Natural and cultural heritage besides development projects would be the showcase themes at this year's Republic Day function to be held at Gandhi Maidan on January 26. While the tourism department is to put on show a model of Ghora Katora, an ancient site at Rajgir in its bid to promote it as an eco-tourism destination, COMFED will display its dairy projects in rural areas run mostly by women through the tableau -"Unnat taknik apnayengei, Krishak ko samriddh banayegi".

The arts and culture department will bring into focus the fine lines and graphic designs of Madhubani and Manjusha paintings from Bhagalpur area, while the information and public relations department (IPRD) will promote the dying Sikki art through displays and live demonstrations by some artists from Madhubani.

The function will also witness displays by the Bihar Education Project (BEP), water and sanitation committee, agriculture directorate and the cooperative department. Altogether nine departments have decided to participate in the R-Day function this year.

"We have asked the departments to send details of the themes and the list of the people involved in the display of tableaus so that they can be issued entry passes,"N Saravana Kumar said after a meeting held here on Friday to review the preparations. They have also been asked to complete the tableaus by January 23rd, he added.

The district administration will provide vehicles to transport the display materials and the sheds to keep the materials safe. A committee with Seema Tripathi, the deputy development commissioner, has been constituted to monitor the preparation of tableaus to be on the occasion, he added.