The Beating Retreat ceremony will mark the end of this year's Republic Day celebrations.
This year's Beating Retreat ceremony will, for the first time, have a laser show and a drone show with background music. The ceremony will mark the end of this year's Republic Day celebrations that began on January 23. This will also be the first time that the parapet of the north and south blocks will have a laser projection mapping show to commemorate 75 years of India's independence.
Hundreds of drones made different formations on Tuesday evening near the Rashtrapati Bhavan on the evening of the 73rd Republic Day. Visuals from Raisina Hill show several complex and stunning formations by hordes of drones that light up and change colour as well. The lasers projected on the parapet show artwork and moving visuals with music and narration in the background.
A total of 1,000 "made in India" drones made different formations as part of a rehearsal for the Beating Retreat ceremony at Vijay Chowk.
The drone show is aimed at encouraging a Delhi-based startup, and India will become the fourth country to perform it at such a scale, news agency ANI had reported.
"To encourage a start-up of IIT-Delhi, for the first time 1000 drones will perform during the Beating Retreat event. After China, Russia and UK, India will be the fourth country to perform drone show," it said quoting Defence Ministry sources.
Earlier, the Defence Ministry had included the patriotic song "Aey Mere Watan ke Logo" in the Beating Retreat ceremony in an effort to "make it more Indian'.
The hymn Abide With Me has been dropped from the event as per the details of the ceremony shared by Indian defence officials.