05-17-2007, 04:52 PM
Mr. Radhu you have done a good job. A few of the photographs are from Republic Day Parade of previous years. This year the display was in a lower key, particularly the show of heavy armaments etc. Since you have not given captions to all the excellent photographs, for the benefit of viewers, I would like to add a few. The second last picture is that of the President's Bodyguards: This is one of the oldest regiment earlier known as Governor General's Bodyguards and was raised in Varanasi in the year 1858, it is presently commanded by Col Adil Mahmood VSM.The helicopters are MI-17 and the BSF Camel contingent was originally belonged to the Jaipur State Forces. The India Gate was constructed after the end of the First World War as a memorial for the estimated 185000 Indian soldiers who died in various battle fields in Europe and Persia. Names of these soldiers are inscribed on the body of the manument. The eternal flame is a recent addition. In both the World Wars India provide the largest contingent of volunteer force as all other countries had to resort to conscription.