In a first, India will begin Republic Day celebrations on January 23 rather than January 24, to coincide with the late freedom warrior Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's birth anniversary.
On the occasion of Netaji's 125th birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil a hologram statue of the independence warrior at India Gate in Delhi at around 6 p.m. on Sunday to kick off Republic Day celebrations.
"At a time when the entire nation is marking the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, I am glad to share that his grand statue, made of granite, will be installed at India Gate. This would be a symbol of India's indebtedness to him,” says the Prime Minister in a Tweet.
Many other politicians also paid their gratitude.
A hologram statue of Netaji will be put at the same location until the work on the "grand statue" of Netaji, built of granite, is completed, according to the Prime Minister. A 4K projector with 30,000 lumens will power the holographic statue. Visitors will not be able to see an invisible, high gain, 90% clear holographic screen that has been created in such a way that it is not visible. It will be projected with a 3D image of Netaji to create a hologram effect. According to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office, the hologram statue is 28 feet tall and 6 feet wide.
During the investiture ceremony, the Prime Minister will award the Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskars for the years 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. During the ceremony, a total of seven prizes will be presented.
The annual Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar was established by the Union government to recognize and honor individuals and organizations in India who have made outstanding contributions and selfless devotion in the field of disaster management.
Every year on January 23, the prize is presented. The award comes with a monetary prize of 51 lakh and a certificate for an organization, and a cash prize of 5 lakh and a certificate for an individual.
Last year, the government declared that Subhas Chandra Bose's birthday would be commemorated as 'Parakram Diwas' every year. Netaji was born on January 23, 1897, in Cuttack, Odisha, to attorney Janakinath Bose. He went on to play a significant part in the liberation fight. He is also credited with founding the Azad Hind Fauj.
Every year on January 26th, Republic Day is commemorated. The Republic Day celebrations will culminate on January 30, the day Mahatma Gandhi was murdered, according to sources.
Moreover, the Films Division will broadcast two documentaries about Subhas Chandra Bose's life, indomitable spirit, and selfless service to the nation today, according to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The biopics will be available for 24 hours on the Films Division website and YouTube channel.
The Flame Burns Bright (1973/Ashis Mukherjee) and Netaji (1973/Arun Chaudhuri) are two documentaries that focus on the great leader's life and his brave and unwavering fight for India's independence from British domination. The film Netaji has Netaji's actual speeches, which are synced to his voice
Also in the run-up to Republic Day, the flame at India Gate was extinguished after 50 years and was fused with the flame at the nearby National War Memorial.