A glimpse of India's unparalleled military might and glorious cultural heritage on Kartavya Path

In the national capital New Delhi, on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day on Monday, a grand and unique spectacle of India's magnificent cultural heritage, immense military power, and the organized footstep of the brave soldiers of the armed forces was witnessed at the historic Kartavya Path. The theme of this year's parade is 'Swaraj ka Mantra - Vande Matram' and 'Smriti ka Mantra - Aatm Nirbhar Bharat'.

The event began with the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. First, he paid tribute to the martyrs who made great sacrifices for the country by visiting the National War Memorial. The Prime Minister observed two minutes of silence, after which he reached Kartavya Path, where he welcomed Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, President of the Republic Droupadi Murmu, and foreign dignitaries attending the event as special guests - European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

For the first time on Republic Day, two top leaders of the European Union were invited as special guests. This year's celebrations were dedicated to the theme of '150 years of Vande Matram'. The Republic Day parade, cultural programs, tableaux, and other events were focused on this theme. In this way, the national song of freedom, cultural expression, and current political aspirations were connected, making it the central theme of this year's celebrations.

Before the start of the parade, the President awarded Group Captain Shubhanju Shukla with the Ashok Chakra, the country's highest peace-time gallantry award.

This year's parade featured traditional marching contingents and defense demonstrations, as well as the Indian Army's battle formation for the first time. The parade showcased a beautiful blend of military discipline, cultural heritage, and regional representation. Tableaux from various states and Union Territories highlighted India's cultural diversity. Flag-hoisting ceremonies, official programs, and cultural activities were held in state capitals, districts, educational institutions, and local communities across the country.

This year, a total of 30 tableaux from states, Union Territories, and central ministries, based on the themes 'Swaraj ka Mantra - Vande Matram' and 'Smriti ka Mantra - Aatm Nirbhar Bharat', participated in the parade. Approximately 2,500 artists participated in the cultural programs. On this occasion, around 10,000 special guests, including farmers, artisans, scientists, inventors, women entrepreneurs, students, players, and beneficiaries of major government schemes, were invited from across the country.

This year's Republic Day parade also saw a unique initiative, under which the galleries built for spectators were named after various rivers of the country.

According to the government, rivers are deep cultural symbols, considered the lifeline of civilizations, collective heritage, and a repository of cultural diversity. To raise awareness among the public, this time, visitor galleries were named after rivers like Beas, Brahmaputra, Chambal, Chenab, Gandak, Ganga, Ghaghra, Godavari, Indus, Jhelum, Kaveri, Kosi, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Penner, Periyar, Ravi, Son, Satluj, Teesta, Vaigai, and Yamuna. Earlier, visitor galleries were known by numbers (such as one, two, three, etc.).

This year, the government organized several activities to engage the public with the event. Special efforts were made to involve youth and creative communities through platforms like 'My Gov' and 'My Bharat', which hosted national-level competitions, including essay writing on 'Swaraj ka Mantra - Vande Matram', painting on 'Smriti ka Mantra - Aatm Nirbhar Bharat', singing on 'Vande Matram', and quizzes on India's achievements in space, sports, and national development programs. The government invited the public to participate in these competitions through a dedicated 'My Bharat' portal for Republic Day 2026.

Strict security arrangements were made during the parade. Security personnel were deployed at various locations, and the activities of every individual attending the event were closely monitored through CCTV cameras.