Arms and the Men

January 15th was Army Day and there was a 3 day Army Exhibition and Fair at the Polo Grounds. Namrita and I took the boys on the last afternoon when the feeble sunlight warmed us a little.

Sthalsēnā) is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to ensure the national security and defence of the Republic of India from external aggression and threats, and maintaining peace and security within its borders. It also conducts humanitarian rescue operations during natural calamities and other disturbances.
The Indian Army came into being when India gained independence in 1947, and inherited most of the infrastructure of the British Indian Army that were located in post-partition India. It is a voluntary service and although a provision for military conscription exists in the Indian constitution, it has never been imposed.
Since independence, the Army has been involved in four wars with neighboring Pakistan and one with the People's Republic of China. Other major operations undertaken by the Army include Operation Vijay, Operation Meghdoot and Operation Cactus. Apart from conflicts, the Army has been an active participant in United Nations peacekeeping missions.
The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Army. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), a General, is a four star commander and commands the Army. There is never more than one serving general at any given time in the Army. Two officers have been conferred the rank of Field Marshal, a 5-star rank and the officer serves as the ceremonial chief.
With about 1,414,000 soldiers in active service[1] and about 1,800,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's second largest active standing army and the largest in terms of army populace.[2] By 2020, the Indian Army plans to upgrade 4,000 T-72s, over 2,500 T-90s, and few thousand other tanks. (courtesy Wikipedia)
The best part of the show was that it was a hands on experience for visitors. People could touch and handle the unarmed weapons on display and receive information about everything..



Mishael and Rayguel with guns

Field Radar

Automatic rocket launcher(reminds me of The Terminator)

The dreaded AK 47

Another rocket launcher

Telescopic gun

Hide and Seek Man

Small earth moving machine

Aqua carrier

Flags

Mishael and Rayguel inside a tank

All aboard

Another heavy gun. What if it had artillery in it.?

Communication tower mounted on a truck.

People were very interested in the working of the various equipment and gadgets.

Namrita and her sons walking across the grounds.

In front of the show arena. They had the motorcycle daredevils and equestrian shows etc. But we missed them

The with Amrita auntie. I am wearing my Tibetan jacket which is 15 years old but still keep me warm.
Today our temp is 49*F somewhere below 1o*C. We are indoors looking like the Himalayan Yeti or Abominable snowmen in heavy sweaters.

We enjoyed North and South Indian snacks being prepared and sold by Army cooks. The boys enjoyed jalebis, and north Indian sweet.Here we are having dosas (rice pancakes)

They were providing horse rides for children at Rs 10 a ride for a short distance. So both our little men had a go and enjoyed it tremendously as it was their first time on horse back.

Here is a 40 sec video about the Indian Army