Beating the Retreat ceremony is a grand spectacle
The Republic Day festivities culminate with Beating Retreat at Vijay Chowk on January 29 at 5 PM every year. Here is an informative peace for the newcomer.
MAHABHARAT WAS the biggest and longest battle fought on an All-India basis about 5,000 years ago.It was called a war of Righteousness or Dharma. The battle began and ended at the appointed hour of the day. In the morning conch shell were sounded and the battle began. COME TO ATTENTION All warriors, irrespective of their rank, were required to come to attention and no movement was to be tolerated thereafter. Beat of drums, sounding of trumpets or loud bugle calls by many buglers or trumpeters in unison was sounded on a signal given by the commander in the battlefield and it was named as RETREAT. On hearing the first note of Retreat, a sword about to cut a limb of the enemy would go back into the sheath, the point of a lance would be made to point towards the ground and later when guns were introduced, their barrell would be lowered to incapacitate it from any mode of attack. Thus Retreat was sounded and obeyed without a hitch. ROLE OF BANDS The bandsmen played the role of stretcher-bearers in battle to carry their own wounded personnel to the Regimental Aid Post from where the wounded were evacuated to different hospitals depending on the injury sustained. Where was the time or availability to assemble bandsmen to play tunes of Retreat or enthuse love of motherland or the Regiment to keep the morale high. The band in full was neither called nor played. Their role was devised to be in the ceremonial Retreat like the one in New Delhi Vijay Chowk as a part of the Republic Day activities of the Republic of India. On the final day of the festivities, at the Vijay Chowk, all bands, both Military and Pipes and Drums, were assembled and various movements of single and massed bands were carried out to entertain the vast multitudes assembled there. The Indian masses deserve to be mentioned in despatches for taking the risk of losing limb or life in a terrorist attack in an open area like the Vijay Chowk. Beating Retreat ceremony there lasts one hour and every single moment is enjoyed by both the civilian and the soldier. The three services make their bands available for the grand ceremony to be conducted by a trained officer of the Music wing. The President of India drives in and back to the Rashtrapati Bhawan escorted by 46 horsemen of the President's Body Guard. It is a grand spectacle in itself. The media, both print and electronic, covers the event well. Thus it is no more a battle field where the Retreat is sounded to halt the battle of the day and enable the warriors of the two sides to have an exchange of views. Beating the Retreat is now a ceremonial event organised and witnessed by the elite and the commoners. Indeed it is a treat to the eyes and ears and a must see event whenever and wherever possible.
Jey Hin
AUM.
Please note that there is no flypast at Beating Retreat at the Vijay Chowk. The picture shown along with the article is that of a flypast but it does not conform to facts in 2011. Please make amends, if you so wish.
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