As the celebration of the 73rd Republic Day came to a close, Virat, the President's Bodyguard Commandant's black horse, retired after years of service on Wednesday, 26 January.
Virat was awarded the Chief of Army Staff Commendation on the eve of Army Day on 15 January and is the only horse to receive the commendation for his exceptional service.
The horse was the mount of Colonel Anup Tiwary, and despite his old age, he has taken part in R-Day parades 13 times. In a touching moment, President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh patted the horse and bid farewell to him.
Reacting to the same, the national spokesperson of the BJP, Sambit Patra, noted the horse's service during the parade.
Srijan Pal Singh, former advisor to President Abdul Kalam, thanked the horse for his 13 years of service to the country.
Harsh Sanghavi, Minister of State, Gujarat, tweeted, "The very old but young Virat participated successfully for 13th time in Republic Day celebrations [sic]."
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