Following are the sidelights of the Republic Day celebrations:
The majestic Rajpath saw a scintillating display of India's military might and resplendent cultural diversity as the country celebrated its 70th Republic Day on Saturday, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attending the event as guest of honour.
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Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani, a militant-turned-soldier who laid down his life fighting a group of terrorists in Shopian in Kashmir in November, was awarded the Ashoka Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind.
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Colourfully bedecked camels, a contingent of the Border Security Force, used for patrolling in the Thar Desert region in Rajasthan and Gujarat, strolled down the ceremonial boulevard as bandsmen riding their backs played martial music.
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'Nari Shakti' (women power) was on full display at the Rajpath with an all-woman Assam Rifles contingent creating history by participating for the first time in the parade, which was led by Maj Khushboo Kanwar.
Contingents of the Navy, Army Service Corps and a unit of Corps of Signals (transportable satellite terminal) were also led by women officers.
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Various facets of Mahatma Gandhi's life journey were displayed by the 22 tableaux that rolled down the Rajpath during the 70th Republic Day parade to mark the 150th birth anniversary of the father of the nation.
While 16 tableaux were from states and Union territories, six were from various central ministries and departments agriculture, power, drinking water and sanitation, Indian Railways, CISF and CPWD.
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A major highlight of the parade was participation of four Indian National Army (INA) veterans Parmanand, Lalti Ram, Hira Singh and Bhagmal, all aged over 90 years, for the first time. The other highlights include the display of American howitzers M777, the Main Battle Tank (MBT) T-90 and indigenously developed Akash weapons system.
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Twenty six children, including six girls and 20 boys, were awarded Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puruskar for their "exceptional achievement" also graced the occasion.
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the chief guest of the parade and was seated next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who wore his traditional kurta pajama and the trademark Nehru jacket.
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After seeing off President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Modi took a walk on the Rajpath and greeted people who had lined up the ceremonial boulevard.
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Children who won the national awards drew cheers from the audience as they passed through the Rajpath in open jeeps.
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The grand finale of the parade was a spectacular flypast by the IAF.
The fly-past commenced with the 'Rudra' formation comprising three advanced light helicopters in 'Vic' formation, and its culmination was a lone Su-30 MKI flying at a speed of 900 km/hr with a 'Vertical Charlie' manoeuvre over the saluting dais.
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The ceremony culminated with the national anthem and release of balloons.
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