A spectacular climax for Republic Day

NEW DELHI: The curtain came down on this year's Republic Day celebrations in the Capital on Monday evening with the traditional Beating Retreat ceremony. While the usual peach-tinged sunset may have been missing this time round when the bands came marching in, the music more than made up for the dull weather.
An elaborate annual ceremony that keeps alive the centuries-old tradition of troops withdrawing from the battlefield at the end of the day, "Beating Retreat'' is all about the art of standing still. From straight-backed guards looking like toy-soldiers standing at attention to tall and proud camels all dressed up frozen still, the ceremony is literally like stepping back in time.
Kicking off with ``Fanfare'' by the buglers, the first march of the massed bands was to the familiar old tune of "Hindustan Hamara Hai... .''. With the audience only just settling down in their seats, it was a chance for many who knew the tune to hum along.
Dressed in earthy colours, the pipes and drums of the country's defence services introduced a bit of whiff from the highlands. Swaying to the rhythm with their silver-edged batons twirling in the air, they marched to "Veer Bharat... .'', "Aaj Diya Rati... .'' and "Mili Juli... .''.
While adults soaked in the spectacular ambience, tiny tots craned their necks forward to savour the ceremony from close range. If the parents could be heard grumbling about the crowded parking outside and the elaborate frisking by security guards before the invitees for the show were let in, restless children seemed interested more in getting the best view of the action.
Turning from the earthy tones to cooler hues, the Navy band and the Air Force band brought with them "Vayu Shakti... .'' With a bag full of new tunes this time round, the emphasis was on "desi'' music. Apart from a whole lot of fresh sound, Beating Retreat this year also saw the bands of the three defence forces coming together for the "Drums Call''. This is a tradition that is expected to continue.
Bringing in some elements of the sea with their music, the bands of the Navy and the Air Force played the soulful "Gateway Lullaby... .'' before marching off to the "Sound Barrier'' composed by J. A. George.
Ending on Iqbal's "Sare Jahan Se Achchha... .'', the ceremony concluded on a bright, colourful note with illumination of the grand old Central Vista down the road from Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The ceremony was watched by a distinguished audience led by President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Defence Minister A. K. Antony.

Source : Hindu