Thanks to Soma, we got three passes for the Republic Day parade at Rajpath this year. We arrived at the venue after a series of security checks, almost two and half hours after we left our home, just in time for the start of the parade. Yingluck Shinawatra, the young and new Prime Minister of Thailand, was the chief guest for the occasion. It is an occasion of great pride for every Indian - very sombre, very thrilling and very emotional.
Here are the highlights for me of the parade:
- The best marching contingent from the services was that of the Indian Air Force. The 144 member marching team was led by Flight Lieutenant Sneha Shekhawat, a first time for a lady leading the contingent. She was joined by three other women officers from the IAF.
- The flypast this year was wonderful, what with the clear skies.
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| MI 35 helicopters |
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| C130 Hercules aircrafts |
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| Jaguars in a V formation |
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| MIG 29s in a V shape |
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| Sukhois - in a Trishul formation |
Amongst the tableaus, here is one that I found interesting - my father would also (it was his department after all):
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| Customs tableau |
