Amritsar: Ahead of the Republic Day, rehearsals for the Beating Retreat ceremony are underway at the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar, Punjab. This year, India is set to celebrate its 75th Republic Day, which marks the adoption of the Constitution and attainment of sovereignty on January 26, 1950. The Constituent Assembly held its first session in December 1946 and its last session in November 1949, a year after which the Constitution was implemented and the drafting committee was headed by Dr. BR Ambedkar.
The Beating Retreat ceremony, a military ceremony dating back to the 17th century, will culminate in the Republic Day celebrations at Vijay Chowk in the national capital on January 29.
Visuals showed army personnel marching to the border, including a dog squad.
Earlier, the Union Defense Ministry said, “This year, all Indian tunes will be included in the 'Beating Retreat' ceremony at Vijay Chowk on Raisina Hill in New Delhi to mark the conclusion of the 75th Republic Day celebrations on January 29. Played by the bands of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force before President Draupadi Murmu and other dignitaries.”
It is held every year on 29 January at Vijay Chowk and is an age-old tradition dating back to the early 1950s, when Major Roberts of the Indian Army developed the unique ceremony of performance by massed bands.
It symbolizes the centuries-old military tradition when soldiers would stop fighting, lay down their weapons, withdraw from the battlefield and return to their camps at sunset at the sound of retreat.
The colors and standards are unfurled and the flags are lowered. This ceremony brings back memories of bygone times.
Meanwhile, the focus of the Republic Day Parade this year will be 'Developed India' and 'India-Matrika of Democracy', symbolizing the country's aspirations and its role as a nurturer of democracy.
The Republic Day celebrations involve huge fanfare, the President hoists the flag, followed by a spectacular military and cultural spectacle. (ANI)
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