As sun began to set, the Raisina Hills echoed with enthralling Indian tunes played by the military and paramilitary bands on Monday as India celebrated ‘Beating Retreat’ ceremony in the heart of national capital.
“Beating Retreat” is a centuries-old military tradition, which dates back from the days when troops disengaged from battle at sunset. The drumbeats recall the days when troops, billeted in towns and cities, were recalled to their quarters at an appointed time in the evening.
The ceremony creates a mood of nostalgia for the times gone by. It marks the culmination of Republic Day celebrations.
At the ceremony, the music bands of the Army, Navy, Indian Air Force and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) played 31 captivating and foot-tapping tunes.
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The ceremony began after President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Droupadi Murmu, arrived in a traditional colonial era horse-drawn buggy. The tri-service chiefs welcomed the President. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, several Union Ministers, senior officials among the general public were present at the ceremony.
It all began with the massed band’s ‘Shankhnaad’ tune, followed by enthralling tunes such as ‘Veer Bharat’, ‘Sangam Dur’, ‘Deshon ka Sartaj Bharat’, ‘Bhagirathi’, and ‘Arjuna’ by pipes and drums band. The public clapped to every beat, while some recorded the moment.
Akshay and Ritu have traveled all the way from Bengaluru and Mumbai to attend the Republic Day celebrations. “The ceremony is something we have been seeing for a very long time, and every time we did, it felt unreal. The energy cannot be matched,” Mr. Akshay said.
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The highlight
For Mr. Akshay, the highlight was the CRPF’s women-led band, which was a first. “The tri-services formations were beautiful, especially the lighthouse and the symbol of Indian Army, with crossed swords — it was powerful,” he said.
Parampara Sharma, a resident of Kidwai Nagar, attended the ceremony with her family and felt that all current events were inculcated by the bands in their formations.
“The Navy had a formation of Mission Chandrayaan. It was unexpected. The beats were all Indian and were new, that too was a surprise. I am attending the ceremony after a gap of eight years, sitting here with my family I felt nostalgic. It brought back so many memories,” Ms. Sharma said.
The CAPF bands played ‘Bharat Ke Jawan’ and ‘Vijay Bharat’ among others. The Indian Air Force band played ‘Tiger Hill’, ‘Rejoice in Raisina’ and ‘Swadeshi.’
The Navy band played several tunes, including ‘INS Vikrant’, ‘Mission Chandrayaan’, ‘Jai Bharati’ and ‘Hum Tayyar Hain.’
With new and unique formations, the Army band played ‘Faulad Ka Jigar’, ‘Agniveer’, ‘Kargil 1999’ and ‘Taqat Watan’ among others.
The massed bands then played the tunes ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’ and ‘Drummers Call.’
The event ended with the ever-popular tune of ‘Sare Jahan se Acha.’ The public sang the national anthem, and the Tricolour flag was taken down.
Residents of Tilak Nagar, Shalini, and her nine-year-old daughter, Madhuri, visited the ceremony for the first time. “It has been a dream to see this, and finally I am here. It was magical. My daughter was so excited to see the bands perform,” she said.
The mother-daughter duo said, “seeing the Rashtrapati Bhawan lit up with different colours was beautiful, and so were the different formations. We have been clicking so many photos and selfies. It was a memorable day.”
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