5,000 Special Guests Attend 80th Independence Day Celebrations at Red Fort
Thousands of school students, NCC cadets, volunteers, welfare scheme beneficiaries, and special guests gathered at the historic Red Fort on Thursday morning to commemorate the 80th Independence Day celebrations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the National Flag from the ramparts of the Mughal-era fort, followed by the recitation of the National Anthem.
Nearly 5,000 special guests from various sectors attended the event, including International Yoga Day volunteers, women entrepreneurs under the PM Mudra Yojana, MY Bharat volunteers, beneficiaries of PMAY(U), and street vendors supported under the PM SVANidhi scheme.
An Army band played “Vande Mataram,” which was officially played from the ramparts of the fort for the first time, with guests joining in to sing the national song. A synchronised 21-gun salute was executed by gunners of the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial) using indigenous 105mm Light Field Guns. Two Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopters showered flower petals over the gathering, with one carrying the national flag and the other bearing a flag depicting “Vande Mataram.”
Attendees arrived early in the morning, navigating security checkpoints and barricades amid overcast skies. Dark rain clouds that hovered over the venue cleared shortly after the Prime Minister began his address at 7:37 a.m., paving the way for clear weather throughout the remainder of the ceremony.
Several attendees from Gurugram joined the gathering at the national monument. Deepika Singh Singraur, a 42-year-old lecturer at a private college in Gurugram, described attending the event as the fulfilment of a long-standing personal aspiration. Udit Narayan, a 36-year-old Gurugram-based engineer working in the power sector, noted that being seated near defence personnel and members of Parliament provided a vibrant change from his corporate routine.
Other attendees included young students and youth volunteers. Eight-year-old Deepak Bishnoi, dressed in a Bharat Scouts and Guides uniform, attended to tour the fort and view the aerial flypast, while 13-year-old Yash Rawat, a student from a Daryaganj-based government school, witnessed the celebrations for the first time. Following the formal address and ceremonies, visitors took photographs across the venue before dispersing.
