What is Beating the Retreat ceremony? Jan 29 event that marks end of R-Day celebrations

As India graciously celebrated its entry in the 74th year of being a Republic by achieving new milestones, the Republic Day celebrations will come to an end with the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony which takes place on January 29 every year at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi. The 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony is another commemoration which marks the culmination of the four-day-long Republic Day celebrations. 

According to sources, Indian tunes based on Indian Classical Ragas will be the flavour of the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony this year. The ceremony will be graced by the President of India and Supreme Commander of Armed Forces Droupadi Murmu at Vijay Chowk in the national capital on January 29, Sunday. 

Following are some of the events to take place during the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony:

1. Twenty-nine captivating and foot-tapping Indian tunes will be played by the music bands of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the State Police and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
2. The event will witness the country’s biggest Drone Show comprising 3,500 indigenous drones. The drone show will light up the evening sky over the Raisina hills, weaving myriad forms of national figures/events through smooth synchronisation.
3. A 3D anamorphic projection will be organised on the facade of the North and South Block.
4. Pipes and Drums band will play ‘Agniveer’ tune which will be followed by enthralling tunes like ‘Almora’, ‘Kedar Nath, ‘Sangam Dur’, ‘Queen of Satpura’, ‘Bhagirathi’, ‘Konkan Sundari’.
5. Indian Air Force’s band will play ‘Aprajey Arjun’, ‘Charkha’, ‘Vayu Shakti’, ‘Swadeshi’, while ‘Ekla Cholo Re’, ‘Hum Taiyyar Hai’, and ‘Jai Bharati’ will be played by the band of Indian Navy.
6. The Indian Army’s band will play ‘Shankhnaad’, ‘Sher-e-Jawan’, ‘Bhupal’, ‘Agranee Bharat’, ‘Young India’, ‘Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja’, ‘Drummers Call’, and ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’.
7. The event will come to a close with the ever-popular tune of ‘Sare Jahan se Acha’.

What is 'Beating the Retreat' Ceremony?

The ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony at the Vijay Chowk on January 29 every year marks the culmination of the four-day-long Republic Day celebrations. It has emerged as an event of national pride when the Colours and Standards are cased and flags are lowered. It is a centuries-old military tradition dating from the days when troops disengaged from the battle at sunset. As soon as the buglers sounded the retreat, the troops ceased fighting, sheathed their arms, and withdrew from the battlefield. 

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. 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 sound of the Retreat.

Beating Retreat marks the end of the nearly week-long festivities of Republic Day which generally begins on January 24 but this year began on January 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.