New Delhi, Jan. 26 -- The 77th Republic Day parade on Monday will put the spotlight on 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram, India's military might and how Operation Sindoor unfolded, besides the country's cultural richness. Here is what to watch out for at the grand parade on the Kartavya Path on Monday when the nation will celebrate its 77th Republic Day. The ministry of culture's Republic Day tableau celebrating the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram will feature a complete version of the song. It comes at a moment when the song's history, its truncated form and the political choices surrounding it have taken centre stage following an extended debate in Parliament. The parade will unfold in a new phased battle array format to showcase the military's wide-ranging capabilities, with weapons and systems including infantry elements, tanks, artillery systems, missiles and airpower being displayed in a sequence that shows how they are used in a combat scenario. The new format comes in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, the four-day military confrontation between India and Pakistan in early May following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. The parade will also bear an imprint of the ongoing restructuring in the army --- the recently-raised Bhairav light commando units and Shaktibaan artillery elements specialising in drone warfare will make their debut in the country's biggest ceremonial event that will be witnessed by 77,000 people along Kartavya Path and watched by millions on television. The 90-munite parade, to be heralded by 100 cultural artists, will involve 6,050 people. It will be commanded by Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar, General Officer Commanding, HQs Delhi Area. European Union (EU) leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa will be the chief guests at the Republic Day celebrations. Leyen and Costa are presidents of the European Commission and the European Council. This is only the second time that India has invited leaders of a grouping --- after the Asean in 2018 --- to be chief guests at the celebrations, an honour reserved for the country's closest strategic and economic partners. The EU contingent in the parade will comprise four flag bearers on three Gypsies. The flypast will feature 29 aircraft including seven fighter jets in a formation called Sindoor that has been introduced to depict the role of the Indian Air Force during Operation Sindoor. The fighters that will be a part of the new spearhead formation include two Rafales, two MiG-29s, two Sukhoi-30s and a Jaguar. The aerial display, which is the highlight of India's biggest ceremonial parade, will be conducted in two blocks for the first time --- during the parade, and at the end. It was traditionally carried out at the end of the parade but this year it will align with the IAF's role in the battle order. Weapons and systems to be displayed during the parade include BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, Akash surface-to-air missiles, medium-range surface-to-air missile system, long-range anti-ship hypersonic missile, T-90 and Arjun tanks, ATAGS (advanced towed artillery gun system), Dhanush artillery gun, BMP-II infantry combat vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, light strike vehicles, drones, and a new universal rocket launcher system called Suryastra. A tri-services tableau will showcase the mock-ups of major weapon systems deployed by the Indian forces during Operation Sindoor. The tableau, Operation Sindoor: Victory Through Jointness, will put the spotlight on precision air strikes by the IAF, swift naval manoeuvres ensuring maritime dominance, and coordinated ground offensives by the army, reflecting a decisive joint military campaign. The parade will feature a total of 18 marching contingents, 13 bands and 30 tableaux....