4 R-Day Parade Facts Every Student Must Know
January 26 in India is a day of great pride and honour. Republic Day shines light on the significance of our nation becoming a sovereign, democratic republic on January 26, 1950. Ever since then, this day has been celebrated with a lot of pomp and glory. Organisers of the Republic Day parade plan every single aspect of celebration meticulously months in advance. Specific details are pre-planned right down to a t. Even a slight change, a tiny error or a delay worth a few minutes can end up costing heavy losses to the organisers. As a result, the all measures are put in place to make sure everything runs perfectly, and on time.
One of the most important elements of the Republic Day celebrations is the awe-striking parade held at Rajpath, New Delhi. This year, due to COVID restrictions, the number of troops marching has been reduced to 96 from the usual 144. Read on to know some interesting facts about the Republic Day parade.
A chief guest is invited every year for the parade (expect 2021 and 2022!)
For every Republic Day parade, it has been a tradition to invite a chief guest. This could be either the President or Prime Minister of India, or a foreign leader. Dr. Sukarno, the then President of Indonesia was invited for the very first parade on January 26, 1950. However, no such chief guest is invited this year, nor was one invited the preceding year either. But for the very first time in history, a list of people including autorickshaw drivers, construction workers, frontline workers and sanitation workers, have been invited to witness the patriotic spectacle this year.
Gandhi’s favourite song receives an ode
During the retreat ceremony of the parade, a song called ‘Abide With Me’ is always played. A favourite of Mahatma Gandhi, it was written by Scottish poet Henry Francis Lyte and composed by William Henry Monk in the 19th century. However, it has been replaced by the Hindi song ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’ this year.
The parade was not always held at Rajpath, New Delhi
We are all used to seeing the parade take place on TV every year at Rajpath in the nation’s capital. This was the case since the year 1955. However, a few years preceding this, from 1950 to 1954, it used to be organised at a different venue. The R-Day Parade used to be held at Irwin Stadium (now known as National Stadium), Kingsway, Red Fort and Ramleela Maidan during those four years respectively.
Participants have to undergo investigation
With a significant number of people attending, security is taken very seriously at the Republic Day parade. It is compulsory for every army personnel who is participating in it to undergo 4 levels of investigation. Their guns and arms are also checked to ensure that they are not loaded with bullets.