Indian Army decides to hold next year's Army Day parade in Southern Command area
1 min read 19 Sep 2022, 07:06 PM ISTEvery year Indian Army celebrates Army Day with a parade which used to take place in Delhi, this year Army is planning to shift the location of parade in Southern Command area
PremiumParade, the word evokes emotion in every Indian. The emotion of pride, gratitude and respect. Indian Armed Forces provide us ample opportunities to witness the beautiful marching soldiers, presenting their regiments and the 'state of the art' defense system of the country. The parade is an important element of Army Day celebrations on 15 January and this year the Indian Army has decided to shift the location of the Army Day Parade from the national capital to an area in southern command.
India will celebrate its 75th Army Day in 2023, it was a day when in 1949, Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa took over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. He took the command from General Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India.
Army Day celebrates the transfer of power from the British to the Indian Army and signifies an important milestone in the history of the Indian Army. The day also honors the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the service of the nation.
Military hardware, contingent display and combat display are part of the parade and the brave soldiers of the Indian Army also receive gallantry awards like Sena medals.
In 2020, the Army Day Parade also saw its first woman parade adjutant when Captain Tania Shergill led an all-men contingent during the parade. Captain Shergill belongs to the Army Corps of Signals. The year also saw Army Day Celebrations attended by India's first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat.
General Bipin Rawat and his wife were killed in a helicopter crash last year and since, the post of the Chief of Defense Staff is vacant.
Field Marshal Cariappa is one of the two Army Officers in the history of the independent India to hold a five-star rank. The other one was Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who led the Army into the attack during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
Indian Army's Southern Command comprises two Corps with their Headquarters in Jodhpur and Bhopal. The static formations include Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa, with its HQ at Mumbai and the Dakshin Bharat Area with its HQ at Chennai.
The Command covers eleven states and four Union Territories. Its formations, establishments and units are spread across 19 cantonments and 36 military stations.
