LIVE | R-Day: Grand parade showcases military firepower, cultural diversity
While 75 years of the enactment of the Constitution was the focus of celebrations this year, the theme for the tableaux was “Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas”
India as a sovereign democratic republic completed 75 years of its eventful journey on Sunday, with the country showcasing its military prowess and rich cultural heritage at the ceremonial parade at the Kartavya Path in Delhi.
Besides VVIP dignitaries, members of the Paralympic contingent, sarpanches from top-performing villages, handloom artisans and forest and wildlife conservation workers were among the nearly 10,000 special guests who had been invited to witness the 76th Republic Day Parade.
President Droupadi Murmu led the nation in celebrating the momentous occasion, and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was the chief guest. A marching contingent and a band contingent from Indonesia participated in the parade.
Subianto was the fourth Indonesian president to attend India's Republic Day celebrations. Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia, was the chief guest at India's first Republic Day celebrations in 1950.
While 75 years of the enactment of the Constitution was the focus of celebrations this year, the theme for the tableaux was “Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas”.
Sixteen tableaux from across states and Union Territories and 15 from central ministries, departments and organisations rolled down the ceremonial boulevard during the annual parade as India displayed its military prowess and its journey as a republic.
The country showcased some of its cutting-edge defence platforms including BrahMos, Pinaka and Akash, with the Army's Battle Surveillance System 'Sanjay' and DRDO's surface-to-surface tactical missile 'Pralay' registering their presence in the ceremonial parade for the first time.
T-90 “Bhishma” tanks Sarath (infantry carrying vehicle BMP-II), Short Span Bridging System 10m, Nag Missile System, multi-barrel rocket launcher system 'Agnibaan' and 'Bajrang' (light specialist vehicle) were also part of the parade, according to officials.
The Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, and came into effect on January 26, 1950.
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- 26 Jan 2025 5:46 AM GMT
PM Modi wears yellow-and-red striped ‘safa’ with long veil, brown jacket
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose a red and yellow striped ‘safa’ for his Republic-Day look on Sunday, pairing it with a brown bandhgala jacket and pocket square.
For the 76th Republic-Day celebrations, Modi wore a white kurta-pyjama and sported a turban with a long veil.
Flamboyant and colourful turbans have been a regular feature in the prime minister's Independence Day and Republic Day looks.
Last year, he chose a multi-coloured ‘bandhani’ print safa for his Republic-Day look.
In 2023 too, Modi wore a multi-coloured Rajasthani turban and complemented it with a pair of trousers and a kurta. Later that year, on the 77th Independence Day, he opted for a vibrant Rajasthani-style turban, with multiple colours and a lengthy tail.
In 2019, Modi sported a multi-coloured turban as he delivered his sixth Independence-Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, after returning to power for a second term with a thumping majority.
For his maiden Independence Day as prime minister in 2014, he had opted for a bright red Jodhpuri ‘bandhej’ turban. In 2015, Modi chose a yellow turban covered with multi-coloured criss-cross lines, and a tie-and-dye turban in hues of pink and yellow in 2016.
The prime minister's turban for 2017 was a mix of bright red and yellow with crisscrossed golden lines all over. He donned a saffron turban for his appearance at the Red Fort in 2018.
From a bright red ‘bandhani’ turban from Kutch to a mustard Rajasthani 'safa', Modi's eye-catching turbans have been a highlight of his Republic-Day appearances too.
In 2022, Modi had chosen a unique traditional cap from Uttarakhand for the Republic-Day celebrations. The cap also had a Brahma Kamal-inspired brooch. Brahma Kamal is Uttarakhand's state flower, which the prime minister uses on every visit to Kedarnath.
In 2021, Modi wore a ‘Halari Pagdi’, a bright red ‘bandhej’ (a type of tie-dye textile) headgear with yellow dots during the celebratory parade — a gift from the royal family of Jamnagar in Gujarat.
