When is Indian Republic Day?
On January 26th, India celebrates Republic Day.
Also known informally as R-Day, this public holiday is one of four national holidays and is always celebrated on this date.
History of Indian Republic Day
Republic Day is an important national holiday that commemorates the establishment of the Constitution of India.
The adoption of the constitution on January 26th 1950, marked the transition to full independence from Britain as it ended Lord Mountbatten's role as governor-general of India.
The Drafting Committee, headed by Dr. BR Ambedkar took around 2 years and 11 months to put together the Indian Constitution.
Did you know?
Initially consisting of 397 articles and 12 schedules, the Indian Constitution has since had over 100 amendments, and now has 448 articles in 25 parts and 12 schedules, making it the longest Constitution in the world, befitting the world's largest democracy. It was handwritten by calligrapher Prem Behari Narain Raizada.
January 26th was chosen as the date for the adoption of the constitution as it was on January 26th 1930 when Purna Swaraj, the Declaration of Indian Independence was proclaimed by the Indian National Congress. This was after Lord Irwin made a reference to grant the country dominion status in the future but several leaders were dissatisfied with this and demanded complete freedom from the British.
The Purna Swaraj resolution was about 750 words and it did not have any legal structure; many from that time termed it a manifesto. The document was a clarion call to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement that was led by the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi in 1930. This was to protest against the reinforcement of salt tax—the march began from Gandhi’s ashram in Sabarmati to the Gujarati seaside village of Dandi.
The Indian Independence Act was passed in Britain in July 1947 and India had become a dominion within the Commonwealth on August 15th 1947. This event is remembered as Indian Independence Day, which is also a national holiday.
How is Indian Republic Day celebrated?
Republic Day has been marked by parades, patriotic songs, exhibitions and fun, celebrating the cultural unity of India since 1950 when it was first officially celebrated. The first Republic Day procession was held at Irwin Amphitheatre, now called Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, in 1950 in Delhi. It was a grand celebration with over 100 aircraft and 3,000 Indian military personnel. At that time, the then-President of Indonesia Sukarno presided over the event.
Until 2022, the Christian hymn titled 'Abide With Me', is played to mark the end of R-Day celebrations. It is believed to have been one of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite songs. The hymn has been replaced by the popular patriotic song "Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon", which was written by Kavi Pradeep to commemorate the supreme sacrifice made by Indian soldiers during the 1962 Indo-China war.
The Delhi Republic Day Parade is organised by the Ministry of Defence, it starts from the Rashtrapati Bhavan gates and puts forth India’s defence capabilities, and cultural and social heritage and puts the diversity of the country in the limelight.
The Republic Day parade’s preparations begin in July when all of the participants are officially notified of their participation. They will practice parades at their respective places till August. They come to rehearse at the event in December. Before the official event begins, the participants will have already trained for 600 hours.
Each group covers 9 km on Republic Day. According to the judgement of the judges, one group is awarded the title of ‘Best Marching Group’. The floats move at a speed of about 5 km/hour so that every individual can see it. The drivers of these tableaus navigate using only a small window at the front.
Every year, there is a chief guest who presides over the Republic Day parade in New Delhi’s Rajpath. The selection process to zero in on the dignitary begins six months in advance. The chief guest is a representation of our ties with another foreign country, signifying the highest level of friendship.
The Republic Day celebrations officially end with The Beating Retreat Ceremony which is scheduled at Delhi’s Vijay Chowk on January 29th every year. For the uninitiated, the Beating Retreat is a military ceremony that has its origin in 17th-century England. In India, it was introduced by Major Roberts of the Ceremonial and Welfare Directorate of the Indian Army. The ritual signifies withdrawal from the battlefield; in this case, from the R-Day festivity.
The parade is broadcast live to millions across India who tune in to enjoy the carefully choreographed spectacle and reflect on over 70 years of freedom.
Until 1954 Republic Day was organised at Irwin Stadium, Kingsway, Red Fort and Ramleela Maidan. Since then, Rajpath has been the permanent venue of Republic Day.
The festivities in Delhi last for a week with many special events and a large parade highlighting each state.
