Mesmerising aerial display left the spectators spellbound at the inaugural session of the Aero India-2023 in Bengaluru in the southern Indian state of Karnataka on Monday (13).
The metal birds soared high and performed breathtaking aerobatics and mid-air maneuvering as the five-day aerospace and defence show took off at the Air Force Station in the city's Yelahanka area.
There were displays by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited made Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, Light Combat Helicopters, Light Utility Helicopters and Sukhoi-30, and Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters, among others. The inaugural show featured various formations such as 'Tiranga', 'Dhwaj', and 'Bhim'.
A key highlight of the inaugural session of Asia's biggest aero show was the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari leading the Gurukul formation in the Tejas aircraft.
The Surya Kiran batch of the Indian Air Force (IAF) stole the show with their scintillating performance. According to one of the pilots who participated in the show on Monday, the nine pilots formed the "diamond display".
"This is my fourth Aero India performance ever since 'Hawk' was inducted," the IAF pilot said.
The 14th edition of the biennial show themed 'The Runway to Billion Opportunities' was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
(PTI)
This photograph taken on April 28, 2026 shows a boy getting "thali", a sacred thread tied to his neck symbolising marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom.Getty Images
This photograph taken on April 29, 2026 shows a member of the transgender community mourning as a priest cuts the "thali", a sacred thread symbolising end of her marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom. Getty Images
