The 67th Republic Day parade at the Rajpath delighted not just thousands of Indians present there but also drew cheers from several foreign nationals, including the French, many of whom attended the ceremonial function for the first time.
Danish Jan Petersen, 61, on his maiden visit to India, said, he felt happy to join in the celebrations.
“In Denmark, we are not used to so many colours, so the parade came as a nice surprise and a visual treat. I felt glad to have attended the event, people are also very kind...I was in Jaipur earlier and had seen the Hawa Mahal there and when I saw the replica of the iconic monument, it felt great that I had already seen it,” Petersen, who recently returned from Rajasthan said.
A resident of Kolding city, Petersen came to see the parade, accompanied by his fried Ulla, a doctor. French officials, part of the delegation accompanying French President Francois Hollande, and journalists from that country who attended the event, were seen cheering various contingents and tableaux that paraded on the ceremonial boulevard.
“It was wonderful to be here and it felt lovely to see India celebrating her Republic Day and France joining in as represented by our President,” a visiting French official said. Young Chinese friends Zhou Shenquan and Chen Yi from Hubei Province gushed about their experiences after the parade, particularly watching acrobatics by the motorcycle daredevils.