Republic Day parade draws global attention as AP photo gallery captures Delhi celebrations and EU guests
A global photo gallery from The Associated Press documented India’s 77th Republic Day parade in New Delhi, including the presence of European leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen. The images spotlighted military columns, domestically produced platforms, cultural troupes and Republic Day observances in other Indian cities.
A global lens on a national ceremony
India’s Republic Day parade is designed as a domestic celebration, but it also travels worldwide through international media coverage. On 26 January 2026, a curated photo gallery by The Associated Press offered a detailed visual account of the 77th Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi, capturing the scale, choreography and public participation at Kartavya Path.
Thousands lined the route as the parade marked the official adoption of India’s Constitution on 26 January 1950. The AP coverage placed the Delhi ceremony in a broader context, noting that Republic Day parades and events also took place in state capitals and large cities elsewhere in India, with security stepped up around public gatherings.
EU guests featured prominently
The AP gallery highlighted the arrival and presence of European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the parade. Their participation as chief guests underscored the growing visibility of India–Europe engagement and turned the celebration into a moment watched closely beyond India’s borders.
For many international audiences, the photo coverage functioned as a compact explainer of India’s state pageantry: visiting dignitaries at the saluting base, ceremonial customs, and the scale of security and crowd management required for a major public event in the capital.
Military display and cultural diversity in the same frame
The gallery emphasised the parade’s dual identity. On one hand were marching columns, bands and the presentation of domestically produced military hardware—tanks, radar systems and missile platforms—moving in disciplined formations. On the other hand were cultural troupes, vibrant costumes and floats representing different regions, designed to communicate unity through diversity.
The aerial flypast, including Rafale jets and transport aircraft, provided the closing spectacle. Through wide shots and close-ups, the images conveyed how India positions Republic Day as both a commemoration of constitutional identity and a showcase of national capability.