Tomorrow on January 26, India will celebrate its Republic Day - the day the Constitution of India came into effect in 1950.
On Republic Day, the President, who is the First Citizen of the country attends the event and unfurls the flag. It is celebrated at Rajpath in the national capital followed by parades, a tableau of the states, artillery display, etc.
However, the Republic Day parade of this year will be starkly different from previous years as it will be held amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
While many of us are aware of the difference between Independence Day and Republic Day, it is imperative to note the difference between hoisting the flag on Independence day and unfurling it on Republic Day.
Let's look at how different the two are.
Independence Day:
1) The national flag is tied at the bottom and then pulled up.
2) The Prime Minister hoists the tricolour. The day is to mark the historic event of Independence of the country from the British Rule.
3) The flag hoisting ceremony on Independence Day takes place at the Red Fort in New Delhi followed by the PM's address to the nation.
Republic Day:
1) On Republic Day, the flag is tied up on the top and is unfurled without pulling it up. This depicts that the country is already independent.
2) The President, who is the First Citizen of the country, attends the event and unfurls the flag. This is because at the time of Independence, the Constitution of India did not come into effect and the President, who is the constitutional head, did not take office.
3) Republic Day is celebrated at Rajpath in the national capital.
