Republic Day function: Bihar to display tableau on superfood ‘Makhana’

Bihar’s tableau, in line with the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’, conveys the message that local livelihoods can be given a global identity.

Bihar’s superfood Makhana’s (foxnut) will be the highlight of the state’s tableau display on the 77th Republic Day on January 26, an official communique stated.

The theme of the Bihar tableau is ‘Makhana: Local se Global ki thali me Superfood’. (Representative photo | Amazon)

The theme of the Bihar tableau is ‘Makhana: Local se Global ki thali me Superfood’. It will be part of different tableaux from states at the Bharat Parv, organised by the Defence Ministry from January 23-31 at Red Fort to present India’s cultural, economic and social diversity.

“Bihar’s tableau, in line with the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’, conveys the message that local livelihoods can be given a global identity through a confluence of tradition, hard work, and innovation,” said a communique.

The traditional cultivation of makhana includes the sowing of germinated seeds, labour-intensive manual harvesting form under water, sun drying, traditional popping processes for preparing edible puffed nutritious snacks, packaging and transportation.

Bihar’s Mithilanchal region is the main producer of makhana and the state accounts for nearly 90% of the country’s production. It involves traditional knowledge and labour, with women being the main workforce.

In September 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the National Makhana Board in Purnea, Bihar, to boost the production, processing, and global branding of fox nuts.

The government had approved a ₹475 crore plan to support the sector, which provides income for farmers in Bihar, accounting for bulk of India’s production, to boost production and increase farmers’ income.

The tableaux from 17 states and Union Territories (UTs) will be presented this year at the Republic Day parade, alongside 13 from central Ministries/Departments, highlighting unity, self-reliance, and national progress through themes of “The Mantra Of Freedom - Vande Mataram” and “The Mantra Of Prosperity - Atma Nirbhar Bharat”.

Bihar’s exhibit had marked its return to the Kartavya Path after an eight-year gap at the 76th Republic Day parade last year with a tableau highlighting the state’s rich cultural heritage through the ruins of Nalanda University, a statue of Lord Buddha in meditative Dharmachakra Mudra, and the Bodhi Tree.