Amid patriotic fervour, hundreds of school students, NCC cadets, volunteers, welfare scheme beneficiaries, and others gathered at the Red Fort to mark the 80th Independence Day and recite “ Vande Mataram ”, officially played for the first time from the ramparts of the historic Mughal-era fort.
The boy wore a Bharat Scouts and Guides uniform adorned with tricolour accessories. Visitors arrived at the fort early in the morning, navigating layers of barricades and stringent security checks, prepared for rain as dark clouds gathered overhead. However, just minutes into the Prime Minister’s address at 7:37 a.m., the weather changed, and clouds gradually gave way to clear skies, transforming the atmosphere at the historic venue.
An Army band played “Vande Mataram” while guests sang the national song, followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisting the National Flag and the recitation of the National Anthem. “I came to catch a glimpse of the PM, tour the historic Red Fort , and watch helicopters,” said 8-year-old Deepak Bishnoi, pointing to the PM’s striking red tie-and-dye turban.
“I live very close to the Red Fort, and it rains almost every year on Independence Day . Thankfully, it didn’t, and I was able to enjoy my first visit to an I-Day event without any interruptions,” said 13-year-old Yash Rawat, who studies in a Daryaganj-based government school. Udit Narayan, a 36-year-old Gurugram -based engineer working in the power sector, said being seated alongside defence personnel and just a few metres from members of Parliament offered a brief break from her corporate routine.
“I am a corporate person, so the event felt very vibrant to me,” he said.
For Deepika Singh Singraur, a 42-year-old lecturer at a private college in Gurugram, it was like a childhood dream come true.
Next year, I am surely going to bring my daughter as well,” she said. “It has finally been fulfilled today.
