How and where India celebrated its first Republic Day

Iconic monochrome images of Homai Vyarawalla, India's celebrated first woman photojournalist, of January 26, 1950 has also etched that day in history forever.

The marching troops at the Amphitheatre against the backdrop of the Old Fort (Purana Qila) or Rajendra Prasad taking a ceremonial ride at the Great Place (now Vijay Chowk)without any security cover, stand today as signatures of that momentous day in Indian history before the venue shifted to th e Rajpath the next year onwards.

Incidentally, Lord Irwin was the then Viceroy of India when New Delhi was formally inaugurated in February 1931, as the new capital of the British India in a grand ceremony.

But, it wasn't just the Capital celebrating the red-letter day. "At home countless people rejoiced and celebrated the historic occasion and the proclamation of the

Indian Republic was read out in all the states of the Indian Union. Abroad too, Indians marked the occasion with fitting celebrations," the journal recounted.

Messages of goodwill were received from the heads of states of almost all the countries of the world as the "Dominion of India turned a historic corner

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