Republic Day 2026 turns toward India’s flowing lines – its rivers – and honors people you might never hear about. Their work didn’t grab headlines, yet they stayed loyal to feeding streams and healing banks. Rivers are profound cultural symbols, serving as the “lifeblood” of civilizations and repositories of collective heritage and cultural diversity. In a unique initiative this year, enclosures for Republic Day Parade have been named after the Rivers, flowing across the nation.
Enclosures refers to designated sections or areas along Kartavya Path where spectators and guests are seated to watch the parade. They have been named after India’s River Like, Beas, Brahmaputra, Chambal, Chenab, Gandak, Ganga, Ghagra, Godavari, Sindhu, Jhelum, Kaveri, Kosi, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Pennar, Periyar, Ravi, Sone, Sutlej, Teesta, Vaigai and Yamuna.
A total of 163 Special Guests comprising of water warriors will attend the Republic Day Parade 2026 at Kartavya Path, New Delhi as Special Guests of Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR).
This comprises of 28 persons from Uttarakhand, 10 persons from Jharkhand, 40 persons from Bihar and 85 persons from Uttar Pradesh. Some of these efforts centre on the Ganga Praharis – ordinary people from nearby neighbourhoods who’ve stepped forward with purpose. These individuals lend their time and energy through shared effort between the National Mission for Clean Ganga and the Wildlife Institute of India.
Tasks range from maintaining water purity to safeguarding fish populations and supporting nature’s balance along the riverbank.
Much of what they do goes unseen by public eye yet quietly feeds into bigger aims: reviving a free-flowing Ganga that flows clear and unbroken. People from all walks of life make up the guest list – some are officials, others just regular citizens helping protect marine life like dolphins and turtles.
