A parade showing diversity, culture, military strength
New Delhi, Jan 26: The 72nd Republic Day celebrations and parade which happened today at Rajpath in New Delhi. The parade was presided over by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind. This was the first Republic Day in 50 years when there was no chief guest owing to the pandemic restrictions. Parade Highlights:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed the ceremonial book at the National War Memorial at the India Gate, before proceeding towards Rajpath.
- 21 Gun Salute was presented by the Ceremonial Battery of 223 Field Regiment following the unfurling of the national flag.
- Bravery award also paraded down Rajpath.
- For the first time, a 122 member marching contingent & band of Bangladesh Armyparticipated in the Republic Day parade.
- A total of 32 tableaux — 17 of various states and UTs, nine of ministries, and six from the defencearm were a part of the parade.
- Tableaus of the Air Force, Ladakh, Gujarat, UttarPradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Tripura, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, adorned Rajpath.
- Tableaus of Digital India, Labour Ministry, Ministry of Aayush, CRPF, Made in India Covid vaccine, were the other highlights of the parade.
- This was followed by vibrant dance performances by school children which enthralled the audience.
- Tricolour balloons adorned the sky at the end of the ceremony.
- India’s military strength was paraded in front of the crowd including the T-90 Bhishma, (India’s Made in India tank), Brahmos Missile and its Mobile Autonomous Launcher, 841 Rocket Regiment’s Pinaka Multi Launcher Rocket System (one of the most advanced rocket systems in the world). The upgraded Schilka Weapon system was led by Captain Preeti Choudhary of 140 Air Defence Regiment (Self Propelled). She was the only woman contingent commander from Army at the parade.
- Rafale fighter jets took part in the Republic Day flypast for the first time.
- The first in the flypast was the ‘Rudra’ formation comprising a Dakota aircraft flanked by 2 Mi-17 IV helicopters.
- The ‘Trinetra’ formation comprising of three Su-30MKIs – the three aircraft split outwards and upwards, forming a ‘Trishul in the Sky’, while one Rafale with 2 Jaguar Deep penetration strike aircraft and 2 MiG-29 Air superiority fighters, formed a ‘Eklavya’ formation.
- The parade ended with Rafale carrying out a ‘Vertical Charlie’, a sight to behold. It performed a Brahmastra formation wherein it traversed at a low altitude for some distance, then pulled up vertically at 90 degrees.