New Delhi: The Indian Army will hold its 76th Army Day parade at the 11 Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre in Lucknow — the headquarters of the Army’s Central Command — Monday.
This is the second consecutive year that the Army Day celebrations are being held outside Delhi, after Bengaluru in 2023.
The Army Day is celebrated every year on 15 January to commemorate the historic event of Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa taking over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Army from General Francis Bucher, the last British chief, on 15 January 1949.
The Army Day is an occasion to honour the valour and sacrifices of the soldiers and showcase the Army’s capabilities and achievements. It is celebrated by holding parades and showcasing the Army’s arsenal.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other civil and military dignitaries will attend the event.
The Central Command, also known as Surya Command, was established in 1963 in the aftermath of the Chinese aggression of 1962. It is responsible for the defence of the central sector along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and the International Border (IB) with Nepal.
The command covers eight states: Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. The command has 18 Regimental Centres under its jurisdiction.
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Air displays, concerts and more
The parade, which will be held at the 11 Gorkha Rifles Regimental Centre, will feature marching contingents from various regiments of the Army, such as the Garhwal Rifles, Jat Regiment, Sikh Light Infantry, Bengal Engineer Group and Parachute Regiment. The parade will also include a contingent from the Corps of Army Air Defence.
In the evening, a combat and military display, Shaurya Sandhya, will be held at the Surya Khel Parisar in Lucknow.
The display will showcase the Army’s equipment and technology, such as T-90 tanks, Akash missiles, K9 Vajra, anti-drone equipment, Bofors guns, artillery weapons systems and more. The display will also feature a combat-free fall demonstration by Army personnel.
The audience will also witness martial arts performances by the contingents, such as Gatka and Khukuri dance. While Gatka is a traditional form of combat practised by the Sikh, Khukuri is practised by Gorkhas as well as others like the Assam Regiment.
The display will be accompanied by a flypast by the air assets of the Indian Air Force (IAF), such as the Sukhoi-30 MKI, Kiran aircraft and the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) of both the Army and the IAF.
For the first time, the Army is also organising a military band concert for the civilians as part of the celebrations. The concert is expected to attract around 8,000 people, a source from the defence establishment told ThePrint.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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