Jaipur: Security has been beefed up, and the stage is set for the Army Day parade that will be held on the Mahal Road here on Thursday with Defence minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi in attendance.
The ceremony will open with Chetak helicopters carrying the national flag and the Army flag.
This will be followed by helicopters showering rose petals and performing a flypast.
The parade will begin with a march past by Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra awardees in Army vehicles.
A special contingent of the Nepal Army band will be an attraction of the parade.
Mounted troops of the 61st Cavalry will showcase military heritage. Also, advanced weapon systems and armoured vehicles, including Arjun tanks, K-9 Vajra, Dhanush artillery guns, BMPs, and BrahMos missiles, will be among the weapon systems that would be displayed at the parade.
Special traffic arrangements have been put in place in the city, where a five-day Jaipur Literature Festival will also commence on Thursday.
On Mahal Road, general traffic will remain restricted from 5 am to 1 pm between NRI Circle and Bombay Hospital Circle on Thursday. Vehicles and people will be diverted via alternative routes, including Haldighati Marg, VIT Road, Kendriya Vihar Marg, Goner Road and Rana Sanga Marg.
Residents of colonies adjoining Mahal Road will be allowed to move through parallel roads.
The Jaipur Literature Festival will be held from January 15 to 19 at a hotel on JLN Road. Heavy traffic pressure is expected on JLN Marg, Jawahar Circle, Jagatpura Cut and the SL Cut.
Meanwhile, Defence minister on Wednesday said that the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka nearly four decades ago should be honoured.
He was appearing to criticise the governments in the 1990s for not publicly recognising their contributions.
Singh said the Modi government is not only acknowledging the contribution of the Indian troops in the operation with an “open heart”, but it is also in the process of recognising their contribution at every level.
The defence minister made the remarks at an event that was hosted on the occasion of the Armed Forces Veterans’ Day.
“Today, when the entire nation is remembering its soldiers, commemorating their contributions, and expressing gratitude, I also want to remember all the veterans who participated in the peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka nearly 40 years ago as part of the IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force),” he said.