New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu led the nation in celebrating the 75th Republic Day from Kartavya Path in Delhi this morning. French President Emmanuel Macron is the Chief Guest as India showcases its cultural diversity and military prowess.
Based on the twin themes of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Bharat – Loktantra Ki Matruka’, this year’s parade saw the participation of 13,000 special guests.
For the first time, the parade was heralded by over 100 women artists playing Indian musical instruments like the shankh, naadswaram, and nagada.
It is also be the first time an all-women tri-service contingent marches down Kartavya Path. Women pilots will also enthrall the audience during the fly past, representing ‘Nari Shakti’, or ‘women power’. The contingents of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will also consist of only women personnel.
Kartavya Path witnessed a march past by a combined band and marching contingent of the French armed forces. A multirole tanker aircraft and two Rafale fighter jets of the French Air and Space Force flew above the contingents.
Many critical systems and technologies developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) were showcased during the parade. The DRDO tableau is based on the theme ‘Women power in protecting the nation by providing the defence shield in all five dimensions, namely land, air, sea, cyber, and space’.
India’s rocket girls have made us proud and now they have basked in glory at the Republic Day Parade as the space agency’s tableau ‘Chandrayaan-3 – A Saga in the Indian Space History’ ambled down Kartavya Path, bringing cheers and smiles to everyone present at the venue.
Eight women scientists waved to the crowd from the tableau that showed the Shiv-Shakti Point on the moon, the Vikram Lander and Pragyan rover, and another 220 women scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) who were special invitees of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the gala event. The ISRO tableau also showed the landmark Aditya L1 mission that was led by a woman; a model of India’s ‘Bahubali rocket’ the Launch Vehicle Mark 3 and an image of the Bhartiya Antrisha Station and a depiction of the ambitious Gaganyaan program. The float also does not forget to depict ancient astronomers and space pioneers like Aryabhata and Varahamihir on murals.
Also, the tableau representing Uttar Pradesh emerged as the highlight of the Republic Day Parade. The tableau, themed ‘Ayodhya-Vikshit Bharat-Samradh Virasat,’ captured the essence of Uttar Pradesh’s rich cultural tapestry with a mesmerizing portrayal of Ram Lalla, the deity whose recent consecration at the grand temple in Ayodhya stirred the nation’s soul.