| Delhi Republic Day parade | |
|---|---|
_montage.jpg) Clockwise from top left:CISF marching contingent (2017); tableau ofKarnataka (2010); aC-17 Globemaster flanked by twoSu-30 MKIs (2018);T-90 tanks (2016); daredevil riders ofBSF (2014); bird’s eye view ofKartavya Path (2013). | |
| Genre | National Military And Cultural patriotic parade |
| Begins | 26 January |
| Ends | 29 January by Retreat Ceremony |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Locations | New Delhi,India |
| Inaugurated | 26 January 1950 |
| Most recent | 26 January 2025 |
| Next event | 26 January 2026 |
| Organised by | Ministry of Defence[1]Ministry of culture |
| Website | indianrdc |
TheDelhi Republic Day parade is the largest and most important of theparades marking theRepublic Day celebrations inIndia. The parade takes place every year on 26 January atKartavya Path,New Delhi. It is the main attraction of India's Republic Day celebrations, which last for three days. The first parade was held in 1950, and it has been held every year since. The cultural pageant is a symbol of a diverse but united India.[2]
The parade marches from theRashtrapati Bhavan on the Kartavya Path toIndia Gate and from there toRed Fort. It opens with the unfurling of thenational flag by thePresident of India. This is followed by marching from several regiments of theArmy,Navy, andAir Force, along with their bands, andtableaux from various states signifying their cultures are displayed. Abeating retreat ceremony signifies the end of the parade.
The first Republic Day Parade was held on 26 January 1950, led by then Brigadier Moti Sagar of the Gorkha Regiment, during which thePresident of IndonesiaSukarno was the chief guest. The flypast of that parade included aircraft such asHarvards,Consolidated B-24 Liberators,Dakotas,Hawker Tempest,Spitfires and jet planes comprising a total of more than a hundred aircraft.[3] The venue was Irwin Amphitheater, now known as Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. The parades are the legacy of the British Raj, as a showcase of power to the rival States. Since time immemorial the parades have been a show of strength, mystical prowess of the empires and nation-state, legacy of triumph, and inspiring loyalty to the State. The Prussian State was the pioneer of modern military parades. Indian leaders attached military parades to the Republic Day to commemorate the triumph of a new sovereign strong republic against the colonial power. Consequently, among many other innovations, the unique and grand cultural tableaux were included as an integral part of the parade symbolising a strong and diverse republic, replete with symbols of a larger nationalism incorporating massive regional diversity. With time the colonial symbols have been systematically pushed away, and anindianisation has happened.[4] The75th Delhi Republic Day parade in 2024 was celebrated as a Golden Jubilee milestone, marking a significant occasion in the history of the event.
To mark the Republic Day, an annual parade is held in New Delhi, starting at theRashtrapati Bhavan (the President's residence), and proceeding along the Kartavya Path, past theIndia Gate.[5] Prior to its commencement, the Prime Minister lays a floral wreath at theNational War Memorial (previously at theAmar Jawan Jyoti memorial) at one end of Kartavya Path, which is followed by two minutes silence in the memory of fallen soldiers. Thereafter he/she reaches the main dais at Kartavya Path to join other dignitaries. Subsequently, the President arrives along with the chief guest of the occasion. They are escorted on horseback by thePresident's Bodyguard.[citation needed]
First, the president unfurls theNational flag, as the National AnthemJana Gana Mana is played, and a 21-gun salute is fired by the Indian Army Regiment of Artillery as the PBG renders the National Salute and its standard is dipped. Next, as the PBG trots off the dais, important awards like theAshok Chakra andParam Vir Chakra are given away by the President. The President comes forward to award the medals of bravery to the people from the armed forces for their exceptional courage in the field and also the civilians, who have distinguished themselves by their different acts of valour in different situations, either in military, civilian or disaster scenarios. This is followed by the regiments of Armed Forces starting their march past, led by the parade commander and his second in command, followed by living recipients of gallantry medals of the Republic. Following the march past of the armed forces follows the march of personnel belonging to the federal security organizations and the Delhi Police, which marches also on behalf of all territorial, state, city and municipal police forces. Children who are recipients of theNational Bravery Award ride past the spectators on colourfully decorated elephants or vehicles.[6]
18 to 24 different regiments of the Indian Army in addition to the Navy, and Air Force (total nearly 55)) with their bands march past in all their finery and official decorations. ThePresident of India who is theCommander-in-Chief of theIndian Armed Forces, takes the salute. Twelve contingents of various para-military forces of India and other civil forces also take part in this parade.[7] One of the unique sights of the parade is the camel mountedBorder Security Force contingent, which is the only camel mounted military force in the world.[citation needed] The bestNCC cadets, selected from all over the country consider it an honour to participate in this event, as do the school children from various schools in the capital. They spend many days preparing for the event and no expense is spared to see that every detail is taken care of, from their practice for the drills, the essential props and their uniforms. 22 to 30 floats exhibiting the cultures of the various states and union territories of India, including floats of union ministries and state enterprises are in the grand parade, which is broadcast nationwide on television and radio. These moving exhibits depict scenes of activities of people in those states and the music and songs of that particular state accompany each display. Each display brings out the diversity and richness of the culture of India and the whole show lends a festive air to the occasion.[8] People from different parts of the country enjoy watching the representation of their state rolling along in the parade.[2] Around 1200 schoolchildren present cultural dances as part of the parade.[9] The 2016 Republic Day marked the return of K-9 Dog Squad to the parade after 26 years.[10]
The parade traditionally ends with dare devil motor cycle riding display by motorcycle units of the Armed Forces and civil security services and aflypast by theIndian Air Force jets and helicopters.[11] In 2019, the flypast included aircraft such asSu 30 MKI,Jaguar,Mig 29,C-17 Globemaster andHAL Rudra.[12]
A full dress rehearsal parade is organised on 23 January every year.[13]
To promote gender equality and women empowerment, in 2024, most of the contingents, including the motorcycle acrobat teams were composed entirely of women.[14][15]
The selection process of the tableaux is conducted by theMinistry of Defence, which involves a number of guidelines. The ministry recommends that tableaux represent a historical event, heritage, culture, development programmes and environment. The tableaux must not carry any logos and should carry some animation and sound.[16]
Proposals are invited fromunion ministries anddepartments of theunion government of India, and fromstates and union territories of India within a fixed deadline. The proposals are examined by a committee of experts fromarts fields. The examination process involves 2 rounds. The first round provides suggestions for modifications, after evaluating the sketches and designs. The second round evaluatesthree-dimensional models, after which a final judgement is passed by the committee.[16] A system was introduced in 2024, which gives every state and union territory a chance to showcase their tableau during the Republic Day parade once every three years.[17][18]
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TheIndian Beating Retreat ceremony officially denotes the end of Republic Day festivities. It is conducted on the evening of 29 January, the third day after the Republic Day. It is performed by thebands of the three wings of the military, theIndian Army,Indian Navy andIndian Air Force. The venue isRaisina Hill and an adjacent square,Vijay Chowk, flanked by thenorth and south block of theRashtrapati Bhavan (President's Palace) towards the end of Kartavya Path.[citation needed]
The Chief Guest of the function is thePresident of India who arrives escorted by the Presidential Body Guard (PBG), a cavalry unit. When the President arrives, the PBG commander asks the unit to give the National Salute, which is followed by playing of the Indian National Anthem,Jana Gana Mana, by the Army developed the ceremony of display by the massed bands in which Military Bands, Pipe and Drum Bands, Buglers and Trumpeters from various Army Regiments besides bands from the Navy and Air Force take part which play popular tunes like the National Song of IndiaVande Mataram,Mahatma Gandhi's favourite hymnVaishnava Jana To,Saare Jahan Se Achcha,Abide With Me andAye Mere Watan Ke Logo at the end.[19][20][21]
Mostly, after Republic Day Celebrations Schools and Colleges Observe Holiday on 27 January.[citation needed]
In 2016,French Army soldiers and aFrench Army Band took part in the 67th Republic Day parade. This marked the first time since the beginning of the parade in 1950, that a foreign army contingent marched down the Rajpath during the Republic Day parade.[citation needed]
| Year | Country | Unit | Contingent Details | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016[22] |  France |  35th Infantry Regiment | 76 soldiers |  |
| 2017[24] |  United Arab Emirates |  United Arab Emirates Presidential Guard | 149 soldiers 35-memberband |  |
| 2021[25] |  Bangladesh |  Bangladesh Armed Forces | 122 soldiers[26] | |
| 2023[27] |  Egypt |  Egyptian Armed Forces | 144 soldiers 12-member band |  |
| 2024[28] | France |  | 95-member marching contingent 33-member band |  |
| 2025[29] |  Indonesia |  Indonesian National Armed Forces | 352 soldiers |  |
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| Year | Union Ministry / Department |
|---|---|
| 2020[52] | National Disaster Response Force andMinistry of Jal Shakti |
| 2021[51] | Department of Biotechnology |
| 2022[44] | Ministry of Education andMinistry of Civil Aviation |
| 2023[45] | Ministry of Tribal Affairs |
| 2024[46] | Ministry of Culture |
| 2025[47] | Ministry of Tribal Affairs |
In 2022, for the first time, the public were allowed to vote for their favourite floats and marching contingents using theMyGov app.[44] The floats with the most votes are declared the winners.[53]
| Year | Best State / Union Territory tableaux | Best Marching Contingent among the three services | Best Marching Contingent among CAPFs/other auxiliary forces | Best tableaux among the Union Ministries and Departments | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | Second | Third | ||||
| 2022[44] | Maharashtra | Uttar Pradesh | Jammu and Kashmir | Indian Air Force | Central Reserve Police Force | Ministry of Communications |
| 2023[45] | Gujarat | Uttar Pradesh | Maharashtra | Indian Air Force | Central Reserve Police Force | Ministry of Home Affairs |
| 2024[46] | Gujarat | Uttar Pradesh | Andhra Pradesh | Rajputana Rifles | CRPF Woman | Ministry of Home Affairs |
| 2025[47] | Gujarat | Uttar Pradesh | Uttarakhand | Indian Army Corps of Signals | Central Reserve Police Force | Ministry of Women and Child Development |
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