President Droupadi Murmu will lead the nation in celebrating India's 75th Republic Day by unfurling the national flag on Kartavya Path today. The R-Day parade will start from 10.30am on the ceremonial boulevard, which was earlier called Rajpath.
India is set to display its military might and women empowerment at the 90-minute parade, which will have French President Emmanuel Macron as the chief guest.
Indigenous weapons and military equipment such as missiles, drone jammers, surveillance systems, vehicle-mounted mortars and BMP-II infantry combat vehicles will be displayed at the parade.
Women to the fore
For the first time, an all-women tri-services contingent will be part of the event.
Around 15 women pilots will participate in the Indian Air Force's fly-past, representing 'Nari Shakti'. The contingents of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will also consist of only women personnel.
The parade will have over 100 women artistes playing sankh, naadswaram, and nagada for the first time instead of the traditional military bands.
All eyes on the parade
The ceremony will start with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the National War Memorial, where he will lead the nation in paying tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath.
President Murmu and Macron will then arrive in the 'traditional buggy', a practice that is making a comeback after a gap of 40 years, the defence ministry said.
The national flag will be unfurled followed by the national anthem with a 21-gun salute to be given with indigenous gun system 105-mm Indian Field Guns.
Four Mi-17 IV helicopters of the 105 Helicopter Unit will shower flower petals on the audience present at Kartavya Path. This will be followed by 'Aavaahan', a band performance by the women artistes.
The parade will then commence with President Murmu taking the salute. It will be commanded by Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area.
The Kartavya Path will also be witness to a march past by a combined band and marching contingent of the French Armed Forces.
A total of 16 tableaux from states and Union territories and nine from central ministries and departments will roll down the Kartavya Path during the parade.
The states and Union territories from where the tableaux will take part in the parade are Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Ladakh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.
Delhi under thick security blanket
More than 70,000 personnel deployed across Delhi, for the Republic Day celebrations.
Police have also issued an advisory on traffic arrangements while restrictions have been put in place, especially in central Delhi, for the smooth movement of vehicles in the city on Friday.
As many as 14,000 personnel have been deployed at and around Kartavya Path for the security of the Republic Day parade, police said, adding that around 77,000 invitees are expected at Kartavya Path to watch this year's parade.
Commandoes, quick reaction teams, PCR vans, anti-sabotage checks and SWAT teams will be deployed at the specific strategic locations at Kartavya Path and all around the city. Delhi Police has prepared to tackle the aerial threats also.
Traffic restrictions in place
According to the traffic advisory, the parade will start at 10.30am from Vijay Chowk and proceed towards the Red Fort grounds. There will be a related function at the National War Memorial, India Gate, at 9.30am.
There will be extensive traffic arrangements and restrictions along the parade route. The parade will pass through Vijay Chowk, Kartavya Path, C-Hexagon, Subhas Chandra Bose roundabout, Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Netaji Subhas Marg and Red Fort, the advisory stated.
No traffic movement has been allowed on Kartavya Path from Vijay Chowk to India Gate from 6pm on Thursday. The restrictions will continue till the parade is over. No cross-traffic has been allowed on Kartavya Path at Rafi Marg, Janpath, Man Singh Road from 10pm on Thursday till the end of the parade, the advisory said.
C-Hexagon-India Gate will be closed for traffic from 9.15am on Friday till the parade crosses Tilak Marg. From 10.30am on Friday, traffic on Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Netaji Subhas Marg will not be allowed, it said.
Flying of sub-conventional aerial platforms such as paragliders, paramotors, hang gliders, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), microlight aircraft, remotely-piloted aircraft, hot-air balloons, small size-powered aircraft, quadcopters or parajumping from aircraft are prohibited over the jurisdiction of Delhi till February 15.
No heavy transport/light goods vehicles were being allowed to enter Delhi from other states from 11 pm on Thursday till the parade was over. These vehicles were being allowed to ply between ISBT-Sarai Kale Khan and ISBT-Kashmere Gate on the Ring Road from 7.30am to 1.30pm on Friday, the advisory stated.
"People with bona fide e-invitation cards or e-tickets for attending the Republic Day ceremony have been issued coupons on the production of government-issued identity cards at stations, which are valid for exits from Central Secretariat and Udyog Bhawan stations only to reach Kartavya Path," a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) statement said.