Marking a paradigm shift from a time-honoured custom, the 78th Army Day Parade was taken out of military cantonments for the first time in its history and held along a public urban route on Mahal Road in Rajasthan’s Jaipur today. By allowing unrestricted public viewing of the parade, the celebrations aimed to strengthen the emotional and patriotic connection between the armed forces and citizens.
The Army Day celebrations saw the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, and other dignitaries. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde also attended the event.
#WATCH | Rajasthan | Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi takes salute at the 78th Army Day Parade underway in Jaipur.
Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde, CM Bhajanlal Sharma also present. pic.twitter.com/MInrSjZD1J
— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2026
Organised on the lines of the Republic Day celebrations, Army Day has been observed every year since 1949 to commemorate the day General K.M. Cariappa took over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
‘Year of Networking and Data Centricity’
The central theme of this year’s celebrations, “Year of Networking and Data Centricity”, focuses on the adoption of avant-garde digitalisation, communication networks, and data-driven decision-making systems by the Indian Army to cater to the demands of contemporary warfare.
Along with the march past by soldiers, the event will feature aerial spectacle as well as a display of tableaux, modern weaponry and advanced war machinery. The celebrations will include showcase of armoured vehicles, including Arjun tanks, K-9 Vajra, Dhanush artillery guns, BMPs, and BrahMos missiles, at the parade.
The parade will also feature the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher, which was recently tested with long-range guided rockets that have a range of up to 120 kilometres.
Security arrangements at the parade
As the parade moved beyond cantonment limits and into civilian areas for the first time, a huge footfall was expected at the event. Therefore, extensive security arrangements have been put in place. Sapta Shakti Command, also known as the South Western Command is leading the security management at the parade with thousands of police personnel deployed on roads across the city.
Also, a traffic advisory has been issued by the police to ensure a smooth movement of local commuters amid expected traffic congestion. Some restrictions on public movement have been imposed in the area around Mahal Road where the parade is scheduled to take place. The authorities have barricaded Mahal Road, from NRI Circle to Bombay Hospital, for the general public from morning till afternoon today.
Residents should plan alternative routes during the specified hours to avoid inconvenience.