NEW DELHI: Thousands gathered in New Delhi amid tight security on Tuesday for India’s annual Republic Day parade, a pomp-filled spectacle of military might featuring camels and daredevil stunt riders, with French President Francois Hollande attending it as the chief guest.

A contingent of French infantry in India for joint military exercises led the march down the capital’s central Rajpath avenue, the first time foreign troops have taken part in the parade.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Mr Hollande in a show of solidarity with France after militant attacks in Paris last November killed 130 — recalling a 2008 assault on Mumbai that killed 166.

The two leaders agreed in talks on Monday to deepen cooperation on counter-terrorism in the wake of the Paris attacks and a deadly siege this month at an Indian airbase near the Pakistan border.

The mood on Tuesday was more celebratory, with Mr Modi — sporting a gold turban that rivalled the spectacular military headgear on display — and Mr Hollande chatting as they sat side by side in a bulletproof glass enclosure.

An estimated 10,000 people braved thick smog and air quality levels classified as hazardous on the US embassy website to watch the display, the highlight of annual celebrations of the birth of modern India.

Delhi is the world’s most polluted capital and levels of PM2.5 — the tiny particles that can enter the bloodstream — frequently reach 10 times the World Health Organisation’s safe limit.

But the skies remained dry, unlike last year when chief guest US President Barack Obama was forced to shelter under an umbrella throughout.

The two-hour showcase of military might and cultural diversity included everything from tanks and state-of-the-art weaponry to camels and traditional dancers.

The mounted camels of the Border Security Force — an annual highlight — put in an early showing, decorated in brightly coloured caparisons.

Traditional dancers representing some of India’s diverse regional cultures performed on colourfully decorated floats showcasing selected states.

A dog squad drawn from the Army’s Remount Veterinary Corps returned to the parade after a gap of 26 years to perform a march past wearing striped coats in their unit’s colours.

They were followed by motorbike stunt riders forming a human pyramid, another annual tradition, before the grand finale of the event, a fly-past by Indian fighter jets.

India launched a nationwide security crackdown in the lead-up to the celebrations, which mark the adoption of the country’s constitution on January 26, 1950.

Counter-terrorism police arrested a group of suspected radicals and seized bomb-making material in a series of nationwide raids last week, and some 50,000 police, army and paramilitary personnel were deployed across the capital on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2016