Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Aug 15: The 65th Independence Day of India was celebrated in Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, with much pomp and splendour. About 8000 people wearing colourful attires, mainly the young guns waving the national flag and singing patriotic songs, participated in the event.

The event was organised at the Field Marshal Manekshaw parade grounds in city centre under tight security.

The national anthem was rendered with great patriotic fervour, coupled with a march past by the state police and other forces together with music bands.

Chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda unfurled the tri colour and inspected the guard of honour.

Attired in a half-sleeved white shirt and a cream-coloured trouser, Gowda went around the parade ground in an open jeep, greeting the people with folded hands and saluting the men and women in uniform on a bright sunny day interspersed with thin clouds.

Gowda, who became the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's second chief minister in the state Aug 4, also witnessed the impressive march past by 39 contingents of security forces and about 1,000 boys and girls from state-run and public schools across the city.

About 1,500 personnel, including some 100 senior officers, were deployed in and around the parade ground to provide security and prevent any untoward incident.

As part of security drill and enhance vigilance, CCTV cameras were installed at the venue to monitor the movement of people and regulate their entry and exit for the grand function.

In view of the security threat to the tech city and in line with the advice of the union home ministry after the July 13 Mumbai terror blasts, the police intensified checks at major public places such as the airport and railway stations, inter-city and inter-state bus terminals.