
The historic celebrations of the 77th Indian Army Day, commemorated each year on January 15, included a new robotic dog show, also known as MULEs (Multi-Utility Legged Equipment), and a grand light and sound show in Pune depicting the evolution of Indian warfare from ancient to modern times.
The event held at Bhagat Pavillion of the Bombay Engineers Group (BEG) and Centre in Pune, which comes under the Army's Southern Command, was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, reported PTI.
Speaking on the occasion, Singh said, "I had the opportunity to lay the foundation stone of the Army Paralympic Node (APN) here today. I am confident that this node will inspire the disabled soldiers of the Indian Army and they will bring laurels to India in the Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Para Games. I also got the opportunity to launch the Bharat Rannbhoomi Darshan application, through which citizens of our country will be able to visit India's historical battlefields with ease," as stated by ANI.
With the theme Gaurav Gatha, the event drew inspiration from the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as modern wars. The grand Gaurav Gatha event was preceded by a parade, which was held in Pune for the first time, with the theme Samarth Bharat, Saksham Sena.
A few of the significant attractions of the parade are:
- Nepal Army band
- An all-girl marching contingent from the National Cadet Corps (NCC), and
- A set of ‘robotic mules’
Going back to history
The Indian Army Day, which is celebrated on January 15 each year, has its roots in 1949 when the Indian Army’s command was handed over from a British Army officer, General Sir Francis Butcher, to an Indian Army officer, Lieutenant General KM Cariappa.
The day not only celebrates the valour and sacrifices of the Indian soldiers but also marks the transfer of power from the colonial rulers to the Indians.
Lieutenant General KM Cariappa, the first Indian commander-in-chief of the Indian Army, was from Karnataka. He was also one of the only two recipients of the title of Field Marshal of India, after Sam Manekshaw, reported the Hindustan Times.