Beating Retreat 2021 Image: Beating Retreat pics from the archive tweeted by IAF
The Beating Retreat marking the end of the four-day Republic Day celebrations takes place on January 29 every year. The Vijay Chowk comes alive for the Beating Retreat. Walking back five decades, the Indian Air Force took to Twitter and posted a collage of four monochrome pictures of the Beating Retreat ceremony in the backdrop of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. "Vijay Chowk coming to life with the Beating Retreat half a century ago..." the IAF wrote.
The Beating Retreat is a sombre ceremony mainly consisting of performances of the bands of the three services. A centuries-old military tradition, it dates back to the days when troops used to disengage from fighting at sunset. A soon as the buglers sounded the "Retreat" the troops stopped fighting.
At the Beating Retreat ceremony this year, a special new composition - Swarnim Vijay - will be played for the first time. Swarnim Vijay, was composed to commemorate the 50 years of India's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war. The composition will be led by Lieutenant Colonel Vimal Joshi and Havildar Jiwan Rasaily.
Apart from the Swarnim Vijay, this year there will be few more new compositions. The Air Force band's Tiranga Senani and Nida Yodha, Navy band's Bharat Vandana and the Army Military band's Garud Prahar and Sambodhan Eco. The mass formation of bands will play Bharat Ke Jawan.