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The Republic Day of India is a national
holiday of India to mark the adoption of the Constitution of India and the transition
of India from a British Dominion to a republic on January 26, 1950. It is one
of the three national holidays in India, the other two being Independence Day (August 15) and Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday (October 2).
The Constitution of India came into
force, and India declared itself a Republic on January 26, 1950, a date thereafter
celebrated annually as Republic Day in India.
The Constitution had been drafted by
the Constituent Assembly which was set up when India gained its independence
from the British in 1947.
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This, in fact, was a deliberate act: the 26th of January
was initially India's "Independence Day", one of Mahatma Gandhi's
many symbolic acts during India's struggle for freedom against British colonial
rule, and the adoption of the Constitution on this date was felt able to strengthen
its initial meaning, one calling for Indians of all ages to declare their freedom
from the British Raj.
It is one of three national holidays
in India, the other two being the nation's Independence Day on August 15 (since
1947) and the birthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on October 2. And so, after
the disposal of the Empire of India, King George VI was the last and only "Emperor"
of modern India.
Republic Day is the name of a public
holiday in several countries to commemorate the day when they became republics.
To mark this occasion, a grand parade is held in New Delhi, the Capital of India,
beginning from Raisina Hill near the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace),
along the Rajpath, past India Gate and on to the historic Red Fort in the old
quarter of the city.
Different infantry, cavalry and mechanized
regiments of the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force march
in formation, decked in all their finery and official decorations.
The President of India, who is also the
Commander in Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, takes the salute. The Chief Guest
of the parade is a Head of State of another nation. The parade also includes
many traditional dance troupes, to symbolize the cultural heritage of India.
It traditionally ends with a colourful flypast by Air Force jets in a tiranga
formation. Similar parades are held in the capitals of all the states of India,
where the Governors of the respective states take the salute.
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