Pune: Pune, the educational and cultural seat of Maharashtra which is also known for an array of defence establishments, will be hosting  the  Army Day Parade on January 15 in 2025, Army officials  said on Saturday.

The special attraction of the Army Day commemoration will be  the parade by contingents from various formations of the Army, which is reviewed by the Army Chief and a solemn event attended by key defence dignitaries.  Displays showcasing India’s defence capabilities and country’s journey towards self reliance in Defence will be other key attractions.

January 15 is commemorated as ‘Army Day’ every year. This is being done to mark the occasion when General (later Field Marshal) KM Cariappa took over the command of the Indian Army from General Sir FRR Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief in 1949 and became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of Independent India.

Army officials said this will be the third occasion on which a city other than New Delhi will host Army Day parade. This, they said, is keeping in line with the union government’s decision of holding events of national importance outside the national capital, in order to give them wider visibility and participation of citizens. The Army Day parades of 2023 and 2024 were orgainised in Bengluru and Lucknow respectively.

Officials said that programmes in the run up to the main event will celebrate Pune’s significance in the military history of the country. There will be also be displays showcasing India’s defence capabilities and country’s journey towards self reliance in Defence.