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The Republic Day parade has long been a showcase of India’s cultural diversity and heritage, with tableaux from across the country coming together under a central theme. For Republic Day 2026, that unifying theme will be 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, the national song, an idea that also dominated the recent Winter Session of Parliament.

According to the Ministry of Defence, this year’s celebrations on Kartavya Path will once again blend India’s military strength with its cultural richness. The parade will be attended by President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who will be the chief guests for the event.

"With a broad theme of ‘Swatantrata ka Mantra: Vande Mataram’ and ‘Samriddhi ka Mantra: Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, the tableaux will showcase a unique mix of 150 years of national song Vande Mataram and the nation’s rapid progress on the back of the growing self-reliance across sectors, dipped in its rich and vibrant cultural diversity," an official release by the Defence Ministry stated.

A total of 30 tableaux, 17 of States and Union Territories and 13 of Ministries, will roll down the Kartavya Path in New Delhi during the 77th Republic Day parade on January 26, 2026.

‘Vande Mataram’ As The Central Theme

Explaining the significance of the theme, Vivek Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, said the Republic Day tableaux are far more than ceremonial displays and serve as moving repositories of India’s civilisational memory.

“Year after year, they translate ideas, values and historical experience into a shared visual language, reaffirming that culture is not an ornament of the Republic, but its sustaining spirit. Within this continuum, Vande Mataram occupies a singular and enduring place,” the culture ministry said.

Composed in 1875 by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay, the song envisioned the nation as a mother, 'sujalam, suphalam', abundant in nature, nurture and inner strength. During the colonial era, it restored dignity and self-belief, transforming devotion into courage and poetry into resolve, and uniting Indians across regions, languages and faiths in a shared aspiration for freedom, the ministry said.

How the Theme Will Be Presented

The theme of Vande Mataram will be woven throughout the Republic Day parade. A series of paintings created by Tejendra Kumar Mitra in 1923, illustrating the verses of Vande Mataram and published in the Bande Mataram Album (1923), will be displayed as view-cutters along Kartavya Path during the parade.

At the conclusion of the parade, a banner depicting Vande Mataram will be unveiled, accompanied by the release of rubber balloons. The theme will also feature in floral decorations in front of the rostrum, as well as in the design of invitation cards and tickets for Republic Day 2026.

In addition, videos centred on Vande Mataram will be screened along Kartavya Path. The Ministry of Culture will also present a dedicated tableau during the parade, visually tracing the journey of the song and featuring its complete version.