A tableau on the theme ‘150 Years of Vande Mataram’ will be presented at the Republic Day Parade this year, foregrounding the national song as a living expression of India’s civilisational memory, collective consciousness, and cultural continuity.

The Ministry of Culture’s Republic Day tableau for 2026 gives this long and layered journey a powerful visual form. The moving tractor carries the original manuscript of ‘Vande Mataram’, followed by folk artists drawn from the four directions of India, embodying the country’s cultural plurality.

Read in Hindi: गणतंत्र दिवस परेड में दिखेगी ‘वंदे मातरम् के 150 वर्ष’ पर विशेष झांकी

At the centre of the tableau stands the present generation, represented by Gen - G, who renders Vande Mataram inspired by the historic rendition of Vishnupant Pagnis. His recording of the song in Raga Sarang, achieved by altering the sequence of verses to circumvent colonial censorship, became a significant example of artistic resistance during the freedom movement.

Remember, since 2021, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts has been entrusted with the responsibility of conceptualising and executing the Ministry of Culture’s Republic Day tableau. Over the years, IGNCA has consistently shaped themes drawing upon India’s philosophical, historical, and cultural foundations, presenting them through a visual idiom that resonates across generations. The 2026 tableau continues this approach, situating Vande Mataram not merely as a historical composition but as a continuing source of ethical, cultural, and emotional resonance.

As India celebrates Republic Day 2026, Vande Mataram calls upon the nation not only to remember freedom but to remain worthy of it.