'Pralay' Missile To 'Sinhtoo' Dance: Lists Of Firsts In Republic Day Parade This Year

The 76th Republic Day Parade on Kartavya Path will showcase first-time participants, including an Indonesian contingent, the 'Pralay' missile, and the 'Sanjay' surveillance system.

The 76th Republic Day Parade will feature many firsts ranging from military prowess to diverse culture.

Source : PTI

The stage is set for the much-awaited Republic Day Parade that will march down the Kartavya Path in the national capital on Sunday. 

An ensemble of the country's military strength, national development, and folk culture, the parade will feature many "firsts" from the 'Pralay' missile to the 'Sinhtoo' folk dance. 

Here are some of the firsts that will be visible during the 76th Republic Day Parade. 

Marching Contingent and Band from Indonesia 

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest on Sunday. A 352-member marching and band contingent has also accompanied the Indonesian premier which will participate in the Sunday parade. 

This will be the first time that an Indonesian marching and band contingent will participate in a national day parade abroad. 

'Pralay' Missile 

The newly developed indigenous tactical missile, 'Pralay' will be made available for public display for the first time in the Republic Day Parade. The short-range surface-to-surface missile has a payload capacity of 500 to 1,000 kg. 

Developed by the  Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the missile has a range of 150 to 500 km and is capable of carrying conventional warheads.

Army's Battle Surveillance System 'Sanjay'

'SANJAY -The Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS)' will also be featured for the first time on the majestic boulevard in the national capital on Sunday. The Army's automated Battle Surveillance System integrates inputs from all ground and aerial battlefield sensors. 

It processes the inputs to confirm their veracity, preventing duplication and fusing them to produce a Common Surveillance Picture of the battlefield over a secured Army Data Network & Satellite Communication Network.

Father-Son Duo To Be Part Of Parade 

The Sunday's Republic Day, for the first time, will witness a father-son duo marching down the Kartavya Path in uniform. While Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar will lead the parade, son Lieutenant Ahaan Kumar will be part of the Army's Mounted Column, which will include 51 horses. 

'Bagh Mitra' 

A Bagh Mitra (tiger friend) has been invited for the first time by the central government to attend the Republic Day parade in Delhi. Atul Singh of Madhotanda village in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district is among the state forest department employees who have been invited to the event, reported The Times of India. 

Singh is one of the volunteers under the World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) ‘Bagh Mitra' program. The volunteers are trained to identify pug marks, predatory behaviour, and dietary habits of big cats as well as other wild animals. 

The forest official had constantly monitored the 74-day-long movement of an adult male tiger in a radius of 15 km in the agricultural belt, a WWF project officer told TOI. 

Sinhtoo Folk Dance 

The ancient folk dance from the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh will grace the plains of Delhi and be featured nationwide for the first time during the Republic Day parade. 

Around 200 artists will perform the Sinhtoo dance of the Hatti community in the remote Giri region of Sirmaur district, reported The Indian Express. The folk dance will be part of the mega cultural event ‘Jayati Jaya Mum Bhartam,’ with 5,000 artists who will showcase 45 dance forms from different parts of the country.