Every year, on the 26th of January, India commemorates Republic Day with great zeal and enthusiasm. On this day, it is traditional to display the national flag and watch spectacular parades starring the Indian National Army in the Janpath neighborhood of New Delhi.
On this day in 1965, the government of India declared Hindi to be the official national language of the country. This year marks the 72nd annual celebration of India’s Republic Day.
How Is The Event Commemorated?
Indians all throughout the country celebrate Republic Day with gratitude and merriment. It’s a holiday celebrating India’s independence. Flags of all nations are routinely displayed in classrooms and on campuses across the country. There are cultural celebrations all around India that support the liberation movement.
The President of India raises the national flag at New Delhi’s India Gate. The grandest parades in India are held on New Delhi’s Rajpath. The Indian President leads the parade, which is organized by the country’s Ministry of Defense. Indian military might is on display, but the festival also celebrates the country’s rich cultural heritage.
On this occasion, homage will also be paid to the brave individuals who gave their lives for their country. When there is a ceremony in India to honor a martyr, Prime Minister Narendra Modi adds a ringlet to the eternal flame at India Gate, which is also referred to as the Amar Jawan Jyoti. After then, there will be a 21-gun salute, the hoisting of the flag, and the playing of the national anthem.
As a sign of gratitude for their bravery during their time in the military, the valiant servicemen and women are awarded Paramvir, Ashok, and Vir chakras. In times of peril, individuals of all ages, including children, are being honored for the bravery they have shown.
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Medal of Honor recipients drive up in military jeeps to honor the president. The next step is an Indian military parade. The President of India also receives the salute from several regiments during a march-past by the armed forces, police, and National Cadet Corps. The procession ends as fighter jets from the Indian Air Force fly past Janpath.
Because Delhi is the nation’s capital, it only makes sense that the most significant Republic Day events take place there. A live webcast of the Republic Day Parade is watched by millions of people all around the world each and every year. After the event has ended, the private film will be made available as video on demand (VOD).
The governor of each state will raise the state flag at the festivities that take place in each state’s capital city, even though these events are often much smaller in scope. All of the sub-districts, talukas, and panchayats, in addition to the district headquarters, take part in the festivities.
After the ritual of “Beating the Retreat,” the Republic Day celebrations are said to have come to a formal end. Every night beginning on the 26th and continuing through the 29th, the key government buildings across the city will be decorated with dazzling light displays as night falls.
The annual Beating the Retreat competition will take place on the evening of the 29th of January, which is the third day after Republic Day. In addition, the drummers put on a solo performance, which is known as the “Drummer’s Call.”
The bands play the popular military anthem “Saare Jahan Se Achcha” as they march back. At precisely 6 o’clock in the evening, the National Flag is lowered and the National Anthem is sung, officially concluding the Republic Day festivities.
Republic Day In Post-Independence India
From 1930 until India was eventually granted her independence in 1947, the 26th of January was observed as “Independence Day” or “Poorna Swaraj Day,” and on that day, Indians reaffirmed their commitment toward sovereignty. Ultimately, India gained its independence in 1947.
On the other hand, India was finally freed from British rule on August 15, 1947, exactly two years after Japan capitulated to the Allied powers in World War II, bringing an end to the conflict. According to the words of the historian Ramchandra Guha, “independence finally came on a day that resonated more with imperial pride than it did with nationalist sentiment.”
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Therefore, when it came time to choose a date to officially launch India’s new constitution, the 26th of January was the one that seemed to make the most sense. Not only did this anniversary already contain significant nationalist significance, but the Constitution itself reflected the “Poorna Swaraj” declaration made twenty years earlier in many other ways.
Even though the celebrations that take place on Republic Day now are quite different from what Poorna Swaraj Day was like when India was still under British rule, the 26th of January is nevertheless a sad reminder of the difficult path that India had to travel in order to gain its independence.
