President Droupadi Murmu presided over the event in Delhi, while European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen graced the occasion as chief guests. Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Ms Murmu and the chief guests, who arrived in traditional horse-drawn buggies, on stage. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and several other Union ministers, top brass, foreign diplomats and senior officials were among the spectators.
Also read | The 77th Republic Day in pictures
The celebrations began when Ms. Murmu presented India’s highest peacetime gallantry award, Ashoka Chakra, to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for being the first Indian to set foot on the International Space Station in June 2024.
More than 100 artists came together to kick off the celebration around the theme Vividata Mein Ekta (Unity in Diversity), performing with traditional musical instruments from across the country, showcasing the country’s rich cultural diversity.
The parade was led by Parade Commander Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, a second generation officer.
A tri-service tableau featured replicas of major weapon systems deployed by the armed forces during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. The theme continued as the day progressed as a variety of weapons used during the operation were displayed, including BrahMos missiles, Akash missile systems and S-400 systems. The air show featured a Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter flying an ‘Operation Sindoor’ flag, while the Indian Air Force organized a spectacular flypast, with Rafale, Sukhoi, MiG-29 and Jaguar aircraft flying in a ‘Sindoor formation’.
Suryastra universal rocket launcher system, Arjun main battle tank, Dhanush artillery guns and Divyastra battery were also on display.
The 77th Republic Day celebration also saw the parade debut of the newly raised Bhairav Battalion, a specialized assault infantry unit aimed at bridging the capabilities of conventional infantry and special forces.
In addition, a European Union military contingent, carrying the flag of the military staff and the flags of Operations Atalanta and Aspides, and the group’s naval operations, also took part in the parade. It was the EU’s first participation in such an event outside Europe.
A total of 30 tableaux – 17 from states and union territories and 13 from various ministries and departments – rolled along the Kartavya trail. The Kerala tableau, which showcased India’s first water metro, also depicted the state’s achievement of 100% digital literacy and green mobility, rural prosperity and women-led digital empowerment. Chhattisgarh’s tableau, themed ‘The mantra of freedom, Vande Mataram”, paid tribute to tribal freedom fighters and featured Veer Gundadhur of the Bhumkal Rebellion of 1910 and Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh, the state’s first martyr.
Uttar Pradesh showcased the cultural landscape of Bundelkhand, including the Ekamukha Linga of Kalinjar, while also highlighting the tableau of Gujarat Vande Mataram and honored Bhikaji Cama, underlining the role of the state in the freedom movement and the spirit of swadeshi and self-reliance. The tableaus also include defense preparedness, disaster resilience and education reforms under the National Education Policy, skill development, urban transformation, cultural heritage and technological self-reliance.
The tableau of the Ministry of Home Affairs showed the enactment of three new criminal laws that came into force on July 1, 2024, replacing the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act. The Ministry of Culture marked 150 years of existence Vande Mataramfeaturing Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s composition, a British-era recording, and renditions of the song by various generations, including GenZ. Centered around a PM SHRI school, the School Education Department’s tableau showcased the evolution of India’s knowledge systems under the National Education Policy 2020.
More than 10,000 guests from different walks of life attended the celebration. This year, the enclosures for the parade have been named after the rivers that flow through the country: Beas, Brahmaputra, Chambal, Chenab, Gandak, Ganga, Ghagra, Godavari, Sindhu, Jhelum, Kaveri, Kosi, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Pennar, Periyar, Ravi, Sone, Sutlej, Teesta, Vaigai and Yamuna.
Published – Jan 26, 2026 10:19 PM IST
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