Stage set for majestic Republic Day Parade

The stage is set for 76th Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto as the chief guest.

President Droupadi Murmu will lead the nation in celebrating Republic Day. It will have a special focus on 75 years of the enactment of the Constitution and ‘Jan Bhagidari’ (public participation. This year, the celebrations will showcase a blend of India’s rich cultural diversity, unity, equality, development and military prowess.

Around 10,000 special guests have been invited to witness the parade, in line with the government’s objective to increase ‘Jan Bhagidari’ in events of national importance. These special guests will include best performers from various fields.

The 90-minute parade will start at 10.30 am and culminate with a fly-past. The ceremony will commence with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the National War Memorial.

As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled, followed by the National Anthem with a 21-gun salute using indigenous 105-mm light field guns.

The parade will be heralded by 300 cultural artistes playing ‘Sare Jahan Se Achha’ with musical instruments from different parts of the country.

The Army’s marching contingents will include the Brigade of the Guards, The Jat Regiment, The Garhwal Rifles, The Mahar Regiment, The Jammu & Kashmir Rifles Regiment, and Corps of Signals, among others.

For the first time, a tri-services tableau will roll down on Kartavya Path, displaying the spirit of integration. The tableau will depict a joint operations room, facilitating networking and communication among the three services.

It would also display a battlefield scenario, demonstrating a synchronised operation in land, water and air with the indigenous Arjun Main Battle Tank, Tejas fighter aircraft, Advanced Light Helicopter, warship INS Visakhapatnam and a remotely piloted aircraft.

This year, 5,000 artistes will perform over 45 dance forms from different part of the country in a 11-minute cultural performance. For the first time, the performance will cover the entire Kartavya Path — from Vijay Chowk to India Gate circle — to ensure all guests get the same viewing experience.