Desi tunes will enthral the spectators this year at the “Beating the Retreat ceremony” at Vijay Chowk, Rajpath here on Tuesday. Out of 27 performances by the three Services bands besides State police and para-military, 19 tunes have been composed by Indian musicians. President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other leaders will witness the grand ceremony marking the culmination of four-day long Republic Day celebrations.
The Indian tunes include Indian Star, Paharon ki Rani, Kumaoni Geet, 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 officials said here on Monday. The eight western tunes will be Fanfare by Buglers, Sound Barrier, Emblazoned, Twilight, Alert (Post Horn Gallop), Space Flight, Drummers Call and Abide with me. The event will come to a close with the ever-popular tune of Sare Jahan se Acha.
The ceremony at the Vijay Chowk on January 29th every year marks the culmination of the four-day-long Republic Day celebrations. This year, 15 Military Bands, 15 Pipes and Drums Bands from Regimental Centres and Battalions are participating in the ceremony. Besides one each of Indian Navy and Indian Air Force band will also form part of the event. Another band of the State Police and para-military comprising Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and Delhi Police will also take part.
The principal conductor of “Beating the Retreat” ceremony will be Vijay D’Cruz while Army Military bands conductor will be Subedar Parwinder Singh and the Navy and Air Force band conductors will be Master Chief Petty Officer Vincent Johnson and Junior Warrant Officer Ashok Kumar respectively.
The conductor of the State Police and para-military bands will be Inspector Ganesh Dutt Pandey. Buglers will perform under the leadership of Subedar Digar Singh and pipes and drums bands will play 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 the 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.