Republic day - is the day on which the foundation of a republic is commemorated, Republic day of India marks two significant moments in the history of our country,
- India became a republic on 26th January 1950.
- Constitution of India was officially brought into enforcement.
My son came back from school the other day and was trying to educate me on the significance of the Republic day and how it was one of our National festivals. Basically telling me all that his teacher shared with the class that day. He added that the main parade was held at the Rajpath in New Delhi, where the president took the salute from the different marching contingents. The defence forces, military and para military forces were represented and all of them showcased the 'new' that was brought in. There were also tableaus from the different states showcasing their historic, cultural or modern might. The school children also put up cultural programmes for the gathering. Important honours such as the Param vir Chakra, Vir Chakra etc are awarded to the winners and so are the brave children honoured during the parade. Celebrations are also held at the state level, in the state capital as well as across different educational and government set ups. Its a day of grandeur and celebration across the country.
Of course I thanked my little boy for all the gyan he gave me and made me think about our republic and feel the pride of being an Indian living in todays times.
My brother in law, who is a biking enthusiast had been posting about the ride they were all going for on the 26th this year in Mumbai. The ride was to start at Bandra and they were to go all the way to Nariman Point. They were expecting 1000 bikers, the Royal Enfield guys!... but to their surprise more than 1600 bikers turned up on their Enfield Bullets. The Message that they wanted to convey on the Republic Day was 'Unite to end violence against women'. Sahil, my bro in law; knows how much I love this bike and wanted me to be a part of the group. Somehow I couldn't make it, motherly duties took over the adventurous girl in me... never mind would love to do it in future... theres always a second, third or a fourth time! isn't it? But I asked him to keep me posted on the happenings and get as many pics as possible which both my sister and he obliged happily. I was amazed at the pictures that I saw... Wow!... was the only thing that came to my mind.
Splendid indeed. There were Royal Enfields in their true element and so were the modified versions. There was an array of colours and stylish bikes. Riders were both men and women. Most of them had pillion riders. The pillion seats were occupied by the spouse, children, friends, relatives, young and old... sorry to use the word 'Old'. I correct that as 'young at heart', age is just a number... sometimes the number is quite Big! Some couples had their children as young as one year olds, kind of loved their spirits! A lady biker caught my attention, just loved her attitude not to forget the helmet that had a Mohawk on it, she looked a picture to behold in her aviators... I certainly will meet this biker over a cup of coffee for sure and also on the wish list is our Navi Mumbai biker Nigel who was the man behind this idea and.....what an idea Sirji!
The fleet of riders was impressive, they were from all over Mumbai a good 1600 + gathered at Bandra to kick off the ride. The bikers couldn't locate even their own friends in the massive sea. Anyway everyone was a friend and everyone was united for the cause. The gang got enough eye balls all through the ride, the tricolour flying in the air. They had the support from Mumbai police, there were a couple of police bikes as well as police jeeps with them. They were given a bypass at ever traffic signal. A feat rarely given to anyone else apart from our VVIPs. The Bullets reached Nariman Point in true grandeur and conveyed their message loud and clear.
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| Bikers like up |
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| The girl with the mohawk! |
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| Riders at Haji Ali |
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| Wow... thats the spirit! |
PS
I'll keep with my promise of writing about Abhilash Tomy in my posts till he is back from his historic voyage.
(Abhilash Tomy is attempting to be the first Indian on a solo non stop unassisted circumnavigation of the globe)
There was one more place that had the tricolur unfurl.. This is what Tomy had to say about hoisting the flag, "What is so special about this tricolor? It was the farthest flag to be unfurled this Republic Day...10,000 miles away on the other side of the globe, one mile south of Cape Horn, exactly at the confluence of the Atlantic and the Pacific, with albatross, cormorants and dolphins as witness".
To know more about Lt. Cdr Tomy and his boat the Mhadei, follow the link below.