New Delhi, Jan 26: India celebrates its 69th Republic Day today on January 26, 2018. The Republic Day Parade will start from the Raisina Hill Rashtrapati Bhavan marking the Republic Day celebrations in the country. Prior to the commencement of the Parade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay solemn tributes to the martyrs by laying a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate. The online telecast of the Republic Day 2018 parade has been embedded below.
The ceremonial parade is expected to begin at 9:50 AM from Vijay Chowk and make way towards the Red Fort Grounds through Rajpath, India Gate, Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Netaji Subhash Marg. On the eve of the Republic Day 2018, President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the nation.
WATCH THE REPUBLIC DAY 2018 PARADE HERE
Greeting the nation on the occasion of 69th Republic Day, Kovind said, “This is a day for all of us to celebrate and honour our nation and our sovereignty. This is a day to remember with gratitude the enormous efforts and sacrifices of millions of freedom fighters whose blood and sweat gave us Independence and created our Republic. Above all, this is a day to cherish our republican values.”
This year, a total 23 tableaux will be a part of at the Republic Day parade along with the participation of 14 states/Union Territories and nine Central Ministries. Leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries – Myanmar state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong, Malaysian PM Najib Razak, Thailand PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, Cambodian PM Hun Sen, Laos PM Thongloun Sisoulith and Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah – will be chief guests at the ceremonial parade. The Rajpath Marg has been widened for the chief guests.
The female contingent of Border Security Force, Narishakti, is expected to [perform 16 different stunts at the Republic Day parade 2018, for the first time ever. The other participants include the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force and 700 students from the ASEAN member countries.