Watch: A brief history of India's Republic Day parade

On 26 January 1950, the newly-sworn President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, rode through the streets of Delhi to reach Irwin Amphitheatre (now Dhyan Chand National Stadium). This was the venue of the first ever Republic Day parade, where 3,000 officers of the armed forces, and more than 100 aircrafts had participated.

68 years later, we are celebrating the day India became a Sovereign Democratic Republic with the same fervour. The tradition of having a Republic Day parade hasn’t changed, though, the parade in itself has evolved over time.

From 1950 to 1954, the celebrations took place in different parts of Delhi. The format of the current parade was adopted in 1955, and Rajpath was chosen as the permanent venue. From then on, Republic day parades have become a projection of the cultural heritage, military capabilities and achievements of the nation, besides being a reflection of India’s changing foreign policy.

So far, India has invited chief guests from 44 countries, a decision based on the foreign policy priorities of that time. Mostly, countries from the Non-Aligned Movement and Soviet Bloc found representation in Republic Day ceremonies till late 70s. From the 80s, the invites grew more diverse, countries from Latin America and Western Europe started appearing on the guest list. For the last few years, in the wake of the Act East policy, East-Asian counties have been preferred as chief guests.

It’s believed that the Republic Day parade follows a largely communist tradition, that is observed only in a handful of other countries like Russia, China and North Korea. But, India’s Republic Day parade is not just a military parade, it tries to bring together the diverse cultures of its states, through tableaux and performances, and through the years, tells the story of India’s development.