Beating Retreat 2024: Vijay Chowk is reverberated with all Indian melodies

The Massed Bands perform the songs 'Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja', 'Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon' and 'Drummers Call'.

New Delhi, January 28 (ANI): The President Guard Regiment during its full dress rehearsal at Vijay Chowk, in New Delhi, on Saturday. (ANI photo / Shrikant Singh)

Beating retreat 2024: As the sun sets over the majestic Raisina Hills, the historic Vijay Chowk will witness all the Indian tunes being played during the 'Beating Retreating' ceremony on January 29, 2024, which marks the culmination of the 75th Day of Peace celebrations Republic. The music bands of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Central Armed Forces (CAPF) will perform 31 captivating and compelling Indian tunes to a distinguished audience comprising of President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, other Union Ministers, senior officials and the general public.

The ceremony begins with the massive band's 'Shankhnaad' tune, followed by captivating tunes like 'Veer Bharat', 'Sangam Dur', 'Deshon ka Sartaj Bharat', 'Bhagirathi' and 'Arjuna' by Pipes and Drums band. The CAPF bands will perform 'Bharat Ke Jawan' and 'Vijay Bharat' among others.

'Tiger Hill', 'Rejoice in Raisina' and 'Swadeshi' are among the songs that the Indian Air Force band will perform while the audience will witness the Indian Navy band playing a number of songs including 'INS Vikrant', 'Mission Chandrayaan', 'Jai Bharati' and 'Hum Tayyar Hain'. This will be followed by the Indian Army band which will perform 'Faulad Ka Jigar', 'Agniveer', 'Kargil 1999' and 'Taqat Watan' among others.

The Massed Bands will then perform the songs 'Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja', 'Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon' and 'Drummers Call'. The event concludes with the ever-popular tune 'Sare Jahan se Acha'.

The main conductor of the ceremony is Lt. Col. Vimal Joshi. While the conductor of the Army Band will be Subedar Major Moti Lal, MCPO MUS II M Antony and Warrant Officer Ashok Kumar will be the conductors of the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force respectively. The conductor of the CAPF band will be Constable GD Ranidevi.

The Buglers will perform under the direction of Naib Subedar Umesh Kumar, and the Pipes and Drums band will perform under the direction of Subedar Major Rajender Singh.

'Beating Retreat' has its origins in the early 1950s, when Major Roberts of the Indian Army domestically developed the unique ceremony of display by the massed bands. It marks a centuries-old military tradition, when the troops stopped fighting, sheathed their weapons, retreated from the battlefield and returned to the camps at sunset at the sounding of the Retreat. Colors and standards are shrouded and flags are lowered. The ceremony evokes nostalgia for times gone by.