Beating retreat: A ceremony commemorating the regal of Indian Martial Tunes!

Today, on the January the 29th, 2013 India culminated their Republic day’s celebrations with the Beating Retreat at the Raisina Hills and Vijay Chowk on Rajpath. Being away from Delhi I became the audience to this grand ceremony while sitting in front of the television. But the moment I switched on the television to see the ceremony I was taken back to 2005 when I was posted in an Army unit at Delhi and got the chance of being there at the venue. And I am taking this opportunity to share with everyone what I felt while being there at the moment.
The venue of the Beating Retreat is the Raisina Hills and Vijay Chowk flanked by the North and South block which is part of the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential estate) properties. The venue itself adds to the grandeur of the event. The pulses becomes fast as you try and gather a perfect spot to view the ceremony.
Perfectly at the designated time, the cavalcade of President started to arrive along with his cavalry of bodyguards mounted on decorated horses. This is accompanied with Fanfare sounded by the trumpeters mounted on the domes at South and North Block. The President gets a National salute by the Presidential Bodyguards and the air around the venue starts to reverberate with the Indian National song. Oh, what a sense of pride every Indian must have felt as the “Jan Gan Man” started to play by the bands there!
After this the main event started with Martial tunes being heard from little far off. But no, it was just coming from over the cliff. The bands from three services come marching into the venue with style personified. And the view of the bands marching to the martial tunes is simply majestic. The whole group is indeed the best of the pipe and drum bands from various units and battalions of Indian Army and Navy and Air Force band.
The martial tunes are played by the bands along with different formations and walking style by the band. They walked smartly around in slow march and quick march and kept everyone gripped to their seats. This was followed by a spectrum of peppy beats by the drummers. One has to be there to feel the moment. Famous as a Drummers call, this gives way to the lowering of National flag with the bells at a distance ringing in the air. Indeed a divine event.
The event is culminated with national flags being lowered with Retreat sounded by the trumpets. Upon this the band commander takes the permission from the President to disperse the band. And when President concurred to that the most popular and most magnificent tune is played by all bands. The bands march out playing “Sare Jahan Se Accha” and walks past the cliff in between the North and South Block.
But this is not the end. As the music ends, the grandness of the event is increased manifold by the majestic lights atop North and South Block defining clearly its boundaries. And one can hear a louder “Aww” from the crowd who are just spell bound.
Today, after 8 years when I saw this event on Television my memories were refreshed and I promised my son that I will surely take him to witness this grand ceremony and enjoy every bit of festivity attached to the same.