Karnataka tableau featuring Tipu Sultan is from the 2014 Republic Day parade; Karnataka’s 2025 Republic Day Parade tableau displayed temples
On 26 January 2025, India celebrated its 76th Republic Day. President Droupadi Murmu unfurled the national flag at Kartavya Path. President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia attended as the chief guest of the 76th Republic Day celebrations. The Republic Day parade featured cultural performances and honoured gallantry award winners. The 2025 Republic Day parade showcased tableaux from various states across India, including Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Gujarat, Tripura, Haryana, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, and others. The Armed Forces and several Central Ministries also displayed their tableaux. Amidst this, a photo showing a tableau with ‘Karnataka’ written on it, depicting Tipu Sultan, is going viral on social media platforms (here, here, here, and here). The accompanying claim suggests that Karnataka displayed a tableau featuring Tipu Sultan at the recently held 2025 Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Photo shows the Karnataka tableau featuring Tipu Sultan during the 2025 Republic Day parade.
Fact: The viral photo dates back to 26 January 2014 and shows the Karnataka tableau featuring Tipu Sultan at the 2014 Republic Day parade. In the 76th Republic Day parade held at Kartavya Path on 26 January 2025, Karnataka’s tableau showcased the exquisite and artistic temples of the historic city of Lakkundi. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
A relevant keyword search revealed that the viral photo showing Karnataka’s tableau depicting Tipu Sultan is from the 2014 Republic Day celebrations. The keyword search led us to a news report published on the NDTV website on 27 January 2014, titled ‘Tipu Sultan Tableau on Republic Day Sparks War on Twitter’. This report featured the same viral photo of the tableau depicting Tipu Sultan. According to the report, Karnataka displayed a tableau featuring Tipu Sultan during the 2014 Republic Day parade. Additionally, other news reports (here, here, here) from 2014 featuring the same tableau confirm that this photo is indeed from the 2014 Republic Day parade.
We also found the live streaming of the 65th Republic Day Parade on the official YouTube channel of Doordarshan National, the Indian government’s official broadcaster, dated 26 January 2014, where the same tableau can be seen.
Moreover, Karnataka’s tableau in the 76th Republic Day parade held on 26 January 2025, depicted the temples of Lakkundi, a city renowned as the ‘Cradle of Stone Craft’ (here, here). According to a report by Hindustan Times, Lakkundi is located in the Gadag district of Karnataka, approximately 70 km from Hubballi, and is famous for its stunning stone architecture. The front part of the tableau, which rolled down the Kartavya Path, featured the Brahma statue from the Brahma Jinalaya temple, the oldest Jain shrine in Lakkundi, dedicated to Lord Mahaveera. The main section of the tableau showcased the grand and ornate Kashi Vishweshwara temple and the Nanneshwara temple, both dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Furthermore, we have reviewed the entire live telecast of the 76th Republic Day Parade, shared on the official YouTube channel of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 26 January 2025. In this stream, we can clearly see that Karnataka’s tableau displayed the temples of Lakkundi, not Tipu Sultan. From all this information, it is evident that the viral photo showing the Karnataka tableau featuring Tipu Sultan is from the 2014 Republic Day parade.
To sum up, this viral photo is old and shows the Karnataka tableau featuring Tipu Sultan from the 2014 Republic Day parade.