New Delhi: If the Indian Air Force made this year’s Republic Day memorable with a unique fly-past, then Doordarshan (part of Prasar Bharati) outdid itself with the coverage, including videos from the cockpits.

GoPro cameras in the cockpits helped DD capture the fly-past (and the terrain) from the air, taking them to millions of viewers watching the live telecast of the parade.

Union minister for information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur congratulated the team for achieving the feat.

“To make the live telecast of the grand celebrations of the 73rd Republic Day reach the masses, the team of @prasarbharati and @DDNewslive did many technical experiments which were quite successful,” he tweeted. “The live telecast of an aerial view of the fly-past including the pilot’s cockpit was breath taking. Congratulations to the whole team.”

According to Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati, the team used GoPro cameras inside the cockpit to capture the images. “It was basically a joint effort of Doordarshan, ministry of defence and the Indian Air Force this time. We provided the team with cameras in the cockpit to intersperse footage and ensure a comprehensive perspective.”

“The figures of 59 Cameras and 160+ personnel deployed for the coverage of Republic Day celebrations this year don’t even begin to scratch the surface of the colossal arrangements made by Doordarshan on the entire stretch from Rashtrapati Bhawan to National War memorial at India Gate through Rajpath,” a Prasar Bharati statement said. This included the traditional camera atop India Gate.

But it was the fly-past, and the aerial coverage of it, that stole the show -- and the audience’s hearts.