Republic Day Rope: Sadar Bazaar Shop's Decades-Old Tradition of National Service

• Gorkhi Mal Dhanpat Rai Jain Firm in Delhi's Sadar Bazaar has supplied the Republic Day flag hoisting rope for decades.
• The tradition began in 1947 for the first Independence Day and continued for the first Republic Day in 1950.
• Naresh Jain, the fifth-generation owner, views this as a national service, not just a business.
• Since 2001, under PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the rope for presidential and prime ministerial flag hoisting is provided free of charge.
• The army collects the rope with respect, and after hoisting, it is returned with a government seal, certificate, and letter of appreciation.

Why It Matters: A Delhi shop has a decades-long, free-of-charge tradition of supplying the Republic Day flag hoisting rope.