Republic Day celebrations begin today: Dress rehearsal in full force at Rajpath | In photos
Republic Day celebrations are beginning from January 23 this year , instead of January 24 to include the birth anniversary of late freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Ahead of Republic Day, a full dress parade rehearsal was held at Rajpath in New Delhi on Sunday. The rehearsal commenced from Vijay Chowk on the route towards Red Fort for the parade scheduled on January 26.
Out of a total of 21, only 12 tableaux of selected states and union territories, along with nine ministries are showcasing at the Republic Day parade this year. The Centre had reduced the number of tableaux due to limited time and space in order to follow the necessary Covid-19 protocols.
Chief ministers of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala had voiced against the decision after their tableaux were not selected for the parade.
Notably, the Indian Navy's marching contingent for this year's January 26 parade will comprise 96 personnel and three platoon commanders led by one contingent commander, forming a total of 100 personnel. As per Lieutenant Preeti posted at INS India, the Navel tableau is in pursuance of Combat Ready, Credible and Cohesive.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will have two tableaux at the Republic Day parade this year displaying indigenously developed sensors, weapons and electronic warfare systems for light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas and air independent propulsion (AIP) systems for Indian submarines.
The Army will be represented by a mounted column of cavalry, 14 mechanised columns, six marching contingents and a flypast by advanced light helicopters of its aviation wing at the Republic Day parade.
The mechanised columns of the Army will show one PT-76 tank, one Centurion tank, two MBT Arjun MK-I tanks, one OT-62 TOPAS armoured personnel carrier, one BMP-I infantry fighting vehicle and two BMP-II infantry fighting vehicles.
Among the states, the Uttar Pradesh tableau is set to feature a replica of Kashi Vishwanath Dham, showcasing the glorious history and culture of the ancient city at this year's Republic Day parade. It will also showcase the state government's ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) programme which seeks to preserve, develop and promote indigenous products, arts and handicrafts and create employment opportunities.
Haryana's tableau for the Republic Day parade is themed 'Haryana- Number One in Sports' to showcase the pride of India in the field of sports. On the posterior side, a life-size replica of Olympian Neeraj Chopra in javelin throwing posture will be showcased on the tableau. On both sides, activities of players from selected sports of Haryana like Boxing, Weight-lifting, Shooting, Discus-Throw and Hockey have been depicted in the high relief.
Karnataka's tableau for this year's January 26 parade is themed 'Karnataka, the cradle of traditional handicrafts'. Meanwhile, Gujarat's tableau at the Republic Day parade in Delhi is set to showcase the massacre of 1,200 tribal freedom fighters of Sabarkantha district by the British.
In a first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week announced that Republic Day celebrations will begin a day early from January 23 to include the birth anniversary of late freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Usually, the celebrations begin on January 24.
In order to facilitate smooth passage of the parade, the Delhi Police has restricted the movement of traffic on certain roads in the national capital. Delhi Police had issued a traffic advisory in the city for roads as well as the metro.
On Day 1, the Prime Minister will unveil the hologram statue of the freedom fighter at India Gate in Delhi on Sunday at around 6 pm. As per reports, the Republic Day celebrations will end on January 30, the day Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.
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