At India House in London, the country’s High Commissioner to the UK, VK Krishna Menon, took his oath afresh, this time on behalf of the republic of India. Far from the pomp and ceremony of the events in distant New Delhi, this was how the new republic established itself in the capital of the very country it had achieved independence from.

The video above, from the British Pathé archives, captures the event.

Here are some glimpses of Republic Day celebrations from the early years of India’s life as a republic.