India marked its 77th Republic Day on Sunday with nationwide celebrations centred on the theme “150 years of Vande Mataram”, as President Droupadi Murmu presided over the main ceremony at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. From the national capital to distant corners of the country, the day was observed with parades, flag hoisting ceremonies and personal expressions of patriotism.
A patriotic moment from Srinagar
One such moment from Srinagar’s iconic Lal Chowk drew wide attention on social media.
A video shared by news agency ANI showed a tourist from Ahmedabad in Gujarat celebrating Republic Day at the historic Ghanta Ghar clock tower in Lal Chowk. Painted in the colours of the Tricolour, the man carried a small model of the BrahMos missile, waved the National Flag and raised slogans of “Bharat Mata ki jai”.
Take a look here at the clip:
Tourist speaks on repeated visits since 2022
Speaking to ANI, the tourist identified as Arun shared his thoughts on celebrating Republic Day in Srinagar and reflected on how the atmosphere has changed over the years.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking to ANI, the tourist identified as Arun shared his thoughts on celebrating Republic Day in Srinagar and reflected on how the atmosphere has changed over the years.
{{/usCountry}}“I extend greetings to everyone on the occasion of Republic Day. I have been coming here continuously since 2022. From here, I would like to give a message to the Government of India and PM Modi that the youth today don’t just dream but see dreams becoming reality. Hoisting and waving the Tiranga here used to be a challenge. Narendra Modi ji was the first one to hoist the Tiranga here. The situation wasn’t good at that time. I have been coming here all alone since 2022, and I have been waving the Tiranga here,” he said.
Watch the clip here:
Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path
Meanwhile, the annual Republic Day parade took place at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. The ceremony began at 10.30 am and featured marching contingents, cultural tableaux and a display of India’s military capabilities.
Global leaders attend as chief guests
Continuing the tradition of hosting international dignitaries, India welcomed the President of the European Council Antonio Costa and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen as chief guests at the Republic Day parade this year.