Indian Republic Day – 26th January 1950 is one of the most important days in Indian history as it was on this day the constitution of India came into force and India became a truly sovereign state. In this day India became a totally republican unit. The country finally realized the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and the numerous freedom fighters who, fought for and sacrificed their lives for the Independence of their country. So, the 26th of January was decreed a national holiday and has been recognized and celebrated as the Republic Day of India, ever since.
Indian Republic Day: 26 January
Today, the Indian Republic Day is celebrated with much enthusiasm all over the country and especially in the capital, New Delhi where the celebrations start with the Presidential to the nation. The beginning of the occasion is always a solemn reminder of the sacrifice of the martyrs who died for the country in the freedom movement and the succeeding wars for the defense of sovereignty of their country. Then, the President comes forward to award the medals of bravery to the people from the armed forces for their exceptional courage in the field and also the civilians, who have distinguished themselves by their different acts of valour in different situations.
To mark the importance of this occasion, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, from the Rajghat, along the Vijaypath. The different regiments of the army, the Navy and the Air force march past in all their finery and official decorations even the horses of the cavalry are attractively caparisoned to suit the occasion. The creme of NCC cadets, selected from all over the country consider it an honour to participate in this event, as do the school children from various schools in the capital. They spend many days preparing for the event and no expense is spared to see that every detail is taken care of, from their practice for the drills, the essential props and their uniforms.
The parade is followed by a pageant of spectacular displays from the different states of the country. These moving exhibits depict scenes of activities of people in those states and the music and songs of that particular state accompany each display. Each display brings out the diversity and richness of the culture of India and the whole show lends a festive air to the occasion. The parade and the ensuing pageantry is telecast by the National Television and is watched by millions of viewers in every corner of the country.
The patriotic fervor of the people on this day brings the whole country together even in her essential diversity. Every part of the country is represented in occasion, which makes the Republic Day the most popular of all the national holidays of India.
Republic Day 2023 Chief Guest:
- 2023: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi [Egypt]
- 2022: No Guest
- 2021: No Guest
- 2020: President Jair Bolsonaro [Brazil] – 3rd Invitation
- 2019: President Cyril Ramaphosa [South Africa] – 2nd Invitation
However, just like every year Republic Day parade 2023 will honour the Indian armed forces and the nation’s rich culture heritage by displaying all their might.
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Here’s everything you need to know about how the Republic Day parade will be celebrated this year:
Republic Day parade venue:
The official Republic Day celebrations take place every year at Rajpath in New Delhi. The parade will begin from Rashtrapati Bhavan and end at India Gate. The route followed will be from Vijay Chowk via Rajpath, Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate Princess Palace, Tilak Marg to finally India Gate.
Flag hoisting and parade timings:
The flag hoisting will place at 8 am on Tuesday. The parade usually begins at 9 am and ends around 11.30 am. However, due to changes in the parade lineup this year, the end timings may differ.
Where and how to watch parade: Indian Republic Day
You can watch the R-Day parade live on DD News and it will also be livestreamed on Doordarshan’s YouTube as it takes place. Most Indian news channels will also be airing the Republic Day parade live.
Who is the chief guest at parade?
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi will be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations on January 26 this year. This is the first time that the president of Egypt has been invited as chief guest for Republic Day.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent a formal invitation to Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi which was handed over to the Egyptian president by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on October 16 last year. Both countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.
How many people will be allowed to attend this year?
This year the spectators have been limited to 25,000 compared to 150,000 last year. Similarly, the number of media representatives has been cut from 300 to 200. Children under the age of 15 will not be allowed to attend.
What will be showcased?
Rafale fighter jets, instated into the Indian Air Force (IAF) last year, will take part in the parade for the first time. The parade will also be featuring one of India’s first women fighter pilots – Bhawna Kanth and a contingent of the Bangladesh Armed Forces.
Other ways 26 January – Indian Republic Day Parade will be different this year:
- India will be displaying some of its key military assets, such as T-90 tanks and BrahMos missile system, during the 72nd Republic Day celebrations, with a marching-cum-band contingent of the Bangladesh armed forces all set to take part in the ceremonial parade for the first time.
- The young union territory of Ladakh is all set to make its debut in the extravaganza on Rajpath with a beautiful tableau depicting the iconic Thikse Monastery and its rich cultural heritage.
- The Ministry of Information and Biotechnology will depict the ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative of the government.
- There will be nine tableau from ministries, including Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Electronics and IT, Ministry of Ayush, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; and six from the defence arm, including of IAF, Navy, Indian Naval Coast Guard, two from the DRDO and one from BRO (Border Roads Organisation).
- The tableau of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) will showcase the efforts made by scientists to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine indigenously. The tableau would depict various stages of pre-trial and trial phases of vaccine, a scientist from the DBT said during a media preview held at a camp at Delhi Cantonment.