Attari-Wagah (Punjab) [India], January 26: As the nation is celebrating 69th Republic Day with zeal and enthusiasm how could our 'veer'soldiers of borders forget to celebrate. The celebration is being held at Attari-Wagah border. The soldiers conducted the flag hoisting celebration and distributed sweets to celebrate the occasion. The main function of the Republic Day is organized at Rajpath in the national capital where President Ram Nath Kovind commenced salute of the parade.

Under the custom to host a leader of a foreign country as the chief guest at the parade, this year, in a first, leaders of 10 ASEAN countries are the Chief Guests.The tableaux of fourteen states and nine Central Ministries participated in the parade showcasing various themes.The security arrangements in the national capital have been having been tightened in view of the Republic Day celebrations.Thousands of armed personnel are keeping a tight vigil in Delhi and in border areas of the city to ensure a smooth passage of the celebrations.

In a first, leaders of 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are the chief guests of the Republic Day parade and ceremony at Rajpath near India Gate as India marks its 69th Republic Day. ASEAN is a regional grouping of 10 Southeast Asian countries. In the guest list are Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, Laos' Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak, Myanmar's State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Philippines' President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha and Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. The chief guest at India's first Republic Day on January 26, 1950, was the President of Indonesia, and since then, five other Southeast Asian leaders have chief guests at the Republic Day parades.