India Gate on lockdown for Barack Obama's visit: Lawns closed for public

NEW DELHI: The lawns of India Gate has been closed for general public and huge Army tanks and vehicles have been stationed there as security agencies gear up to secure the area for Republic Day.

The entire area has been cordoned off and Army jawans are visible in large numbers everywhere on the Rajpath and around India Gate.

Security agencies are bracing for one of the biggest challenges when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama will attend the Republic Day celebrations six days from now, on January 26.

Security on the ground and in the air this January 26 will be of a kind "never seen before".

There are reports of a 7-tier security for the US President.

The US Secret Service, CIA, Navy Seals and India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Intelligence Bureau, paramilitary forces and Army will be working together round-the-clock to ensure the safety of the two leaders of the two largest democracies who face a high order of threat from global terrorist groups.