New Delhi: India and the UAE celebrated the bonds of their historic friendship in glorious fashion on Thursday morning, with a contingent of UAE soldiers marching down Rajpath in New Delhi for the first time as part of India’s 68th Republic Day parade.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who was the Chief Guest for the occasion, witnessed the parade flanked by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It was a historic and proud moment for the UAE and the Arab world, with a UAE military contingent leading the parade. The military contingent had the participation of 149 soldiers from the country’s army, navy, and air force, along with the Presidential Guard, who were accompanied by a UAE military band of 35 personnel. The contingent was warmly received by the attending public.

The UAE contingent was led by Brigadier Obaid Al Zahumi, while Major General Rajesh Sahai was the second in command from the Indian side. The UAE contingent’s march was as impressive as the delightful tune of Kaptien that the band played along.

From a 21-gun salute that accompanied the Indian national anthem to initiate the day’s proceedings to a stunning display by motorcycle daredevils from the Indian army, the Republic Day ceremony stood out in all its splendour despite the occasional drizzle and overcast skies.

The morning started with the arrival of Shaikh Mohammad and Mukherjee to the specially-made enclosure on Rajpath — the arterial highway on New Delhi that connects the presidential palace to the India Gate war memorial. Shaikh Mohammad was received by Modi and, in accordance with Republic Day protocol, the Indian Prime Minister introduced to the Chief Guest and the President the Indian ministers of defence, the three military service chiefs and the defence secretary.

Following the Indian national anthem, three helicopters flew past in formation, unfurling the Indian flag.

As per tradition, after unfurling the national flag, the national anthem was played, followed by a 21-gun salute.

The parade was commanded by Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane, general officer commanding, Delhi Area.

The marching contingents of the Indian army included horse-mounted columns of the 61st Cavalry, the Mechanised Infantry Regiment, the Bihar Regiment, the 39 Gorkha Training Centre, 58 Gorkha Training Centre, the Madras Engineering Group and Centre and 103 Infantry Battalion.

The Indian navy contingent comprised 144 young sailors and it was led by Lieutenant Aparna Nair.

The paramilitary and other auxiliary civil forces included the Border Security Force camel contingent, Indian Coast Guard, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Delhi Police, National Cadet Corps and National Service Scheme.

Tableaux from states, Union Territories and Union ministries presented the historical, art and cultural heritage of the country. They showcased country’s progress in different fields, particularly floats from Goa, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam and Jammu and Kashmir.

The splendid driving skills of the ‘Dare Devils’ — the motorcycle display team of the Corps of Military Police was a major attraction of the parade.

A march by various army columns, specially the mechanised ones displaying the Bhishma T-90 tanks and the Brahmos and Akash missile defence systems drew gasps of amazement from the thousands of people who had gathered since early in the morning, among them several UAE ministers, top officials, business delegates and other dignitaries from the country.

In a series of tweets, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed applauded the decades-old special friendship between the UAE and India. “I am very delighted and honoured to share Republic Day celebrations with the Indian people. India sends a civilised message to the rest of the world as its people — from diverse ethnicities, religions and sects — celebrate in unity,” he said.

The UAE is the second country after France to send its troops to participate in the Indian Republic Day parade.

Among the highlights of the spectacular ceremony were a march by the BSF camel contingent — the world’s only camel-mounted armed forces,

During the ceremony, India also showcased several government initiatives in the social, industrial and technology sectors through innovative tableaux displays, such as the Clean India Green India initiative, the 75th anniversary of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Save the Girl Child campaign by the Haryana government and the Prime Minister’s Urban Housing scheme.

A steady morning drizzle failed to dampen the spirits of the thousands of people who began assembling around the boulevard from early on.

A massive ground-to-air security apparatus was put in place in the national capital turning the city into virtually an impregnable fortress. Snipers of National Security Guard were deployed at all high-rises along the parade route.

The arrangements were made to ensure an incident-free Republic Day celebrations and foolproof security. As part of the multi-layered security, around 60,000 security personnel were deployed across the city.

(With inputs from agencies).