The 69th Republic Day Parade on Friday showcased the cultural diversity of the states as well as India’s military might. Ten leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, were the chief guests at the event.
The chief guests visited the Rashtrapati Bhavan first and then drove down Raisina Hill. The first to arrive was Brunei Prime Minister Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and the last to reach was King of Thailand Maha Vajiralongkorn, NDTV reported.
Thousands of security personnel are on duty to prevent any terror strike or untoward incident during the celebrations. A stage enclosed by 100-feet wide bulletproof glass has been set up at Rajpath. It is three times bigger than the protective enclosure in 2017.
Here are the latest updates:
12.55 pm: Jammu and Kashmir Additional Director-General of Police Munir Khan said a woman, suspected to be a suicide bomber, has been apprehended. “We will verify facts and talk to her, only then can we come to a conclusion,” Khan told ANI. Meanwhile, mobile internet services in the Valley has been restored.
12.41 pm: In Punjab, a policeman died after he reportedly shot himself at a Republic Day function. Manjit Singh was deputed as gunman of an Station House Office in Ludhiana.
12.14 pm: Troops of the Border Security Force and Border Guards, Bangladesh, exchange sweets at Fulbari post.
12.10 pm: A woman and her two sons were detained as they tried to enter the parade venue in Mumbai, according to ANI. She was reportedly planning to immolate herself.
11.44 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi escorts President Ram Nath Kovind as the parade comes to an end.
11.30 am: A Su-30 MKI carries out a ‘Vertical Charlie’ manoeuvre and U-30 MKIs of the Indian Air Force execute a Trishul manoeuvre, concluding the parade. Tri-coloured balloons fill the sky.
11.25 am: Border Security Force India’s Woman’s Motorcycle Team, led by sub-inspector Stanzin Noryang, captivates the audience with their motorcycle-riding skills.
11.20 am: Students of Oxford Foundation School, New Delhi, show how education plays a vital role in empowering the nation – Shikshit Bharat Sashakt Bharat.
11.15 am: More than 150 students perform to commemorate the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Partnership. The theme of their dance is One Vision One Identity and One Community. This is followed by the tableaus from the ASEAN nations.
11.12 am: Winners of the National Bravery Awards salute guests on the Rajpath.
11.10 am: The CPWD’s tableau depicts one of India’s biggest festivals – Deepavali.
11.08 am: While the Sports Ministry’s tableau asks people to invest time to play, the Income Tax India department tableau showcases its Operation Clean Money scheme.
11.06 am: The Ministry of Tribal Affairs tableau showcases its landmark scheme for minor forest produce sector – Uchith Dam Hak Se Maang.
11.04 am: Gujarat tableau pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on completion of 100 years of Sabarmati Ashram.
11.03 am: The tableau of Madhya Pradesh floats down the Rajpath.
10.56 am: While the Assam tableau shows the traditional masks of the Satras, Kerala depicts Kettukazcha, an offering of devotees associated with the temple festivals and farming community.
10.52 am: States and union territories roll out their tableaux one by one. The themes range from Chhattisgarh’s tribal culture to Lakshadweep’s island lifestyle.
10.47 am: The tableau of All India Radio floats down the Rajpath for the first time. It displays the historic evolution of the public broadcaster.
10.39 am: A band leads the Delhi Police marching contingent. They will be followed by the National Cadet Commission and the National Service Scheme.
10.37 am: The foot contingent of Border Security Force leads the marching contingent of the paramilitary forces.
10.31 am: The Indian Air Force tableau at Rajpath is led by three women officers.
10.30 am: Ladakh scouts march down Rajpath.
10.29 am: Brahmos Missile System of 881 Missile Regiment floats down the Rajpath. It is the only Super Sonic Cruise Missile presently available in the world.
10.25 am: A contingent of the Rajputana Rifles carry the ASEAN flags at the parade.
9.58 am: Indian Air Force commando Jyoti Prakash Nirala has been posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra, the highest peacetime military award in India. “I am extremely proud that the government is recognising the sacrifice of my son,” says his father Tej Narayan Singh.
9.55 am: The 10 leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, who are the chief guests today, arrive at the venue. They are greeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
9.50 am: Indian embassies across the world celebrate Republic Day. In Nepal, Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri hoists the national flag while at another event in the Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, Ambassador Sujan R Chinoy unfurls the tricolour. The celebrations in Colombo are led by Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu. In Bangladesh, High Commissioner Harsh Shringla unfurls the tricolour. Hundreds of expatriates in the United Arab Emirates join Consul General Vipul for celebrations at the Consulate in Dubai.
9.45 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chiefs of the armed forces pay tribute at the Amar Jawan Jyoti.
9.40 am: Metro services in Delhi will be restricted, reports The Times of India. Planes will not be allowed to take off or land at the Indira Gandhi International airport between 10.15 am and 12.35 pm.
9.35 am: Mobile internet services have been suspended in Kashmir as a precautionary measure, reports PTI. It is suspended every year on Republic Day and Independence Day, but these services have been withdrawn on January 25 for the first time.
9.30 am: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh attends Republic Day celebrations in Bastar.
9.20 am: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police tweets a video of its soldiers with the national flag “somewhere in the Himalayas in minus 30 degrees at 18,000 feet”.
9.15 am: The envoys of other countries wish India. Israel’s Ambassador Daniel Carmon tweets a photo saying that he is on his way to attend the celebrations. The United States’ Ambassador to India Ken Juster says: “The United States stands with India as a true friend and partner, and I hope that our durable US-India partnership will be a source of stability and prosperity across the world.”
9.11 am: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh unfurls the national flag at his residence in New Delhi.
9.07 am: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat unfurls the national flag at a school in Kerala’s Palakkad district. This comes months after he had flouted an order of the district administration and unfurled the tricolour at a government-aided school in the district during Independence Day celebrations in 2017.
8.50 am: Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has tweeted a photo of his art depicting the monuments of India. It is on display at the Khandagiri-Udaygiri festival in Bhubaneswar.
8.45 am: Visuals of the Republic Day Parade in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.
8.35 am: Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah unfurls the tricolour at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
8.31 am: One person from the 10 ASEAN nations, whose leaders are the chief guests today, have been honoured with the Padma Shri awards. Some of recipients are: Malai Haji Abdullah Bin Malai Haji Othman of Brueni; Hun Many, the son of former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen; Indonesian sculptor I Nyoman Nuarta; Bounlap Keokangna of Laos; and historian Dr Thant Myint U of Myanmar.
8.30 am: Twenty-three vibrant tableaux showcasing the country’s cultural diversity and military might will feature in the parade today. The Border Security Force’s women’s motorcycle team Seema Bhawani will be one of the main attractions. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police will feature its tableau in the parade for the first time in two decades, and will show troops patrolling the China border on snow scooters.
8.19 am: Visuals of the Republic Day parade from Chennai.
7.58 am: Security has been stepped up in the National Capital and mobile hit teams, anti-aircraft guns and sharpshooters have been deployed to monitor the eight-km-long parade route from Rajpath to Red Fort.
7.36 am: The Congress is said to be upset that Rahul Gandhi has been assigned a seat in the fourth row at the celebrations.
7.35 am: Congress President Rahul Gandhi writes a letter to the nation “to remind ourselves of the commitments we made in our Constitution”.
7.30 am: Today’s Google Doodle marks the Republic Day. “The geometrical shapes that form the Doodle’s background are inspired by the vibrant colours and patterns of traditional hand-loom draperies from different states,” says the company.
One can see a man blowing an ancient musical instrument called the Sringa, a form of traditional puppetry used to narrate folk tales, and the spinning wheel. “Ceremonial dances form an important part of rituals during the many festivals celebrated across India, and today’s Doodle depicts the Bihu dance from Assam,” Google said.
7.25 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wishes the nation on the occasion of the 69th Republic Day.