The country is celebrating the 62nd Republic Day today with patriotic fervour and gaiety. The highlight of the celebrations was the Republic Day Parade at the historic Rajpath in the capital where India's military might, rich and diverse cultural heritage, achievements in various fields and scintillating display of air power were show cased. The Parade began shortly after the President Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil arrived at the Rajpath escorted by the President's 46 bodyguards riding the well-trained bedecked horses. After the President unfurled the tri-colour and the customary 21-guns salute, an Army doctor Major Laishram Jyotin Singh was awarded posthumously the highest peacetime gallantry award, the Ashok Chakra for his bravery while fighting militants during an attack on Indians in Kabul. The synchronised military and police contingents led by General Officer Commanding Delhi Majour General Manvendra Singh marched proudly through the Rajpath as the President, who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed forces took the salute. The march-past was watched by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who was the chief guest at the Republic Day Parade, the Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A. K. Antony and the country's top political and military brass. Earlier, the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh led the nation in paying homage to the martyrs by laying wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate before the parade began. An eternal flame burns at the Amar Jawan Jyoti to commemorate the indomitable courage of our Armed Forces personnel who have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the motherland. Our correspondent says that the focus of attention at the parade today was Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, that participated in the Parade for the first time. The Indian Army displayed its most advanced T-90 tank, Brahmos Launcher System, Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher and other sophisticated weaponry. The Indian Navy displayed models of the aircraft carrier INS Viraat, Talwar kilo class submarine and the Mig-29K, the Indian Air Force tableau focused on Network Centric Operations based on the AFNET, the state-of-the-art gigabyte digital information grid, also dedicated to the nation last year. The marching contingents included the horse-mounted columns of the 61st Cavalry, Punjab Regiment, Grenadiers Regiment, Rajputana Rifles, Rajput Regiment, Sikh Light Infantry, Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, 3 Gorkha Rifles and the Territorial Army. Another interesting feature of the Parade was the Ex-Servicemen Marching Contingent led by 87-year-old Flying Officer MM Shukla, a veteran of the 2nd World War. The marching contingents of paramilitary and other auxiliary civil forces were part of the contingents from the Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, Coast Guards, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Central Industrial Security Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, Railway Protection Force, Delhi Police, National Cadet Corps and National Service Scheme. The Camel-mounted band of the BSF was another major attraction. Tableaux from 23 states and Central Ministries and Departments presented the varied historical, architectural and cultural heritage of the country. They showcased country’s progress in different fields. The first tableau to roll out was the one on Guru Dev Rabindranath Tagore, by Culture Ministry and Sangeet Natak Akademi to commemorate the Nobel laureate's 150th birth anniversary celebrations. Twenty-one of the 23 children selected for the National Bravery Award – 2010 participated in the parade. Two children were honoured posthumously. Nearly seven hundred children of different schools from Delhi and Regional Cultural Centres presented a fiesta of the varied folk and modern dances . Dare Devils, the motorcycle display by the Army’s Corps of Signals, performed breathtaking stunts. The grand finale of the parade was a spectacular flypast by the IAF fighter planes and the Mi-25 attack helicopter, participating for the first time. Our correspondent says strict security arrangements were in place. Snipers kept a hawk-eye vigil from rooftops and armed personnel at every corner provided a ground-to-air security apparatus.