by the defence secretary and includes famous artistes like Jatin Das, Sonal Mansingh. According to sources, the expert committee rejected the idea of Bhagidari on the grounds that ``it would be difficult to visualise.'' The other three ideas submited included Mirza Ghalib, cyber city and development of Yamuna.

With Andhra Pradesh having already done a tableau on the theme of cyber city, and with the ongoing troubles in the Capital over the maili Yamuna case, these ideas too were vetoed.

Given Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's inclination for poetry, the historical and cultural appeal of Ghalib's times eventually won the tableau war. At Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where the fabrication of the tableau has already begun, the theme has got other teams trying to take sneak previews.

This time, Delhi's tableau will be bigger. It will be using two trailers and a tractor. The main attraction will be the recreation of a mushaira at Diwan-e-Khas in the durbar of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar. Besides the poet king, other celebrities in ``attendance'' will be Ghalib's contemporaries and great Urdu poets of the time -- Zauq, Momi, Alawi, Azurda, Nayyir, Aish, Shefta and Sehbai. For accompaniment will be the original Urdu couplets composed by the poets.

The first part of the tableau will depict an attractive 8-feet-high statue of Ghalib in a sitting position.

The statue, made of fibre glass, is a copy of earlier paintings.

According to officials in the Delhi government, the poet's costume -- replete with zari and nakashi work -- has been copied in minute details. He will be shown writing on a book, an ink pot, lantern, hookah and a wine jar beside him.

This will be followed by the scene of the mushaira at Diwan-e-Khas. The last part of the tableau will be a scene of the Walled City where Ghalib lived.

At the end of this tableau will be a live fountain against a backdrop of Delhi Gate. Around the fountain will be two dozen pigeons. According to governemnt officials, a pigeon trainer has been hird for Rs 5,000 to train the birds to stay on the float and hop around the fountain . Around this will be scenes of narrow streets, kite flying, fruit and vegetable vendors.

A double-storey haveli of the period will be reconstructed. While the ground floor will depict shops fo handicrafts and utensils of that period, the second floor will reflect the domestic life including burka-clad women.