The festivities associated with the annual Republic Day celebration came to an end on Saturday evening, with the military bands presenting the spectacular ‘Beating Retreat' ceremony at the Vijay Chowk in the majestic background of the North and South Blocks and Raisina Hill.
A symbolic and ceremonial enactment of India's old military tradition of disengaging from battle at sunset by sounding bugles and conch shells, the ‘Beating Retreat' event, which is also held in a number of Commonwealth countries, involved the participation of nearly 700 buglers, pipers and drummers drawn from 35 bands of the armed forces from across India.
The chief guest, President Pratibha Patil, was welcomed by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister A. K. Antony, Army Chief V. K. Singh, Navy Chief Nirmal Verma and Air Force Chief P. V. Naik.
With the spectators seated in a U-shaped formation enclosing the Vijay Chowk, Ms. Patil and the three Services Chiefs took up their seats at the middle of the enclosure facing Raisina Hill. Though the weather was pleasant, many in the audience could not mask their disappointment at the sun disappearing into clouds and failing to make a re-entry.
The first to make their entry into the Vijay Chowk were the buglers with the initial notes being sounded by buglers perched atop turrets on South and North Blocks. The massed band of the three forces then marched down the Vijay Chowk and played the National Anthem. The pipes and drums then came out and entertained the crowd with compositions like “Sherpa,” “Monymusk” and “The High Road to Linton.” The next was the turn of the Navy and the Air Force bands.
The highpoint of the evening was the return of the massed bands and their spectacular rendition of “Drummers' Call” and “Abide With Me.” The former brought the drummers to the fore, while the latter stood out for its mellifluous notes and soulfulness. The ceremony was brought to a close by the retreat of the buglers and the massed bands marched out performing the most popular of all the compositions, “Saare Jahan Se Acha,” with the audience erupting into applause.
The evening was brought to a fitting end with the lights coming on and neatly outlining and highlighting South and North Blocks with the exiting audience craning their necks again and again to admire the architectural marvel of Lutyens Delhi.
