Army Day Today: Parade moves to Bengaluru First Time Since 1949

The 75th Army Day parade, traditionally held in Delhi, will take place in Bengaluru at the Parade Ground, MEG & Centre today, Sunday, January 15, 2022. This marks the first time the event is being held outside of the national capital since its inception in 1949.

Army Chief General Manoj Pande will lead the parade and present gallantry awards, followed by a motorcycle display by the Army Service Corps (ASC) Tornadoes, skydiving, daredevil jumps, and a flyover by Army Aviation Corps helicopters.

Army Day is celebrated annually on January 15 to commemorate the takeover of the Indian Army by General (later Field Marshal) KM Carriappa from the last British Commander-in-Chief, General Sir Francis Robert Roy Bucher.

Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane

This year, the parade will be held at various field commands in India to facilitate a deeper connection with the society, the Station Commander of the Southern Command said. The celebrations in full will take place under the supervision of Southern Command, which is headquartered in Pune.

Before 2023, the Army Day parade used to take place at the Cariappa Parade Ground in the Delhi Cantonment. Last year, the Indian Air Force also moved out its annual fly-past and parade for the Air Force Day from the Hindon air base near Delhi to Chandigarh.

Army Day, celebrated annually on January 15th, marks the day in 1949 when Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa became the first Indian commander-in-chief of the Indian Army, succeeding British General Sir Francis Butcher.

Cariappa was a highly decorated officer who had a distinguished career in both the British Indian Army and the Indian Army. He was the first Indian officer to attend the Staff College at Quetta and the first Indian to command a battalion. He was later appointed as a Field Marshal, the highest rank in the Indian Army.

The Indian Army is the second largest army in the world. It has over 12 lakhs active personnel and under 10 lakh reserve personnel with a motto — “Service Before Self” and its origins can be traced back to the armies of the East India Company. It has won many battles and honours before and after independence.

Some Facts at Glance:

• Kodandera M. Cariappa was also appointed a member of the Army Sub Committee of the Forces Reconstitution Committee during the country’s partition. He secured a harmonious settlement for the army’s division between India and Pakistan.
• In 1965, the post of the Commander-in-Chief was renamed as the Chief of the Army Staff. The current Chief of the Army Staff is General Manoj Mukund Naravane.
• On this day, every year, the country joins the army in observing ‘Army Day’.
• The Army Chief also presents gallantry and other awards to army personnel.
• The Indian Army, headquartered in New Delhi, has 6 operational commands and 1 training command. Each headquarter command and HQs of other wings also showcase parades and celebrations.
• The Indian Army’s official date of founding is 1 April, 1895. Its origins can be traced to the armies of the East India Company.