Indian tunes were the flavour of this year’s ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony, here on Tuesday, which marked the culmination of Republic Day celebrations.
As many as 27 performances on the historic Vijay Chowk, overlooking the Rashtrpati Bhavan on the Raisina Hill, enthralled the spectators with captivating and foot-tapping music of the bands from the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the State Police forces and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF).
As many as 19 tunes were composed by Indian musicians from the armed and police forces, which are ‘Indian Star’, ‘Paharonki Rani’, ‘KumaoniGeet’, ‘Jai Janam Bhumi’, ‘Queen of Satpura’, ‘Marooni’, ‘Vijay’, ‘Soldier-My Valentine’, ‘Bhupal’, ‘Vijay Bharat’, ‘Aakash Ganga’, ‘Gangotri’, ‘Namaste India’, ‘Samudrika’, ‘Jai Bharat’, ‘Young India’, ‘Veerta Ki Misal’, ‘Amar Senani’ and ‘Bhumiputra’.
Eight Western tunes were played by the bands are: ‘Fanfare by Buglers’, ‘Sound Barrier’, ‘Emblazoned’, ‘Twilight’, ‘Alert (Post Horn Gallop)’, ‘Space Flight’, ‘Drummers Call’ and ‘Abide with Me’.
The event came to a close with the ever-popular tune of ‘Sare Jahan se Accha’ as the bands marched back to the Raisina Hill.
The ceremony at the Vijay Chowk on January 29 every year marks the culmination of the four-day-long Republic Day celebrations.
President Ram Nath Kovind presided over the ceremony where top dignitaries, including Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi , were present. Also present were Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan , several ministers of the Union Cabinet and chiefs of the three armed forces.
This year, 15 Military Bands, 15 Pipes and Drums Bands from Regimental Centres and Battalions participated in the Beating the Retreat ceremony.
Besides one band each of the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force also formed part of the event.
Another band of the State Police and CAPF comprising Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and Delhi Police also participated.
The principal conductor of Beating the Retreat ceremony was Cdr Vijay D’Cruz while Army Military bands conductor was Subedar Parwinder Singh and the Navy and Air Force band conductors was Master Chief Petty Officer Vincent Johnson and Junior Warrant Officer Ashok Kumar respectively.
The conductor of the State Police and CAPF bands was Inspector Ganesh Dutt Pandey.
Buglers performed under the leadership of Sub Digar Singh and pipes and drums bands played under the instructions of Subedar Major Dev Singh Thapa.
‘Beating the Retreat’ has emerged as an event of national pride when the Colours and Standards are paraded.
The ceremony traces its origins to the early 1950s when Major Roberts of the Indian Army indigenously developed the unique ceremony of display by the massed bands.
‘Beating Retreat’ marks a centuries old military tradition, when the troops ceased fighting, sheathed their arms and withdrew from the battlefield and returned to the camps at sunset at the sounding of the Retreat. Colours and Standards are cased and flags lowered.
The ceremony creates nostalgia for the times gone by.
