Venue: Red Fort
Date: 26-31 January, 2016

As kids we would wait for the Republic Day parade that was telecast on TV. The tableaux would never fail to amaze us and we would have long discussions as to which one was the best.

This year, the Government did what we think is a sweet gesture. Post-parade, the Ministry of Tourism placed these tableaux in the open area in front of Red Fort. Along with the tableaux they setup a craft fair, a food court and a huge stage for Republic Day performers to display their art. The performances were colourful and given the melange of folk and classical forms from different states, there was no dull moment and the audience went on cheering.

The food court was huge and had 50 +stalls with Delhi stalls outnumbering others. The food was good and reasonably priced. Along with state cuisines and street food, various hospitality institutes had setup individual stalls and were serving some amazing stuff.

For instance the fried chicken in Malaysian style by students of IHM still makes our mouths water.

We were also very impressed with the craft display. The organisers had made a genuine effort to go beyond the stalls of Delhi Haat and had got artisans and craft societies from various parts of India to display their unique products.

The only disappointment was perhaps the low turnout. Although entry was free (one just needed an id card), Delhites missed it.

In India patriotism occurs to us twice- Republic Day and Independence Day. Given this festival, the Government extended our patriotic spirit by a few more days. We shall be looking forward to this event come Republic Day next year.