President’s Bodyguard Commands Spectacular Republic Day Parade with Tradition and Precision

NEW Delhi, Jan 26 : As India celebrated its 77th Republic Day, President Droupadi Murmu made a grand entrance along Kartavya Path, escorted by the President’s Bodyguard, India’s elite cavalry unit, mounted on magnificent bay and dark bay war horses.

The President’s Bodyguard, the senior most regiment of the Indian Army, is the only unit authorised to carry two Standards, a distinction conferred by the President on 16 November 2023. Leading the ceremonial escort, Colonel Amit Berwal, Commandant of the regiment, rode his charger Meghdoot, while Lieutenant Colonel Angad Singh Thind, Second in Command, rode Sultan beside the Presidential Buggy. The historic buggy, a symbol of India’s rich heritage, was guided by Naib Risaldar Jitender atop Longstride.

Renowned for their professionalism and versatility, the Bodyguard’s officers and troops are expert horsemen, trained tank operators, and qualified paratroopers. Since Independence, the regiment has distinguished itself in operations at Chushul (1962), Gadra Road (1965), Operation Pawan (1988), Operation Vijay (1999), and in United Nations peacekeeping missions. A detachment has served for over three decades at Siachen Glacier, while the regiment continues to contribute to Rashtriya Rifles and high-altitude mechanised formations.

Maintaining strict physical standards, only soldiers over six feet tall are enrolled, and their horses, bred by the Remount Veterinary Corps and cared for at the 44 Military Veterinary Hospital, are at least 15.2 hands high. The ceremonial escort, trained meticulously over months, is organised into two divisions flanking the President’s Buggy. At the centre rides the Nishaan Toli, bearing the regimental Standards, while the front and rear divisions, led by Risaldar Major Niranjan Ohlyan and Risaldar Vinod Kumar, maintained perfect formation.

The striking ceremonial uniforms featured blue and gold pagris, red angrakhas with gold girdles, white gloves, breeches, and black boots with spurs. Troopers carried the Ballam, a 9-foot 9-inch handcrafted lance symbolising “Apmaan se pehle Balidaan” (sacrifice before humiliation), while officers and JCOs wielded the Kirach, the cavalry sword. The horses, adorned with ornate shabracks, throat ornaments, and white brow bands, were revered as Surya Putra, inspired by legendary warriors like Maharana Pratap and Rani Laxmibai.

January 2026 marks 75 years since the regiment was designated as the President’s Bodyguard, cementing its legacy as the pride of India. As their war cry “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” echoed along Kartavya Path, the elite cavalry displayed a living tradition of honour, discipline, and ceremonial splendour, leaving spectators awed by their precision and grandeur.