Delhi Republic Day parade - Wikipedia Delhi Republic Day parade This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( January 2013 ) Delhi Republic Day parade A float representing the State of Maharashtra at the 2015 Republic Day Parade. Genre National patriotic parade Begins 26 January Ends 26 January Frequency Annual Location ( s ) New Delhi, India Inaugurated 1950 Most recent 2018 Previous event 26 January 2018 Next event 26 January 2019 Organised by Ministry of Defence Website republicday.nic.in The Delhi Republic Day parade is the largest and most important of the parades marking the Republic Day celebrations in India. The parade takes place every year on 26 January at Rajpath, New Delhi. It is the main attraction of India 's Republic Day celebrations, which last for 3 days. The parade showcases India 's defence capability and its cultural and social heritage. Contents 1 Republic Day Parade 2 Beating Retreat 3 Chief guest 4 Guest contingents 5 Awards 5.1 Best marching contingents 5.2 Best three tableaux 6 See also 7 References Republic Day parade The Lion Capital at Rajpath decorated President 's Body Guards in their winter ceremonial dress Agni - II ballistic missile on display at Republic Day Parade 2004 To mark the importance of the Republic Day, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, New Delhi, from the Raisina Hill Rashtrapati Bhavan ( the President 's residence ), along the Rajpath, past India Gate. Prior to its commencement, the Prime Minister lays a floral wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, a memorial to fallen soldiers at the India Gate at one end of Rajpath, which is followed by two minutes silence in the memory of fallen soldiers. It is a solemn reminder of the sacrifice of the martyrs who died for the country in the freedom movement and the succeeding wars for the defence of sovereignty of their country. Thereafter he / she reaches the main dais at Rajpath to join other dignitaries, subsequently the President arrives along with the chief guest of the occasion. They are escorted on horseback by the President 's Bodyguard. First, the president unfurls the National flag, as the National Anthem is played, and a 21 - gun salute is given as the PBG renders the National Salute. Next, important awards like the Ashok Chakra and Kirti Chakra are given away by the President, before the regiments of Armed Forces start their march past. The President comes forward to award the medals of bravery to the people from the armed forces for their exceptional courage in the field and also the civilians, who have distinguished themselves by their different acts of valour in different situations. Children who receive the National Bravery Award ride past the spectators on colourfully decorated elephants or vehicles. Countries invited as chief guests for the Republic Day parade. Erstwhile Yugoslavia ( twice invited ) has not been depicted in the map. 5 times ( France, UK ) 4 times ( Bhutan, Russia / USSR ) Thrice ( Indonesia, Mauritius ) Twice ( Brazil, Japan, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam ) Once Never invited The unique BSF Camel Contingent during the annual Republic Day Parade in 2004. Nine to twelve different regiments of the Indian Army in addition to the Navy, and Air Force with their bands march past in all their finery and official decorations. The President of India who is the Commander - in - Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, takes the salute. Twelve contingents of various para-military forces of India and other civil forces also take part in this parade. One of the unique sights of the parade is the camel mounted Border Security Force contingent, which is the only camel mounted military force in the world. The best N.C.C. cadets, selected from all over the country consider it an honour to participate in this event, as do the school children from various schools in the capital. They spend many days preparing for the event and no expense is spared to see that every detail is taken care of, from their practice for the drills, the essential props and their uniforms. 22 to 30 floats exhibiting the cultures of the various states and union territories of India, including floats of union ministries and state enterprises are in the grand parade, which is broadcast nationwide on television and radio. These moving exhibits depict scenes of activities of people in those states and the music and songs of that particular state accompany each display. Each display brings out the diversity and richness of the culture of India and the whole show lends a festive air to the occasion. Around 1200 schoolchildren present cultural dances as part of the parade. The 2016 Republic Day marked the return of K - 9 Dog Squad to the parade after 26 years. The parade traditionally ends with dare devil motor cycle riding by motorcycle units of the Armed Forces and a flypast by the Indian Air Force jets and helicopters carrying the national flag and the flags of the three services. Comprising over 25 marching and mounted contingents, various military vehicles, 20 military bands, 30 cultural tableaux and 30 aircraft in addition to cultural performers and 1200 schoolchildren, India 's Republic Day Parade in New Delhi is the most spectacular regular parade in the world. Every part of the country is represented in the parade, which makes the Republic Day parade very popular. A full dress rehearsal Parade is also organized on 23 January every year to take stock of the preparedness. Beating Retreat Vijay Chowk ( Victory Square ) at Rajpath, with Secretariat Buildings in the background, New Delhi, the venue of the Beat Retreat ceremony The Beating Retreat ceremony officially denotes the end of Republic Day festivities. It is conducted on the evening of 29 January, the third day after the Republic Day. It is performed by the bands of the three wings of the military, the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. The venue is Raisina Hills and an adjacent square, Vijay Chowk, flanked by the north and south block of the Rashtrapati Bhavan ( President 's Palace ) towards the end of Rajpath. Rashtrapati Bhavan and adjacent buildings, illuminated for the Republic Day. Madras Regiment marching in the 2013 Republic Day parade. The Chief Guest of the function is the President of India who arrives escorted by the Presidential Body Guard ( PBG ), a cavalry unit. When the President arrives, the PBG commander asks the unit to give the National Salute, which is followed by playing of the Indian National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, by the Army developed the ceremony of display by the massed bands in which Military Bands, Pipe and Drum Bands, Buglers and Trumpeters from various Army Regiments besides bands from the Navy and Air Force take part which play popular tunes like Abide With Me, Mahatma Gandhi 's favourite hymn, and Saare Jahan Se Achcha at the end. Chief guest See also : List of state visits to India § Republic Day Parade Guests Since 1950, India has been hosting a head of state or government of another country as the state guest of honour for Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi. During 1950 -- 1954, Republic Day celebrations were organised at different venues ( like Irwin Stadium ( National Stadium ), Kingsway ( Rajpath ), Red Fort and Ramlila grounds ). It was only starting 1955 when the parade in its present form was organised at Rajpath. The guest country is chosen after a deliberation of strategic, economic and political interests. During the 1950s -- 1970s, a number of NAM and Eastern Bloc countries were hosted by India. In the post-Cold War era, India has also invited several Western leaders on a state visit during the Republic Day. It is notable that before India fought wars with China and Pakistan, leaders from these countries were invited as state guests for the Republic Day celebrations. Interestingly, Pakistan Food and Agriculture Minister was the second state guest from that country for Republic Day in 1965, a few days after which the two countries went to a war. Countries which have been invited multiple times include India 's neighbours ( Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Mauritius ), defence allies ( Russia / USSR, France and Britain ), trade partners ( Brazil ) and NAM allies ( Nigeria, Indonesia and erstwhile Yugoslavia ). France has the distinction of being the guest of honour for the maximum ( five ) number of times followed by four visits from Bhutan and three visits each from Mauritius and USSR / Russia. In 2015, the US President Barack Obama was the Chief Guest at Republic Day celebrations, followed by French president François Hollande during the 2016 Republic Day parade. In 2017, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan from the United Arab Emirates was the Chief Guest of the parade. Guest contingents In 2016, French Army soldiers and French Army Band took part in the 67th Republic Day parade. This marked the first time since the beginning of the parade in 1950, that a foreign army contingent marched down the Rajpath during the Republic Day parade. Year Country Unit 2016 France 35th Infantry Regiment 2017 UAE UAE Army, Navy and Air Force Awards Best marching contingents Year Best marching contingent among the three services ( led by ) Best marching contingent among paramilitary forces and other auxiliary marching contingents 1991 Madras Engineer Group ( 2nd Lt Vivek Jaswal ) Madras Engineer Group ( Lt Pranay Dangwal ) Border Security Force 1998 Bombay Engineer Group ( Capt. Atul Suryavanshi ) Indo - Tibetan Border Police 1999 Indo - Tibetan Border Police 2000 Indo - Tibetan Border Police 2001 Madras Regiment Delhi Police 2002 Delhi Police 2003 Madras Engineer Group Delhi Police Indo - Tibetan Border Police 2005 Sikh Regiment Delhi Police 2006 Delhi Police 2007 Jat Regiment Central Industrial Security Force 2008 Rajputana Rifles Central Industrial Security Force 2009 Territorial Army Central Reserve Police Force Dogra Regiment Central Reserve Police Force 2011 Indian Air Force Indo - Tibetan Border Police 2012 Indian Air Force Border Security Force 2013 Indian Air Force and Indian Navy Central Industrial Security Force 2014 Sikh Light Infantry Central Reserve Police Force 2015 Brigade of the Guards and Sikh Regiment Central Industrial Security Force 2016 Assam Regiment Border Security Force 2017 Madras Engineer Group Central Industrial Security Force 2018 Punjab Regiment Delhi Police Best three tableaux Year First Second Third 1980 Maharashtra 1981 Goa Maharashtra Goa Punjab Goa Goa 1991 Goa Maharashtra Maharashtra 1995 Maharashtra Goa 2000 Goa 2001 Rajasthan Ministry of Railways Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir 2002 Jammu and Kashmir 2003 Goa Assam Uttar Pradesh 2005 Karnataka Department of Justice Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ministry of Railways 2007 Orissa Ministry of Culture Maharashtra 2008 Kerala Karnataka Ministry of Human Resource Development 2009 Kerala Maharashtra Tamil Nadu and Jammu and Kashmir Ministry of Culture Goa Chhattisgarh 2011 Delhi Karnataka Rajasthan 2012 Ministry of Human Resource Development Goa Karnataka 2013 Kerala Rajasthan Chhattisgarh 2014 West Bengal Tamil Nadu Assam 2015 Maharashtra Jharkhand Karnataka 2016 West Bengal Tripura Assam 2017 Arunachal Pradesh Tripura Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu 2018 Maharashtra Assam Chhattisgarh See also Republic Day ( India ) Rajpath Beating Retreat Military parade List of diplomatic visits to India References Jump up ^ `` India Celebrates 63rd Republic Day ''. Efi-news.com. Eastern Fare. 26 January 2012. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012. Jump up ^ National Bravery Awards - 2005 Press Release, Govt. of India. Jump up ^ `` Chap ''. Mod.nic.in. Retrieved 22 July 2012. Jump up ^ http://mod.nic.in/samachar/feb01-05/body.html Jump up ^ Age Correspondent ( 15 January 2012 ). `` 1,200 schoolkids to take part in R - Day parade ''. New Delhi : The Asian Age. Retrieved 22 July 2012. Jump up ^ http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/army-dogs-march-down-rajpath-on-republic-day-after-26-years/ Jump up ^ `` Curtain Raiser -- Beating Retreat Ceremony 2011 ''. Ministry of Defence. 28 January 2011. Jump up ^ `` Beating Retreat weaves soul - stirring musical evening ''. The Times of India. 29 Jan 2011. Jump up ^ `` Martial music rings down the curtain ''. The Times of India. 30 Jan 2011. Jump up ^ `` Abu Dhabi Crown Prince To Be Chief Guest On Republic Day Next Year ''. Press Trust of India. NDTV. Retrieved 6 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` Republic Day 2016 : A look at what is special this time ''. The Indian Express. January 25, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016. Jump up ^ http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/republic-day-2017-uae-soldiers-lead-march-at-parade-on-rajpath-1652862 ^ Jump up to : `` Prizes for Republic Day Parade 2005 Participating Contingents ''. pib.nic.in. 1 February 2005. Retrieved 29 January 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Republic Day Parade Awards Announced ''. pib.nic.in. 2 February 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Dogra, CRPF Best in R - Day Parade, Sangeet Natak Akademibags Tableau Award ''. pib.nic.in. 30 January 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Republic Day -- 2012 Awards ''. pib.nic.in. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` IAF, Navy adjudged best marching contingents among Services ''. The Times of India. 30 January 2013. ^ Jump up to : http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/army-s-sikh-light-infantry-wins-best-marching-contingent-award-114012801070_1.html ^ Jump up to : `` Republic Day Parade -- 2015 Awards Announced ''. pib.nic.in. Government of India. 29 January 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Republic Day Parade -- 2016 Awards Announced ''. pib.nic.in. Government of India. 28 January 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Republic Day Parade -- 2017 Awards announced ''. pib.nic.in. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Maharashtra wins best tableau prize in Republic Day parade ''. The Hindu. Special Correspondent. 2018 - 01 - 28. ISSN 0971 - 751X. Retrieved 2018 - 01 - 28. ^ Jump up to : http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050206/spectrum/main7.htm Jump up ^ http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/Orissa-bags-Best-Tableau-award/article14712910.ece Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Delhi_Republic_Day_parade&oldid=828815659 '' Categories : Independent India Parades in India Culture of Delhi Military parades Winter events in India Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from December 2016 Articles with permanently dead external links Articles needing additional references from January 2013 All articles needing additional references Use Indian English from September 2015 All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English Use dmy dates from March 2013 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2018 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 4 March 2018, at 22 : 48. 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Question: a. who takes the salute at the grand parade on republic day
Answer: President of India