changeadminIn India, rivers are profound cultural symbols, serving as the “lifeblood” of civilisations 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, i.e. 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 water warriors, river conservationists, and Ganga Praharis, will attend the Republic Day Parade 2026 at Kartavya Path as special guests of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
Ganga Praharis are the guardians of the river, motivated and trained volunteers from local communities working to conserve biodiversity and clean the Ganga River.
These Ganga Praharis aim to restore and conserve the ecological integrity of the Ganga River under joint collaboration of the National Mission for Clean Ganga and the Wildlife Institute of India.
In 2014, India launched the National Mission for Clean Ganga initiative to restore the health of the River Ganga. Since then, several projects have been initiated to improve water quality and regulate waste discharge, rejuvenating the rivers and achieving prescribed bathing standards.
Besides the Ganga Praharis, private citizens and NGOs involved in protecting and conserving aquatic fauna (e.g., dolphins, turtles), as well as in river conservation and community outreach, have also been invited to witness the Republic Day Parade.
This special guest invitation not only recognises community contributions but also provides rural citizens with the opportunity to witness a national-level ceremony of historic significance at Kartavya Path in New Delhi.
Their presence will reinforce the message that people’s participation (Jan Bhagidari) and community engagement are central to national development efforts.
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