Google salutes India's Republic Day with a BSF camel contingent doodle

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The group of guards which patrols the India-Pakistan border within the Thar Desert, with their elegantly dressed camels first became part of the Republic Day parade in 1976.

New Delhi: In honour of India's 67th Republic Day, Google has posted a BSF (Border Security Force) camel contingent as its doodle for the India homepage.

Every year, the festive celebration of the Indian constitution includes a majestic show of India's various states, the progresses made in science and technology, and the parade by the country's armed forces.

The group of guards which patrols the India-Pakistan border within the Thar Desert, with their elegantly dressed camels first became part of the Republic Day parade in 1976 after it replaced a similar squad of the army which had been participating in the parade since the first such event in 1950.

The BSF camel contingent is the inheritor of the Bikaner Royal Camel Force, known as 'Ganga Risala' and is based in the border town of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Every year it travels to Delhi in November to participate in the parade in the Raising Day event of the BSF on December 1 and later for the Republic Day parade on January 26.

Inheritor of the heritage of the Bikaner Royal Camel Force, known as 'Ganga Risala', and based in the border town of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, the BSF is the country's largest guarding force raised in 1965 and is tasked primarily with securing Indian frontiers with Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The first contingent of the Border Security Forces or BSF showcases smartly dressed border guards with weapons riding camels and the second contingent follows with bandsmen in beautiful multi-colour dresses on the back of camels playing martial music.

Earlier reports had said that the 90-member camel contingent - 54 troops and the rest with band personnel - would not be participating in the Republic Day rehearsal this year in the absence of official directions.

However, the Centre finally decided to keep alive the 66-year-old tradition of the ceremonial parade by including the BSF camel contingent and the camel-mounted band.

Artist Robinson Wood has created today’s Google Doodle as a tribute to the colorful set of 54 guards and 34 musicians, all sitting tall atop proudly-strutting quadrupeds!

Google has posted similar doodles in the previous years which drew inspiration from the various elements showcased at the parade.

Here are the doodles from the previous years:

2010