Governor leads Republic Day celebrations in Tamil Nadu

The parade was a low-key affair this year due to the COVID-19 scenario, and witnessed fewer marching contingents

January 26, 2021 12:00 pm | Updated 12:26 pm IST - CHENNAI

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit unfurl the Indian national flag during the Republic Day celebrations held in Chennai on Tuesday

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit unfurl the Indian national flag during the Republic Day celebrations held in Chennai on Tuesday

On the occasion of Republic Day on Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit unfurled the national flag at the Marina beach front, in the presence of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee, Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal and other dignitaries.

Soon after he placed a wreath at the War Memorial on Rajaji Salai, the Governor arrived for the celebrations near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on Kamarajar Salai, where he was received by Mr. Palaniswami. After a brief introduction to senior officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the Tamil Nadu Police, Mr. Purohit unfurled the national flag.

As the gathering sung the national anthem, an Air Force helicopter showered flower petals on the venue. The Republic Day parade, which was a low-key affair this year due to the COVID-19 scenario, witnessed fewer marching contingents and there were no cultural events from school and college students, a regular feature every year otherwise.

During the ceremonial march past, contingents from the Army, Army Band, the Navy, the Air Force, the Coast Guard, Ex-Servicemen, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Central Industrial Security Force, the Railway Police Force and various wings of the Tamil Nadu Police, the Home Guards (Men and Women), impressed the gathering. Later, the Chief Minister handed over various medals to recipients.

An acrobatic display by personnel from the Tamil Nadu Police enthralled the audience. The cultural extravaganza by troupes from the South Zone Cultural Centre of the Union Ministry of Culture reflecting the rich cultural heritage of various States of the country, added to the pomp and gaiety. A procession of floats from various State government departments showcased the services of these respective departments to the people.

The event concluded with the national anthem. Wing Commander Kushhal Kalja was the Parade Commander of the Republic Day parade.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.