Republic day Celebrations - Should you attend it live?

With great enthusiasm, I began my quest to secure a pass for this event. I soon learned that there were three types of passes available: the White Pass (Normal), the Gold Pass (VIP), and the Red Pass (VVIP). To my disappointment, I ended up with the White Pass. Nevertheless, I decided to book tickets from Mumbai to Delhi to experience the event live, and I eagerly looked forward to my trip.

Before the journey, I scoured the internet for information to help me plan my day. I wanted to know when I should head out and where Gate 12 was located, among other things. Unfortunately, I couldn't find answers to many of my questions. Surprisingly, there was very little written about the event logistics. However, I had heard a few things through word of mouth, so I prepared to wake up early and aimed to head out by 6:30 AM. My wife accompanied me on this adventure.

We embarked from our centrally located hotel, Bloomstay in Janpath. As we stepped onto the streets, we noticed that there were already many people out and about, undeterred by the winter chill of 8 degrees. Regrettably, there were no clear signs indicating the gates' locations. Nonetheless, there were guards scattered around, so we decided to start asking for directions to Gate 12.

We received various responses, some pointing left, others to the right. We walked, following directions until we found ourselves at a place where more than 200 people were already lined up. We were informed that this line was for gates 1 to 17. This came as a surprise to us because we were insistent on reaching Gate 12. However, no one seemed to pay much attention to our request, and we ended up standing in the same line.

As we moved closer to the security checkpoint, we were informed that we couldn't carry any items, not even food. This was another surprise for us, as we had brought plenty of food since we had left the hotel very early in the morning. The event was scheduled to last until noon, and we were left with no provisions for breakfast. The security guards took away our Nature Valley bars and biscuits.

After successfully passing the security check, we were told that we needed to cross Rajpath and go to the other side to reach Gate 12. This had already cost us 45 minutes. Frustratingly, no one could provide us with clear instructions regarding which line to join for Gate 12. It wasn't until we saw a sign that read "Gate 12" that we knew we were on the right track. We walked another 900 yards and encountered a gate with a large crowd. After navigating through the chaos, we passed through yet another security gate, where the Delhi police seemed exhausted and in short supply of hospitality.

Finally, we arrived at the Gate 12 enclosure. However, the area was already packed with people, and there was no room to enter. It was a chaotic scene, and it felt like our efforts to reach this point had been in vain.

I had to watch the experience standing for 3 hrs as there was no seats. In hindsight I felt i should have watched it live on TV. However, the experience of seeing it live is completely different which I enjoyed. I would highly recommend to get a better pass and reach very early to save any disappointment

#republicday #26thJanparade #Paradelive #delhiparade #republicdayparade