New Delhi: On  26 January 1950, India truly became a sovereign state. But have you wondered what was it like in those days?


As we celebrate our 69th Republic Day today, here is a glimpse of India's maiden Republic Day celebrations. In the video, our first prime minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, and the first vice president Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and other officials alighting from an aeroplane.


Here is the first Republic Day parade:



Here is another video of Republic Day celebrations from the early years of India’s life as a republic (1952)