New Delhi: For thousands of visitors, Independence Day at the Red Fort offered a chance to experience a ceremony they had mostly watched from afar. While many were first-time attendees, those returning for a second visit found the arrangements more organised and the overall experience smoother than before.Mahesh Kumar, 55, was among those impressed by the preparations and decorations. “The volunteers are helpful at every stage, guiding visitors to their respective enclosures and making the entire experience smooth and well-organised,” he said.The arrangements included 25 cloakrooms across six locations. Around 200 volunteers — 100 each from MY Bharat and NCC — assisted visitors alongside police personnel, helping them reach their designated enclosures.Accessibility also received attention. NCC cadets were stationed at several metro stations and parking areas to assist visitors requiring wheelchairs, with 20 wheelchairs made available. “We have been assigned here to help anyone in need of a wheelchair. Our team has been stationed at every parking lot. We’ll take them directly to their assigned seat, where other volunteers will help them,” said Cadet Prachi.The arrangements began even before visitors reached the venue. Metro services started at 4am, with free travel extended to invitees carrying e-invitation QR codes, while parking was available at Parade Ground for those with valid labels. Rain ponchos and water bottles were also distributed in the enclosures.The seating areas, named after major Indian lakes this year, added a distinctive touch, with enclosures named after Badkhal, Bhimtal, Chilika, Dal, Loktak, Pangong Tso, Pushkar, Vembanad and Wular, among others.For some visitors, however, finding the right enclosure proved less straightforward. Nakul, who travelled from Gurgaon, liked the lake-themed naming but found the signage difficult to follow. “The idea is great, but you can’t understand which enclosure is where. We were completely reliant on volunteers to find our seats,” he said.There were a few other minor discomforts. Portable toilets became uncomfortable to use due to a lack of maintenance as the programme progressed, while the distribution of water bottles and ponchos appeared uneven across enclosures. As the morning shifted from mist to heat, the absence of caps and fans also left some visitors wishing for additional relief.By the end, the neatly arranged enclosures showed signs of the large gathering, with water bottles and ponchos scattered around despite dustbins being placed at regular intervals. For visitors, the morning came up as a mix of thoughtful planning, helpful human support and a few logistical snags—a largely smooth experience that still left room for fine-tuning.
