In friendly India visit, Obama becomes first president to attend Republic Day Parade

President Obama began a three-day visit to India on Sunday, and the protocol-bending hug at the airport from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi set the tone for a day filled with public displays of affection. The two leaders said the visit marked an era of "new trust" between the sometimes-uneasy allies, and announced a breakthrough on a long-stalled civil nuclear agreement plus partnerships on defense and curbing some greenhouse gas emissions.

Obama spent most of Sunday in talks with Modi, who said at a press conference afterward that "the chemistry that has brought Barack and me closer has also brought Washington and Delhi closer." But the big event in Obama's visit was on Monday, when he became the first U.S. president to attend India's Republic Day Parade, as the personal guest of Modi.

The parade, to celebrate the enactment of India's democratic constitution, "is part Soviet-style display of India's military hardware, part Macy's Thanksgiving Day-type parade with floats highlighting India's cultural diversity," explains The Associated Press' Julie Pace. You can get a taste of Obama's parade-watching experience in this AP video, and watch a Reuters report on the first day of Obama's visit below. —Peter Weber

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