Marches repeat for the Republic of India Day parade

NEW DELHI (AP) – Wearing a sword and wearing a turban in the colors of his regiment, the Indian army, Major Piyush Sharma, thundered, “Troops, get ready to go.”

At his behest, the camel-mounted regiment – its mustached horsemen led by gleaming brass bands with gleaming tubas – quickly moved to a boulevard in the Indian capital on Friday in a rehearsal for the annual Republic Day parade.

“I can’t describe my feelings in words. It’s such an honor to lead my contingent, “said Sharma, 28.

Republic Day marks the anniversary of the country’s adoption on January 26, 1950. Thousands gather on Rajpath, a ceremonial boulevard in New Delhi, to watch an extraordinary presentation of the country’s military power and cultural diversity. Schoolchildren, folk dancers, police and military battalions march along the parade route, followed by an exhibition of military equipment.

But what is happening behind the high-precision parade – broadcast live and watched by millions of Indians across the country – is weeks and weeks of practice in the winter cold.

Thanks to a fervent national campaign to avoid the coronavirus, participants in this year’s rehearsals marched with their faces covered in masks.

The crowd that came to watch was thin, facing fog and cold as they sat along the edges of the boulevard.

Due to the pandemic, spectators at the Republic Day parade next Tuesday will be limited to imposing social distance, and some events will be canceled.

India gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947.