Nation celebrates Beating Retreat ceremony at Raisina Hills

Tri-service band performs during the Beating Retreat ceremony at Vijay Chowk, in New Delhi on January 29.
| Photo Credit: PTI

With the sun setting over the Raisina Hills, the iconic Vijay Chowk immersed in the melodies of Indian tunes played by the military and paramilitary bands on Wednesday (January 29, 2025) as India celebrated the Beating Retreat ceremony in the heart of the national capital.

Also Read:The history of the Beating Retreat ceremony

Beating Retreat — a centuries-old military tradition — dates back from the days when troops disengaged from battle at sunset. The drumbeats recall the days when troops, billeted in towns and cities, were recalled to their quarters at an appointed time in the evening. A sense of nostalgia prevails for the times gone by. It marks the culmination of Republic Day celebrations.

The bands of the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force and the Central Armed Police Forces played 30 foot-tapping Indian tunes before the audience, which was attended by President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, other Union Ministers, senior officials and the public.

This year, the focus was laid on 75 years of enactment of the Constitution and people’s participation as the celebrations were a unique blend of India’s rich cultural diversity, unity, equality, development and military prowess.

The ceremony began with President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Droupadi Murmu arriving in a traditional colonial-era horse-drawn buggy. The tri-service chiefs welcomed President Murmu, Vice-President Dhankhar, Prime Minister Modi, and Defence Minister Singh. The ceremony began with the massed band’s ‘Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja’ tune, followed by captivating tunes such as ‘Amar Bharati’, ‘Indradhanush’, ‘Jai Janam Bhumi’, ‘Nati in Himalayan Valley’, ‘Ganga Jamuna’ and ‘Veer Siachen’ by the Pipes and Drums band. The CAPF bands played ‘Vijay Bharat’, ‘Rajasthan Troops’, ‘Aye Watan Tere Liye’ and ‘Bharat ke Jawan’.

Among the tunes were ‘Galaxy Rider’, ‘Stride’, ‘Rubaru’ and ‘Millennium Flight Fantasy’ played by the band of Indian Air Force, while the Indian Navy band played ‘Rashtriya Pratham’, ‘Nishak Nishpad’, ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, ‘Spread the Light of Freedom’, ‘Rhythm of the Reef’ and ‘Jai Bharati’. It was followed by Indian Army’s band, which played ‘Veer Sapoot’, ‘Taqat Watan’, ‘Mera Yuva Bharat’, ‘Dhruv’ and ‘Faulad Ka Jigar’.

The massed bands also played the tunes ‘Priyam Bharatam’, ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’ and ‘Drummers Call’. The event came to a close with the ever-popular tune of ‘Sare Jahan se Acha’ played by the Buglers.

The principal conductor was Commander Manoj Sebastian. The Indian Army Band conductor was Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Bishan Bahadur, while M. Antony, MCPO MUS-II and Warrant Officer Ashok Kumar were the conductors of Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, respectively. The conductor of CAPF band was Head Constable G.D. Mahajan Kailash Madhava Rao.

The public sang the national anthem, and the Tricolour was taken down. After the ceremony ended, people clicked photographs with their family members.