I was planning to leave Ahmedabad on the morning of the 26th, but instead I got caught up watching India's Republic Day ceremonies and parade on television. India's Independence Day is August 15, the date in 1947 when the British relinquished control, but it took another two years and more for India to draft a constitution. It finished doing so in late 1949, choosing to become a republic rather than a dominion like Canada, Australia or New Zealand. The constitution took effect on January 26, 1950, a date chosen because it was the 20th anniversary of the date Gandhi and the Congress Party had proclaimed India's independence, though, of course, the British took exception to that proclamation.
The televised ceremonies began soon after 9, with the prime minister laying a wreath at the memorial to soldiers under the Gate of India in New Delhi, built by the British to commemorate those killed in World War I and in border hostilities after that war. He then was driven to the reviewing stand along the wide boulevard called the Rajpath running from the President's residence (formerly the Viceroy's Palace) to the Gate of India. The President herself arrived soon after, along with the chief guest, the Prime Minister of Thailand, and they sat with all the dignitaries. In the front were the PM (a Sikh), the Vice President (a Muslim), the President (India's first woman president), and the PM of Thailand. The cameras often focused on dignitaries in the VIP section and I recognized Sonia Gandhi, the head of the governing Congress Party, and L. K. Advani, a leader of the opposition BJP and the instigator of the movement against the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya twenty years ago. Crowds filled the area around the Janpath and I noticed they were warmly dressed, though the skies were blue. Delhi's famous winter fog was nowhere to be seen.
Four helicopters flying flags of the republic and the three military services began the parade and the first part was dominated by the military, which I doubt Gandhi would have approved. Tanks and missile launchers carrying missiles passed by. The English speaking commentator (there was also a Hindi one) identified the tanks as T72s, describing one as "41 tons of massive steel conducted by human dexterity." Her commentary throughout was quite patriotic purple prose. She identified one of the missiles as an Agni, with a range of 3000 kilometers (1800 miles).
A float honoring military dogs went by with a huge, perhaps papier mache dog, which was a little odd, and some real ones, followed by several very colorful troops of infantry and cavalry. There was a unit formed in 1772 and identified as the Indian Army's oldest military unit, Gurkhas, a very colorful camel troop ("As these ships of the desert sail down Rajpath, they are followed by the Assam Rifles," the commentator intoned), and a horse troop she identified as the only remaining cavalry unit in the world, one that had made history's last cavalry charge in Haifa in 1918. (However, I seem to remember photos of the Northern Alliance making a cavalry charge against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001.) Other units marched by, all very colorful and some in those fantastic turbans topped with fan-shaped crests. I did notice that Sikhs always wore their own distinctive turbans whatever the others in the unit wore. There was a lot of exaggerated swinging of arms and even a little goose stepping. There a few all female units and one unit that the commentator said were all six feet tall.
After these military units came very colorful floats representing some of India's states and some federal ministries, kind of like a more interesting New Year's Pasadena Rose Parade, though it's been years, perhaps decades, since I've seen a Rose Parade. The Goa one depicted King Momo, the king of Carnival, just like in Brazil. There was a Tribal Affairs one and one from the Ministry of Finance which included the green (nothing to declare) and red (items to declare) signs at custom areas in airports. The aerial views of the parade filling the wide Rajpath with the massive President's House in the background were impressive.
Groups of traditional dancers came along and were interesting to watch. I noticed that Thailand's prime minister, a relatively young and tall woman in a beautiful silk western dress, and the much older President of India, in a sari and scarf and heavy winter coat, were often talking quite animatedly, while the bearded and turban clad Indian prime minister and the Vice President, with a wispy goatee, mostly looked forward without expression. The cameras often focused on Sonia Gandhi, who is rumored to be not well. She looked like that may be true.
A unit of motorcyclists came by, the first guy standing at attention on the seat of his motorcycle as it moved down Rajpath. He was followed by a guy sitting side saddle on his motorcycle and drinking a cup of tea and by another guy in a yoga posture on the seat of his motorcycle. They were followed by motorcycles with multiple passengers, including at the end nine motorcycles side by side with more than thirty guys arrayed interlocking on and above them. Reminded me of a Chinese acrobatic group.
At the end, military aircraft flew by: helicopters, then transport aircraft, then fighter jets, the final ones performing stunts. The commentator stated she was thrilled and I enjoyed it, too. After it all was over, just before noon, the President's bodyguard, a magnificently attired horse unit, arrived to escort her and the PM of Thailand as they entered the Presidential limousine to leave the reviewing stand.
I could have still made my next destination, Patan, in the afternoon, but I had missed my check out time at the hotel and decided to spend another afternoon relaxing. My sinus infection is still tiring me out a bit.
The televised ceremonies began soon after 9, with the prime minister laying a wreath at the memorial to soldiers under the Gate of India in New Delhi, built by the British to commemorate those killed in World War I and in border hostilities after that war. He then was driven to the reviewing stand along the wide boulevard called the Rajpath running from the President's residence (formerly the Viceroy's Palace) to the Gate of India. The President herself arrived soon after, along with the chief guest, the Prime Minister of Thailand, and they sat with all the dignitaries. In the front were the PM (a Sikh), the Vice President (a Muslim), the President (India's first woman president), and the PM of Thailand. The cameras often focused on dignitaries in the VIP section and I recognized Sonia Gandhi, the head of the governing Congress Party, and L. K. Advani, a leader of the opposition BJP and the instigator of the movement against the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya twenty years ago. Crowds filled the area around the Janpath and I noticed they were warmly dressed, though the skies were blue. Delhi's famous winter fog was nowhere to be seen.
Four helicopters flying flags of the republic and the three military services began the parade and the first part was dominated by the military, which I doubt Gandhi would have approved. Tanks and missile launchers carrying missiles passed by. The English speaking commentator (there was also a Hindi one) identified the tanks as T72s, describing one as "41 tons of massive steel conducted by human dexterity." Her commentary throughout was quite patriotic purple prose. She identified one of the missiles as an Agni, with a range of 3000 kilometers (1800 miles).
A float honoring military dogs went by with a huge, perhaps papier mache dog, which was a little odd, and some real ones, followed by several very colorful troops of infantry and cavalry. There was a unit formed in 1772 and identified as the Indian Army's oldest military unit, Gurkhas, a very colorful camel troop ("As these ships of the desert sail down Rajpath, they are followed by the Assam Rifles," the commentator intoned), and a horse troop she identified as the only remaining cavalry unit in the world, one that had made history's last cavalry charge in Haifa in 1918. (However, I seem to remember photos of the Northern Alliance making a cavalry charge against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001.) Other units marched by, all very colorful and some in those fantastic turbans topped with fan-shaped crests. I did notice that Sikhs always wore their own distinctive turbans whatever the others in the unit wore. There was a lot of exaggerated swinging of arms and even a little goose stepping. There a few all female units and one unit that the commentator said were all six feet tall.
After these military units came very colorful floats representing some of India's states and some federal ministries, kind of like a more interesting New Year's Pasadena Rose Parade, though it's been years, perhaps decades, since I've seen a Rose Parade. The Goa one depicted King Momo, the king of Carnival, just like in Brazil. There was a Tribal Affairs one and one from the Ministry of Finance which included the green (nothing to declare) and red (items to declare) signs at custom areas in airports. The aerial views of the parade filling the wide Rajpath with the massive President's House in the background were impressive.
Groups of traditional dancers came along and were interesting to watch. I noticed that Thailand's prime minister, a relatively young and tall woman in a beautiful silk western dress, and the much older President of India, in a sari and scarf and heavy winter coat, were often talking quite animatedly, while the bearded and turban clad Indian prime minister and the Vice President, with a wispy goatee, mostly looked forward without expression. The cameras often focused on Sonia Gandhi, who is rumored to be not well. She looked like that may be true.
A unit of motorcyclists came by, the first guy standing at attention on the seat of his motorcycle as it moved down Rajpath. He was followed by a guy sitting side saddle on his motorcycle and drinking a cup of tea and by another guy in a yoga posture on the seat of his motorcycle. They were followed by motorcycles with multiple passengers, including at the end nine motorcycles side by side with more than thirty guys arrayed interlocking on and above them. Reminded me of a Chinese acrobatic group.
At the end, military aircraft flew by: helicopters, then transport aircraft, then fighter jets, the final ones performing stunts. The commentator stated she was thrilled and I enjoyed it, too. After it all was over, just before noon, the President's bodyguard, a magnificently attired horse unit, arrived to escort her and the PM of Thailand as they entered the Presidential limousine to leave the reviewing stand.
I could have still made my next destination, Patan, in the afternoon, but I had missed my check out time at the hotel and decided to spend another afternoon relaxing. My sinus infection is still tiring me out a bit.
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