New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu will lead the Nation in celebrating the 76th Republic Day from Kartavya Path in New Delhi on January 26. With a special focus on the 75 years of enactment of the Constitution and Jan Bhagidari, the celebrations this year will be a unique blend of India's rich cultural diversity, unity, equality, development and military prowess to be attended by Prabowo Subianto, president of the Republic of Indonesia, as the chief guest. As part of the Jan Bhagidari, about 10,000 special guests as the architects of Swarnim Bharat have been invited to witness the parade. They include the best performers in various fields and those who have made the best use of governmental schemes.
Address to the Nation
The two-day-long celebrations start with the traditional Presidential address to the nation on January 25 at 7:00 pm. The speech will be delivered in Hindi and English and will be later broadcast in various regional languages. In her speech, the President will take stock of the nation's progress after the Constitution became its bedrock in the field of social balance and progress in a self-reliant India.
The Parade
The 90-minute parade will start at 10 am and the ceremony will commence with the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the National War Memorial to lead the nation in paying tributes to the fallen heroes. Thereafter, the PM and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Kartavya Path to watch the parade. The arrival of the President and her Indonesian counterpart will be escorted by the President's Bodyguard. The two Presidents will arrive in the 'Traditional Buggy', the practice which made a comeback in 2024 after a gap of 40 years.
As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a thunderous 21-gun salute using 105-mm Light Field Guns, an indigenous weapon system. The parade will be heralded by 300 cultural artists playing 'Sare Jahan Se Achha' with musical instruments from different parts of the country. This indigenous mix of instruments would resonate with the melody, beat and hopes of a billion hearts. The ensemble of instruments includes Shehnai, Sundari, Nadaswaram, Been, Mashak Been, Ransingha (Rajasthan), Flute, Karadi Majalu, Mohuri, Sankha, Tutari, Dhol, Gong, Nishan, Chang, Tasha, Sambal, Chenda, Idakka, Lezim, Thavil, Gudum Baza, Talam and Monbah.
About 129 Mi-17 1V helicopters will shower petals in the Dhwaj formation led by Group Captain Alok Ahlawat. The parade will begin with the Presidential salute and will be commanded by Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar while Major General Sumit Mehta, Chief of Staff, will be the second-in-command. Afterwards, the gallantry awards will be awarded to Param Vir Chakra winners Subedar Major (honorary captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav (Retd) & Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar (Retd), and Ashok Chakra winner Lt Col Jas Ram Singh (Retd). The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for the most conspicuous act of bravery and self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy, while the Ashok Chakra is awarded for similar acts of valour and self-sacrifice.
The PM's Interaction with Youth and Artisans
Ahead of the R-Day, the PM interacted with National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets, National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers, tribal guests, and tableau artists. It was a casual conversation in which he asked the cadets to take pride in India's diversity and rich heritage and urged them to become the spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' by connecting with participants from different states and knowing about their respective cultures. Besides, he also focused on the importance of fulfilling civic responsibilities to achieve the vision of a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) by 2047. He encouraged the youths to register themselves in the My Bharat Portal for expressive participation in various nation-building activities. His speech struck an empathic chord with the audience and inspired them to move toward nation-building.
The Contingents
The Kartavya Path will be a witness to a march past by the marching contingent of 152 members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces and Military Band of the Indonesian Military Academy. The first army contingent leading the Mounted Column will be of 61 Cavalry led by Lt Ahaan Kumar. Raised in 1953, the 61 Cavalry is the only serving active Horsed Cavalry Regiment in the world, with the amalgamation of all the 'State Horsed Cavalry Units' followed by nine Mechanised Columns and nine marching contingents.
The armoured displays include the T-90 (Bhishma) tank, NAG missile system along with BMP-2 Sarath, BrahMos, Pinaka multi-launcher rocket system, Agnibaan multi-barrel rocket launcher, Akash weapon system, integrated battlefield surveillance system, all-terrain vehicle (Chetak), light specialist vehicle (Bajrang), vehicle-mounted infantry mortar system (Airawat), quick reaction force vehicles (Nandighosh & Tripurantak) and short-span bridging system.
Contingents of the Brigade of the Guards, the Jat Regiment, the Garhwal Rifles, the Mahar Regiment, the Jammu & Kashmir Rifles Regiment and the Corps of Signals among others will be marching down the Kartavya Path.
Navy Contingent
The Indian Navy contingent will consist of 144 personnel, led by Lt Cdr Sahil Ahluwalia, Lt Cdr Indresh Choudhary, Lt Cdr Kajal Anil Bharani and Lt Devender. It will be followed by the Naval Tableau, depicting an 'Aatmanirbhar Navy' capable of protecting maritime interests.
Air Force Contingent
The Indian Air Force contingent will comprise four officers and 144 personnel, led by Sqn Ldr Mahender Singh Garati, Flt Lt Nepo Moirangthem, Flt Lt Damini Deshmukh & Fg Offr Abhinav Gorsi. It will be followed by a fly-past by three MiG-29 aircraft in 'Baaz Formation'.
State Tableaux
Tableaux from 16 states and Union Territories and 10 ministries/departments highlighting 'Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas', will participate in the parade to showcase India's diverse strengths and constantly-evolving cultural inclusiveness marching into a glorious future.
Recognising Artisans
Unique to this year's celebrations, 100 beneficiaries of the PM Vishwakarma Scheme will be recognised. These artisans and craftspeople, along with their spouses, have been invited as special guests to witness the R-Day Parade. Launched in 2023, the scheme works toward providing comprehensive support to artisans across 18 trades, especially to preserve traditional skills inside the modern world. To date, the scheme has registered approximately 26.87 lakh beneficiaries. The guests represent a cross-section of India, from the states of the northeast, union territories, and aspirational districts. Many of the guests are women, indicating the government's commitment to gender equality and empowerment for marginalised communities. The acknowledgement is a celebration of the contribution of artisans toward the rich Indian heritage and further economic development.
Cultural Performance
About 5,000 artists under the title 'Jayati Jaya Mamah Bharatam' will perform over 45 dance forms from different parts of the country in an 11-minute cultural performance. For the first time, the performance will cover the entire Kartavya Path — from Vijay Chowk to C hexagon — to ensure that all guests get the same viewing experience.
Motorcycle Display
The Corps of Signals Motorcycle Rider Display Team, famously known as 'The Dare Devils', will carry out breath-taking stunts to showcase their bravery and determination through several formations, including Bullet Salute, Tank Top, Double Jimmy, Devils Down, Ladder Salute, Shatrujeet, Shraddhanjali, Mercury Peak, Info Warriors, Lotus and Human Pyramid.
Fly-past
One of the most eagerly-awaited events of the parade, the 'Fly-past' will witness a breathtaking air show by 40 aircraft and helicopters that include 22 fighter jets, 11 transport aircraft and seven helicopters of IAF. They will display a variety of formations including Dhwaj, Ajay, Satluj, Rakshak, Arjan, Netra, Bheem, Amrit, Vajrang, Trishul and Vijay. The concluding Vertical Charlie manoeuvre will be performed by a Rafale fighter aircraft.
The ceremony will culminate with the national anthem and the release of balloons carrying banners with the official logo depicting 75 years of enactment of the Constitution in both English and Hindi.
Rashtraparv Portal & Mobile App
'Rashtraparv Portal' and mobile app have been launched to facilitate access to information related to national events such as Republic Day, Beating Retreat Ceremony, Independence Day and live streaming, purchase of tickets, providing information related to seating arrangements & route-maps of events etc.
Ease of Access
Free Metro rides will be provided at entry points of the metro stations. Delhi Metro will start operations from 4 am. Parking spaces of Delhi Metro will be opened on a chargeable basis. Park and Ride Scheme will also be available. Under this scheme, invitees will park their vehicles at Palika Parking, Connaught Place and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium’s parking area from where they can avail of the ferry services (pick and drop) through the hired DTC buses. The ferry services will be available from 6 am to 8:30 am.
Beating Retreat Ceremony
The 'Beating Retreat Ceremony' on January 29 at Vijay Chowk marks a centuries-old military tradition, when the troops ceased fighting, sheathed their arms, withdrew from the battlefield and returned to the camps at sunset at the sounding of the retreat. Colours and standards are cased and flags are lowered. During the ceremony, only Indian tunes will be played by the bands.
Bharat Parv
Bharat Parv will be organised at the Red Fort from January 26 to 31 by the Ministry of Tourism to showcase the tableaux, performances by the bands, cultural performances, food courts and crafts Bazaar.
Fostering Inclusivity and Triumphs
The government initiatives for R-Day stress inclusive celebrations and an orientation toward social progress. Inviting grassroots leaders, artisans, youths, and defence innovators to the celebrations reflects its wholesome view of nation-building. The attempt to realize recognition of these contributions across various sectors-rural governance, traditional crafts, tech innovation, and cultural preservation-promotes the inseparability of various forms of knowledge and efforts aimed at cultivating a prosperous and self-reliant India.
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