Republic Day 2023: Interesting Facts About Republic Day Parade

As Indians, we all know that the 26th of January is celebrated as 'Republic Day' every year. India became a liberal country on 15th August 1947 but the Constitution of India was implemented on 26th January 1950. This day holds an important place in every Indian's heart. The President of India unfurls the National Flag or the Tricolor at the Kartavya Path, formerly known as the Rajpath, at the national capital of India, Delhi. India will be honoring the 74th Republic Day this year with great enthusiasm and fervor. There are several events that take place every year on the eve of Republic Day. Among them is the Parade which is one of the most captivating events of the Republic Day of India. Following are some of the interesting facts about the Parade of India that is being performed on the Republic Day at the national capital of India, Delhi:

As history and civics are major components of the Indian school curriculum, we are taught about our struggle for freedom, independence, the creation and acceptance of the Indian Constitution, and our government.

On the occasion of India's 74th Republic Day, here are some interesting Republic Day Parade facts that will undoubtedly enlighten you.

• The parade is held every year on January 26th at Rajpath in New Delhi, but from 1950 to 1954, Rajpath was not the event's organizational center. Throughout these years, the 26th January parade was held at Irwin Stadium (now National Stadium), Kingsway, Red Fort, and Ramleela Maidan, respectively. The 26th January parade has been held on Rajpath every year since AD 1955. Rajpath was known as 'Kingsway' at the time.
• Every year, the Prime Minister, President, or ruler of any country is invited to the parade on January 26th. On January 26, 1950, the first parade was organized, with Indonesian President Dr. Sukarno as a special guest. In 1955, Malik Ghulam Mohammad, Pakistan's Governor-General, was invited to the first parade at Rajpath.
• The parade begins on January 26th with the President's entry. The President's cavalier bodyguards salute the National Flag first, then the National Anthem is played and 21 guns are fired. However, 21 canons aren't actually utilized to fire. Instead, three rounds are fired from the Indian army's 7 cannons, known as "25- Ponders."
• The gun salute is fired simultaneously with the playing of the National Anthem, which is a unique characteristic. At the start of the National Anthem, the first shot is fired, and the last shot is fired 52 seconds later. Built in 1941, these cannons are utilized in all of the army's formal programs.
• Participants in the parade begin preparing at 2 a.m. and converge at the Rajpath by 3 a.m. The parade's preparations, on the other hand, begin in July of the previous year, when all of the participants are formally informed of their participation. They practice parades at their regimental centers until August and arrive in Delhi in December. The participants are trained for 600 hours before performing in front of the audience on January 26th.
• A specialized camp near the India Gate houses all of India's tanks, armored vehicles, and advanced equipment. Usually, the inquiry process for each Cannon, as well as the whitewashing task, is done in ten phases, but it could be different this time.
• Every activity in the parade event on January 26th is methodically organized from start to finish.
• Every member of the army who takes part in the parade is subjected to four stages of inspection. Apart from that, their weapons are thoroughly inspected to ensure that no live bullets are present.
• Judges are stationed along the parade route, rating each marching group on 200 different criteria and awarded the title of "Best Marching Group" based on their findings.
• The "flypast" is the event's most exciting feature. The "flypast," which features around 41 aircraft, is supervised by the Western Airforce Command.