First Republic Day was celebrated at Irwin Amphitheatre, 100 fighter planes, 3 thousand soldiers paraded

Republic Day 2025: Today India is celebrating its 76th Republic Day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Draupadi Murmu and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will be part of the celebrations. Huge banners with tricolor theme have been put up on Kartavya Path. The theme of this year's tableau is 'Swarnim Bharat: Heritage and Development', which focuses on the completion of 75 years of the Constitution coming into force. But do you know how the first Republic Day parade ... President took charge with 31-gun salute

The first celebration of the Republic of India was not held at Rajpath (now Kartavya Path). It was held at the Irwin Amphitheatre in the 1930s, after the country got its first president. Indonesia's first president Sukarno was the chief guest at India's first Republic Day celebration in 1950 and 75 years later, Indonesia's president Prabowo Subianto will be the chief guest at this year's ceremonial parade, which will also feature a marching contingent and a band contingent from that country. On the night of January 26, 1950, iconic public buildings, parks and railway stations were lit up, making the capital city sparkle.

Governor-General read out the declaration of the Republic of India

Fauji Akhbar in its February 4 article 'Birth of the Republic' said, "At a most magnificent ceremony held in the Durbar Hall of Government House, India was declared a sovereign democratic republic at exactly 10.18 a.m. on Thursday, January 26, 1950. Six minutes later, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was sworn in as President. It states, "The birth of the Republic of India and the assumption of office of its first President was announced shortly after 10.30 a.m. with a 31-gun salute. In an impressive swearing-in ceremony, while retired Governor-General C. Rajagopalachari read out the proclamation of "Bharat, that is, the Republic of India".

The Constitution then declared that India, that is, Bharat, would be a union of states, comprising within the Union the territories hitherto designated as Governors' Provinces, Indian States and Chief Commissioners' Provinces. The President then took the oath and delivered a brief speech first in Hindi and then in English. On the occasion of the first Republic Day, 3,000 officers and men of the three services and police paraded in ceremonial parade accompanied by massed bands. The amphitheatre with a capacity of 15,000 people staged one of the most spectacular military parades in India's recent history. The venue was beautifully decorated, and the stands were decked out in their finest attire. Seven massed bands representing the three-armed forces and the police entertained the audience while army units and local contingents and regiments made the solemn occasion colourful and precise. The countrymen celebrated after the President's celebration

President Prasad said in his historic speech, "Today, for the first time in our long and eventful history, we find that this vast territory from Kashmir in the north to Cape Comorin in the south, from Kathiawar and Kutch in the west to Coconada and Kamrup in the east has come under the jurisdiction of one constitution and one union, which takes responsibility for the welfare of more than 320 million men and women living here." Soon after Prasad took oath as the first President of India, there was a festive atmosphere in the country.

Irwin Amphitheatre was built in 1933

The beautiful brick structure of the Irwin Amphitheatre, with a dome over its main body, was later redeveloped into the National Stadium. Its front lawns served as the venue for the National School Band Competition held ahead of the 76th Republic Day celebrations on January 24-25. According to a marble plaque on its wall, the Irwin Amphitheatre was built in 1933 as a gift by the then Maharaja of Bhavnagar, who donated Rs 5 lakh for its construction and was inaugurated by the then Viceroy Lord Willingdon.

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Amphitheatre was designed by Robert Tor Russell

The amphitheatre was named after Lord Irwin, the former Viceroy of India, who inaugurated the new British capital New Delhi in February 1931 during his viceroyalty. Designed by Robert Tor Russell, the architect of the iconic Connaught Place in central Delhi, the amphitheatre was renamed the National Stadium in 1951, just before it hosted the Asian Games. According to another plaque installed in another part of the building, the foundation stone of the National Sports Stadium was laid by the Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, on January 19, 1950, just a week before the first Republic Day celebrations were held at the venue.

About the first Republic Day celebrations, the more than 100-year-old Fauji Akhbar had said, "The President At 2:30 p.m. sharp he left the Government House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan) with full state honours, in a 35-year-old carriage specially renovated for the occasion, bearing the new Ashoka capital and drawn by six sturdy Australian horses at a slow pace. As the procession passed the Irwin Amphitheatre, shouts of "Jai" filled the streets and people from trees, rooftops and every possible vantage point broke out in cheers.