New Delhi: India celebrated its 66th Republic Day in style today, showcasing its military might on the street and skies above, and its tremendous cultural diversity as Rajpath turned a river of colours before US President Barack Obama who became the first from his country to be chief guest.
Here are highlights from the morning. Scroll to the end to read from the beginning of the parade.
11:59 am: The celebrations ended with the national anthem after which leaders exchanged greetings.
11:55 am: The IAF’s aircrafts took to the skies around noon. First came the C-130J Super Hercules followed by C-17 Globe Masters. Next came the Jaguars in an arrowhead formation, which was followed by the Fulcrum formation of MIG-29. The parade culminated with a vertical Charlie by Sukhoi-30 MKi fighter jet.
11: 45 am: Then came the ‘Jaanbaaz’ men from the Border Security Forces, who performed stunts on motorcycles.
11:35 am: Then came the children -- some for bravery and the rest to dance before the guest and to have some fun.
11:30 am: The ‘Nari Shakti’ theme resurfaced at 11.30 with the Women and Child Development tableau stressing on another favourite slogan of Narendra Modi – ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’. It was followed by Finance Ministry’s ‘Jan Dhan Yojana’ and 'Swachch Bharat' campaign.
11:25 am: After the states, tableaux from various government departments rolled in, each making a case for Narendra Modi’s pet subjects. The first was an iron lion by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion. The Central Public Works Department tableau ‘Gaumukh’ in keeping with Modi’s ‘Clean Ganga’ push. Then there were tableaux on atomic energy, Panchayati Raj. The Law Ministry’s tableau rolled for ‘justice for all’.
11:15 am: Uttar Pradesh tableau paid a tribute to the 10th and last Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah. Jammu and Kashmir showcased folk dance, Haryana dealth in nature to shows large variety of birds, Chattisgarh celebrated its Dushera of Bastar and the men and women of Arunachal Pradesh did the Igu dance. Maharashtra themed its tableau on pilgrimage to Pandharpur. Prime Minister’s state Gujarat was a tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who stands for unity.
11:10 am: The newly-formed state Telangana’s tableau rolled in celebrating the festival of Bonnalu. It was preceded by Jharkhand’s Maluti temple and Sikkim’s cardamom cultivation.
11:05 am: Then the tableaux from various states. First was Karnataka which showcased its Channapatna toys, next came the very colourful Andhra Pradesh tableau, Goa’s theme was on its fishing industry, Uttarakhand sent out a request to come to Kedarnath, Assam displayed its river island Majuli, etc.
Check our Twitter timeline for various states: https://twitter.com/DeccanChronicle
11:00 am: The R-Day theme ‘Nari Shakti’ kept punctuating the parade as women contigents from Rajasthan, the NCC and Maharashtra’s NSS marched before guests.
10:50 am: Next came soldiers from ITBP – those who operate temperatures – 40 degrees Celsius and at high altitudes as much as 18000 ft – marching to the tune of ‘Kadam kadam badaye jaa’. A contingent from the CISF was next, who marched to the tune ‘Amar Sena’. After a few formations, came the Delhi Police band.
10:45am: After the tableaux and the bands playing ‘Sa Re Jahan Se Acha’, came the colourful camels from the Border Security Force. They were in resplendent haute couture having donned 75 different articles as they ensemble.
10:40 am: The parade's main theme 'Nari Shakti' was in full display as the Navy and IAF women took to Rajpath next. The Navy contingent was led by Lt Com S. Kapoor and Lt Com Vartika Joshi. The IAF women's team, it's first outing at an R-Day parade, was led by squadron leader Sneha Shekhawat.
10: 33 am: Then came the brigade of guards, contingents from various military regiments -- the Jats, the SIkhs, the bravemen from Jammu and KAshmir, Punjab, the Gorkhas et al. They marched to the beats of marshall music.
10: 31 am: HRD minister Smriti Irani gives the all-woman contingent a standing ovation.
10:30 am: Captain Divya A. leads the first all-women march by a contingent of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
10:20 am: Rajpath reverberated with India's military pride as rocket launchers, tanks, satellites, the country's first tactical control radar system rolled past the guest.
10:15: Indian Air Force helicopters fly over Rajpath marking the beginning of the Republic Day celebrations. India’s defence prowess goes on display before the guests.
10:10 am: President Pranab Mukherjee confers the Ashok Chakra posthumously on Major Mukund Vardarajan and Naik Neeraj Kumar. Their wives collect the awards. Major Varadarajan, killed two heavily-armed terrorists before breathing his last. Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh, also from Rashtriya Rifles, was killed while he was leading a search operation at Kupwara in Jammu & Kashmir in August. He rescued an injured soldier and shot dead one of the terrorists.
10:08 am: Leaders standing in attention, as the national anthem plays.
10:05: President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Modi and US President Barack Obama take salute from three service chiefs.
9.54 am: US President Barack Obama along with First Lady Michelle Obama arrives at Rajpath.
9:50 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches Rajpath as he waits for US President Barack Obama and wife Michelle.
9:30 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays homage to India's martyrs of war at India Gate. This is a traditional exercise by all prime ministers before they take their seat at Rajpath to inspect the Republic Day parade.
Both Obama and Modi come off an eventful day on Sunday which saw the historic nuclear deal going through after a seven-year logjam. Both sides have resolved key hurdles on the liability of suppliers of nuclear reactors in the event of an accident and the tracking of fuel supplied by the US and other countries for its proposed nuclear plants.
In another major step on cooperation in the defence sector, the two countries renewed an enhanced defence framework agreement for the next 10 years.
The Indo-US joint statement on Sunday also said called on Pakistan to bring perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks to justice. The two leaders also discussed the situation in Afghanistan.
With 50,000 security personnel, including 500 US Secret Service Agents, New Delhi is fortified with unprecedented security.
All-women units from the Army, Navy and Air Force will marched for the first time in this year's parade which represent the theme ‘Nari Shakti’.
There was a display on PM Modi's ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign.
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Nuclear deal breakthrough: Indo-US ties see a new vision
PM Modi breaks protocol, personally welcomes Obama, Michelle at airport tarmac
