From Ahilyabai To Asharikandi: The Stories Behind Republic Day 2026 Tableaux

Every year, Republic Day transforms Kartavya Path into a moving canvas of India’s history, culture, and aspirations. On January 26, 2026, this tradition will continue with at least 30 tableaux rolling down the boulevard, offering a vivid glimpse into the country’s diversity and progress. The tableaux this year are presented under the themes “Svatantrata Ka Mantr – Vande Mataram” and “Samriddhi Ka Mantr – Atmanirbhar Bharat,” marking 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram.

Of the total tableaux, 17 will represent States and Union Territories, while 13 will come from various ministries, departments, and services.

Together, they will reflect India’s journey from freedom to self-reliance, blending memory with modern ambition.

Cultural performances by around 2,500 artists will further enrich the spectacle, making Republic Day 2026 a deeply layered national celebration.

Among these many displays, a few tableaux stand out for the way they quietly weave together history, culture, skill, and leadership.

Indian Navy Tableau: When Young Girls March with the Sea

At first glance, the Indian Navy tableau appears to be about ships, strength, and maritime power. The theme for 2026 is “Anchored in Tradition, Sailing into Self-Reliance.”

It features ancient stitched ships like INSV Kaundinya from the fifth century, Maratha Navy Gurab class ships, and modern indigenous assets like INS Vikrant and stealth frigates.

For the first time in decades, young girl cadets from the Sea Cadets Corps will march with the naval tableau. These girls last appeared in the Republic Day Parade in the 1980s.

Their return is not symbolic alone. It is a reminder that the sea and national defence are no longer distant spaces for women.

The tableau also highlights the INSV Tarini circumnavigation route. This project is closely linked to women officers who have sailed across oceans, proving endurance and skill in spaces long dominated by men.

Among the marching contingent are women officers like Lt Priti Kumari, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male colleagues. The naval band also includes six women Agniveer musicians.

This tableau tells young girls watching from home that strength does not always roar. Sometimes it marches in quiet discipline, wearing a uniform, claiming space on a national stage.

Madhya Pradesh: Remembering Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar

The Madhya Pradesh tableau turns attention to one of the most remarkable figures in Indian history, Ahilyabai Holkar, remembered with reverence as Punyashlok Lokmata.

Born in 1725 in Chaundi village, she rose to become the ruler of the Malwa territory from 1767 to 1795 during the Maratha period.

Ahilyabai’s life defied many conventions of her time. Educated by her father despite norms that discouraged learning for girls, she later trained in statecraft and warfare under her father-in-law Malhar Rao Holkar.

After personal loss and political uncertainty, she assumed leadership of the Holkar dynasty, ruling from Maheshwar and Indore during what is considered its most stable and prosperous phase.

Her reign was marked by peace, efficient administration, and wide-ranging public works. She built roads, wells, rest houses, forts, and temples across India, including the reconstruction of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi and the Grishneshwar Temple near Aurangabad.

Maheshwar flourished under her patronage, becoming a centre for artisans and giving rise to the Maheshwari textile tradition that continues today.

Known for her accessibility, Ahilyabai held daily audiences where citizens could directly approach her. She established systems of justice and arbitration, modernised her army, and ruled without observing purdah, an uncommon choice for the era.

Her legacy lives on in institutions, infrastructure, and collective memory. The tableau honours not only a ruler, but a model of governance rooted in fairness, humility, and service.

Assam: Asharikandi’s Terracotta Journey to Kartavya Path

From a small village near the Assam–West Bengal border comes a story shaped in clay. Assam’s tableau features Asharikandi, a craft village known for its distinctive terracotta art.

Nearly 160 families in the village depend on this craft, which draws its strength from the unique clay found near the Shilai wetland.

Asharikandi’s recognition is closely tied to Saralabala Devi, who brought the village’s terracotta work into the national spotlight in the early 1980s. 

Her work earned the President’s Award in 1984, and her efforts helped establish terracotta as a viable livelihood in the region.

Today, her descendants continue the tradition, teaching younger generations and adapting designs for changing markets.

Despite national and international recognition, many artisans still face economic challenges, including low returns and dependence on middlemen.

Yet the journey of Asharikandi’s terracotta from a quiet village to Kartavya Path is a testament to endurance, skill, and continuity. The tableau carries with it not just art forms, but the lives and histories embedded in them.

Puducherry and Auroville: Craft, Culture, and a Vision of Unity

Puducherry’s Republic Day representation highlights its rich craft traditions alongside the vision of Auroville.

Founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, known as The Mother, Auroville was conceived as a place for human unity beyond national and political boundaries.

The tableau showcases eco-conscious crafts such as handwoven textiles, handmade paper, pottery, and upcycled products, many of which contribute to the local economy.

Art and craft villages like Murungapakkam provide platforms for artisans, while cultural centres work to preserve traditional performing arts.

Auroville’s Matrimandir, symbolising silent concentration and inner growth, stands as a visual anchor for the idea that development can be sustainable, reflective, and inclusive. The tableau links heritage with alternative models of progress.

Jammu and Kashmir: Craft and Folk Dance

Jammu and Kashmir’s tableau will show craft and folk dance together. Designed by Padma Shri awardee Balwant Thakur, it features samavars, Kani shawls, hand-knotted carpets, walnut wood carvings, papier-mache, and Basohli miniature paintings.

Folk dances like Rouf, Kud, Bhadarwahi, Pahari, and Gojri will be performed along with music from rabab, santoor, and flute.

Saffron blossoms will feature as a symbol of labour and landscape. Fifteen artists will be on the tableau showing that craft and performance live together. The display presents the idea of a “Naya Jammu and Kashmir” where heritage continues as a living practice.

Much of this cultural heritage survives because of women. Women weave shawls with patience and precision.

Women perform Rouf with grace and collective rhythm. Women pass songs, stitches, and stories across generations even in times of conflict.

The tableau shows saffron blossoms and purple fields, symbols of labour and land. For women in Kashmir, work and culture are deeply tied to survival.