Kolkata, Jan 26 (IANS): West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar unfurled the Tricolour and took the ceremonious salute here as the eastern state joined the rest of the nation in celebrating India's 71st Republic Day on Sunday.

Amid heightened security, Dhankhar inspected a guard of honour. The national anthem "Jana Gana Mana" reverberated across the arterial Indira Gandhi Sarani and kickstarted a colourful march-past.

Units from the army, navy and air force took part in the customary parade displaying sophisticated weapons and logistical equipment in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her ministerial colleagues, Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay, senior bureaucrats and police officers, and members of the diplomatic corps.

Several contingents of Kolkata and West Bengal Police, Border security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, traffic sergeants and NCC cadets participated in the parade.

Teams of Gorkha rifles, Eastern Railway Civil Defence, and voluntary Acivil defence organisations National Service Scheme and Azad Training Academy, besides children of Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls High School also marched in style.

While the Bengal tableau was missed on Rajpath in New Delhi, colurful tableaux rolled down the erstwhile Red Road -- the state information and cultural affairs department with the slogan "Save Water Save Life" and song and dance presentations from the folk artistes of the Northen Bengal hills, Jangalmahal areas in the west and Sundarbans in the south brought the hour-long function to a close.