In Pictures: Rashtrapati Bhavan Lights Up, Military Tunes Echo Across Rajpath For Beating Retreat Ceremony

Military bands from the three wings of the Armed forces took part in the ‘Beating Retreat’ ceremony at Raisina Hills and Vijay Chowk yesterday (29 January), officially marking the end of Republic Day celebrations.

The historical origin of the ceremony can be traced back to 16th century England while the specific tradition of conducting it to conclude Republic Day festivities began in the 1950s when Major G A Roberts was tasked with creating a dazzling display to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s first visit to independent India.

The ceremony began with the arrival of President Ram Nath Kovind who was surrounded by his decorated bodyguards. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The prime minister took the opportunity to venture away from his security cover and greet members of the crowd by shaking their hands.

Here are some pictures of the Beating Retreat ceremony:

The public was treated to a number of martial and patriotic tunes at the event, such as ‘Indian Star’, ‘Paharon ki Rani’, ‘Kumaoni Geet’, ‘Gangotri’, ‘Namaste India’, ‘Samudrika, Jai Bharat’, ‘Young India’, etc. The occasion concluded with the classic track of Saare jahan se acha.