Rehearsal for ceremonial 21-gun salute underway at Red Fort ahead of Independence Day

Indian Express

2 days ago

As the national anthem echoed across the Red Fort on Wednesday morning, the traditional synchronised gunfire followed, marking the Indian Army's rehearsal for the British-era ceremonial 21-gun salute for Independence Day on August 15.
With only a few days for the 79th year of Independence, eight Indian-made Light Field Gun E-2, also known as the 105mm Light Field Gun (LFG), were stationed facing the fort and fired in unison — the moment when the national anthem started playing at 7.30 am.
The special unit of the Army has been undergoing training for one and a half months for the ceremonial battery, an officer said.
This is the first time that the practice ground has been shifted across the road, which was previously inside the premises of the Red Fort.
The LFGs manufactured at the Gun Carriage Factory (GCF), Jabalpur, were introduced in service in 1982 and have a firing range of around 17 kilometres. According to officials, during the colonial era, rulers used to command enemy ships to discharge their weapons as a show of disarmament, proving they posed no immediate threat. However, over time, this act transformed into a ceremonial tradition.
Currently, the ceremonial battery is carried out during Republic Day, Independence Day, and also when foreign dignitaries visit India.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have already stepped up the security arrangements at the Red Fort. Around 15,000 personnel of the Delhi Police will be deployed at the Red Fort and the surrounding precinct, according to officers.