New Delhi: On January 26, 2025, India celebrated its 76th Republic Day with a jaw-dropping parade at New Delhi’s Kartavya Path, which showed the military prowess and cultural heritage of the nation. During the parade, different armed forces contingents marched down the Kartavya Path as the celebrations marked the moment when India became a Republic in 1950. The celebrations of the Republic Day takes place for four days and culminates with the Beating Retreat ceremony at the Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on January 29. In this article, we will take a look at the Beating Retreat and what happens in the ceremony.
What is the Beating Retreat ceremony?
In India, the Beating Retreat is a ceremony that marks the end of Republic Day celebrations. It is held on the evening of January 29, three days after Republic Day, at New Delhi’s Vijay Chowk. It is organized by the Ministry of Defence. The venue is Raisina Hills and the adjacent Vijay Chowk, flanked by the North and South blocks of the Central Secretariat and the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
When was the Beating Retreat ceremony first held in India?
It was in the 1950s that the Beating Retreat ceremony was first held in India during the state visit of then British monarch Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip. Back then, the Indian Army’s Major Roberts indigenously developed the unique ceremony of display by the massed bands. Since then, the ceremony has been held every year at the end of the Republic Day celebrations to pay tribute to the valour and sacrifice of the Indian Armed Forces.
How is the Beating Retreat ceremony held?
The President of India, the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, is the Chief Guest of the Beating Retreat ceremony. The President arrives in a cavalry unit which the President’s Bodyguards escort. After the arrival of the President, the commander of the President’s Bodyguards asks the regiment to give the National Salute. Following that, the national anthem Jana Gana Mana is played by the massed bands and the National Flag of India is unfurled on the flagpole.
The ceremony features a musical performance by the bands of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Delhi Police, and the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). Most of the tunes that the military bands play are based on Indian tunes. During the Beating Retreat ceremony in 2016, the marching bands from Central Armed Police Forces and the Delhi Police appeared for the first time.
How can you buy tickets for the Beating Retreat ceremony?
The ticket price for Beating Retreat full dress rehearsal on January 28 is Rs 20. The price of the ticket for the
Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29 is Rs 100. As per the notice by the PIB, the tickets can be directly purchased from the ‘Aamantran’ mobile app or from aamantran.mod.gov.in.
India’s Beating Retreat ceremony, held annually on January 29 at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi, concludes the Republic Day celebrations. First held in the 1950s, it’s a spectacular display of military bands and a tribute to the armed forces. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
