India is celebrating its 77th Republic Day today. The Republic Day parade to be held at Kartavya Path in New Delhi will showcase the country’s development journey, cultural diversity, and military strength. President Droupadi Murmu will unfurl the national flag and take the salute at the main ceremony. The chief guests for this year’s Republic Day parade will be European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The parade will feature new military units along with models of weapons used during Operation Sindoor. India’s defence capabilities will be on display at Kartavya Path, including BrahMos and Akash missile systems and the Arjun main battle tank, reflecting the strength of the armed forces.
The ceremony will begin at 10:30 am and is expected to last for around 90 minutes. The main theme of this year’s parade is ‘Vande Mataram’, marking 150 years of its creation. Under this theme, a total of 30 tableaux will roll down Kartavya Path, based on the theme ‘Mantra of Freedom – Vande Mataram, Mantra of Prosperity – Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
During the Republic Day parade, the Indian Air Force will conduct a grand flypast. A total of 29 aircraft will participate, including 16 fighter jets, 4 transport aircraft, and 9 helicopters. All aircraft will fly in eight different formations over Kartavya Path.
In addition, the enclosures at Kartavya Path will feature old paintings with lines from ‘Vande Mataram’ in the background. On the main stage, floral tributes will be paid to Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, the composer of Vande Mataram. The entire ceremony will reflect a spirit of patriotism and national pride.
