is presented the president unfurls the national flag and the national anthem is played this marks the beginning of the paradethe parade begins with winners of gallantry awards passing the president in open jeeps various divisions of the armed forces then salute the president of india the parade also sees the indian military showcasing its latest acquisitions such as tanks missiles radars etcrepublic day tableauxthe parade is followed by a pageant of spectacular displays from the different states of the country these moving exhibits depict scenes of activities of people in those states and the music and songs of that particular state accompany each display each display brings out the diversity and richness of the culture of india and the whole show lends a festive air to the occasion the parade and the ensuing pageantry is telecast by the national television and is watched by millions of viewers in every corner of the country the military contingent contains representatives of all three divisions of the armed forces air sea and land there are also massive parades of police contingents home guards civil defense and the national cadet corpsthe military parade is followed by a colourful cultural parade indias rich cultural heritage is paraded with tableaux from various states each state depicts its unique festivals historical locations and art forms the most cheered section of the parade is the children who have won national bravery awards they ride past the dais on elephants schoolchildren from all over the country also participate in the parade the parade also includes displays of skillful motorcycle riding usually by a division from one of the armed forces