From gyrocopter to T-90 battle tank, army festival tingles Lucknowites

The venue premises were crawling with visitors vying to see the various armaments, artillery, military vehicles, and technology on display.

LUCKNOW: Children and adults explored the Know Your Army Festival exhibition at the Surya Khel Parisar grounds, climbing atop gigantic guns and tanks to capture pictures for posterity. This event marked the beginning of the string of programs organised in the run-up to Army Day on January 15.

Adults and children alike enjoyed visiting the three-day Know Your Army Festival in Lucknow. (Deepak Gupta/Hindustan Times)

Following the chief minister’s inauguration of the event, hundreds filed into the venue to enjoy the exhibits and learn more about the equipment and technology used by the Indian Army. The military exhibition had turned into something akin to an amusement park. Visitors climbed into gyrocopters and up to the high barrel of the giant artillery gun on display, enjoying their opportunity to interact with heavy-duty machinery under the supervision of army personnel.

The venue premises were crawling with visitors vying to see the various armaments, artillery, military vehicles, and technology on display. There were 25 separate types of displays, including the K-9 Vajra self-propelled artillery gun, a gyrocopter, the T-90 Indian Army’s main battle tank, as well as Swathi, the domestically produced weapon locating radar, among other pieces of equipment. Interestingly, the exhibition also displayed ancient weapons, such as rifles weighing 6.5 kgs, retained from British rule and the Second World War.

The program for the day started from 11 am to a little before 4 pm when it began to rain. The center of Surya Khel Parisar grounds was constantly abuzz with performances staged by different regiments of the Indian Army. The program started with the Sikh regiment showcasing a Gatka performance, a Punjabi sword-fighting martial art that involves fire tricks and stunts. Following the inauguration ceremony, the visitors on the first day got to witness an army dog show, a pipe band performance, an Army martial arts display, rock climbing, rappelling display, as well as a Khukhri dance, Bhangra dance, and Kalaripayattu performance.

Additionally, an information counter was set up by the Zonal Recruiting Office where army personnel provided details to youngsters who wanted to gain insight into career opportunities and the latest developments related to military service. The ticket counter for further Army Day events, which closed on Friday after two days, also had winding queues, even amidst the rain, with hopeful visitors trying to bag a ticket to the much-awaited affair in the city.