New Delhi: Beating The Retreat ceremony marks the end of Republic Day festivities in Delhi. It is held every year on January 29, three days after the Republic Day parade on Rajpath. President Pranab Mukherjee broke a 30-year-old tradition by arriving in horses-drawn buggy from Rashtrapati Bhavan to Vijay Chowk near the forecourt of North and South Blocks.Watch the highlights of the ceremony: 1. The ceremony took place at Vijay Chowk, on Rajpath, the road that leads to Rashtrapati Bhavan. 2. The ceremony was started in the early 1950s when Major Roberts of the Indian Army developed the ceremony of display by the massed bands in which Military Bands, Pipes and Drums Bands, Buglers and Trumpeters from various Army Regiments besides bands Navy and Air Force take part. 3. This ceremony revives an ancient war custom according to which troops used to stop fighting at sunset. Bugles announcing the sunset would sound in the battlefield. As soon as soldiers heard these bugles they would stand still in the battlefield and war would be stopped for the day. 4. The ceremony opens with a parade by selected contingents of the armed forces set to scintillating performances by the various armed forces bands. 5. The parade climaxes with all the bands playing in unison. 6. As the bands fall silent, a lone trumpeter picks up the moving tune ‘Siki a mole'. After this performance the hymn ‘Abide with me' is played by the Massed Bands. 7. One by one, the camels and the riders who stand stone-like throughout against the backdrop of the sky, move away from the background. 8. President Pranab Mukherjee revived a presidential tradition by riding a six-horse buggy (carriage) to attend the Beating The Retreat ceremony. 9. The horse-drawn buggy has gold plated rims and is extremely comfortable. It was used by the Viceroy in the pre-Independence era and later remained with the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 10. At 5 pm, the buglers sounded the retreat and the National Flag was lowered to the National Anthem bringing the Republic Day celebrations to a formal end. 11. The band master then marched to the President and requested permission to take the bands away, and informed that the closing ceremony is now complete. 12. The bands marched back playing a popular martial tune and the official march of the Armed Forces, Saare Jahan Se Achcha. 13. As soon as the bands cross Raisina Hills a spectacular illumination display was set up on the North and South Blocks of the Parliament building. 14. The ceremony ended with the lighting up of thousands of bulbs at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and adjoining buildings.
