-
Beating Retreat 2016: Soulful tunes and foot-tapping drumbeats rent the air today as curtains came down on the Republic Day celebrations with the Beating the Retreat ceremony, where bands from Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces performed for the first time. The tri-services military band, Indian classical instruments Sinfonietta and Jazz Symphonic Orchestra added flavour to the ceremony which wound up with the poignant tunes of "Abide With Me".
-
Beating Retreat 2016: This year, 15 military bands, 18 pipes and drums bands from regimental centres and battalions participated in the ceremony. Besides, one band each of Indian Navy and Indian Air Force was also part of the event. The boisterous drumming by the Naval band coupled with unique moves and a cheerful flourish, evoked spontaneous cheers from the audience including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was seen tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair.
-
Beating Retreat 2016: President Pranab Mukherjee, the chief guest at the function and the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, arrived in the historic six horses-driven carriage which was used by the Viceroy during the British rule. His arrival was sounded by trumpeters, buglers and echo buglers followed by the national anthem.
-
Beating Retreat 2016: The band members, in their red, olive green, orange and navy blue uniforms, played as the tunes blended into each other for an hour before the flag was lowered amid retreat by buglers. As North Block, South Block, Parliament House and Rashtrapati Bhavan lit up in unison, the resplendent sight was greeted by a collective gasp from the audience.
-
Beating Retreat 2016: Vice President Hamid Ansari accompanied by his wife Salma, Prime Minister Modi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Ministers Manohar Parrikar and Rajnath Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
-
Beating Retreat 2016: As many as 20 out of 26 performances were composed by Indian musicians. Indian classical instruments Sinfonietta and Jazz Symphonic Orchestra playing the tune "Agyat Youvana" and Indian classical instruments Sinfonietta playing the tunes of "Bharat humko jaan se pyara hai", "maa tujhe salaam" and "aey mere watan ke logon" mesmerised the audience.
-
Beating Retreat 2016: Other tunes that sent the spectators into a time-wrap were "Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja", "Senani", "Lounden's Bonnie Woods and Braes", "the High Road to Linton", "Air Born", "Sam Bahadur", "Taqat Watan Ki Humse Hai", "Abide With Me" and lastly the ever-popular "Sare Jahan Se Acha".
-
Beating Retreat 2016: The ceremony at the Vijay Chowk on January 29th every year marks the culmination of the four-day-long Republic Day celebrations. 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 2016: It 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.
-
Beating Retreat 2016: The historic Presidential buggy on Friday made a comeback, after a year's break, with President Pranab Mukherjee arriving in it to attend the Beating the Retreat ceremony. Three decades after its discontinuation at public functions due to security reasons, the buggy was used at the ceremony in 2014. However, last year the President had arrived in his limousine.
-
Beating Retreat 2016: Mukherjee was cheered as the wheels of the open gold-plated carriage rolled down the Raisina hill, making its way past hundreds of spectators who gathered to witness the colourful event.
-
Beating Retreat 2016: Mukherjee, the chief guest of the function and the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, reciprocated the greetings with his customary wave at the audience. He was received by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chiefs of the three forces.
-
Beating Retreat 2016: The armoured Limousine, followed the buggy to its path to Vijay Chowk from Rashtrapati Bhavan accompanied by the President's Bodyguards, a regiment with horses carrying out ceremonial duties for the President. The six-horse driven carriage was used by the Viceroy during the British rule. After Independence, it has remained with the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
-
The Beating the Retreat ceremony which takes place on Vijay Chowk on Rajpath on January 29, marks the end of Republic Day celebrations.
-
Beating Retreat 2016: Almost 32 years ago, former President late Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed had used the buggy to reach the exit gate of Rashtrapati Bhavan from where he used to travel in car to attend the ceremony. An open horse-driven buggy was seen as a security threat by security agencies then, following which the traditional carriage was replaced by bullet-proof cars.
