The hoisting of the tricolour, singing of national anthem and recitation of patriotic poems by Indians marked the 58th Republic Day across the globe.

In China, Indian Ambassador to the country Nirupama Rao hoisted the flag at the Indian Embassy in Beijing. A large gathering of people sang the national anthem and raised chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai (Hail Motherland).

Despite being a working day, many Indians took time to attend the event and listen to the President A P J Abdul Kalam's address to the nation on the occasion, which was read out by the Ambassador.

India's new High Commissioner in Pakistan Satyabrata Pal hoisted the flag to mark the day. He read out the presidential address to the gathering in Islamabad, comprising Deputy High Commissioner T C A Raghavan and other diplomats, staff and their families.

Braving a minus 18 degrees freezing chill on a sunny winter morning, scores of Indian families and their Russian friends gathered at the Indian Embassy in Moscow for a flag-hoisting ceremony.

In the absence of Ambassador Kanwal Sibal, who is in New Delhi for President Vladimir Putin's visit, Charge-d-affairs Divyabh Manchanda unfurled the tri-colour and read out Kalam's address to the nation.

The state-run Vesti 24-hour news channel, for the first time, showed live the Republic Day parade in New Delhi at which the Russian President was the chief guest. The channel noted that Putin was the first Russian leader to be invited as the chief guest and did not recall any such precedent when head of state of any of five permanent members of the UN Security Council were accorded such honour.      

About 100 people, including diplomats, their friends and families gathered at the Indian embassy at Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, to witness Indian Ambassador R P Kaushik unfurl the tricolour. Patriotic songs were sung and poems read out by many on the occasion.