BSF Camel Contingent will Add Glorious Colours to Delhi Republic Day Parade

Delhi Republic Day parade is the most important patriotic procession that marks Indian Republic Day celebrations on 26th January every year. The beautiful parade takes place at Raj Path in New Delhi. This is where India showcases its socio-cultural heritage and defence potential. Rajasthan’s BSF camel contingent is the main attraction at Delhi parade.

This regal camel-mounted band, a courtesy of Rajasthan frontier has been the glory of Republic Day since last 40 years. Like every year, BSF’s camel contingent is braced up to perform at Raj Path on the 68th Republic Day.

Kuldeep Choudhary, the in-charge of this camel contingent shed light on Republic Day preparations this year. The herd, containing 100 camels has reached Delhi to participate in the parade. The animals follow a special diet and exercise regimen to prepare for the upcoming processions.

Here’s an insight into parade preparations…

• Musical Performance

The camels also rehearsing on new tunes daily under the supervision of band master inspector Phula Ram. The famous camel-mounted band that holds several records including the Guinness Book of Record to its name will play new tunes during the grand parade.

BSF (Border Security Force) men riding the camels will display modern ammunition that reflects India’s defence potential.

• Daily Meals

The camels are given 300-gram of sesame oil so that they don’t exhaust soon. Their daily meals include 170 gm of alum liquid and 200-gram jaggery.

• Training

Camel trainers train them for 40 minutes every day. They leave their camps at sharp 5 am and reach Raj Path at 6:30 am, where they rehearse for 2 hours (7 to 9 am).

• Grooming

Caretakers put in meticulous efforts to groom them. Their hair is trimmed on a regular basis. Masseurs massage the animals to add the enhance natural radiance to their skin.

According to DIG Ravi Gandhi, who’s the spokesperson for Indian Defence, the nation takes pride in these ceremonial contingents. It not just reflects the pride of Indian Army, but the entire nation. The camel band portrays the evolution of Indian music through various eras via magnificent live performance. Army camels have been a significant part of the Republic Day parade since 1976 and they’ll continue to perform on Indian Republic Day every year.

Last year, even Google saluted the Indian Republic day with a doodle displaying the camel contingent on its Home Page. This reflects how importance the camel force and BSF troops are for the nation. Having said this, the entire nation looks forward to BSF camel contingent performance this Republic Day.