‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony, which marks the formal end of Republic Day celebrations, began at Vijay Chowk in the national capital on Sunday.

President Droupadi Murmu, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, arrived for the ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony at Vijay Chowk. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were also present on occasion.

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According to the Ministry of Defence, 29 captivating and foot-tapping Indian tunes are being played by the music bands of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the State Police and the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF).

The event will witness the country’s biggest Drone Show comprising 3,500 indigenous drones. The drone show will light up the evening sky over the Raisina hills, weaving myriad forms of national figures/events through smooth synchronisation. It will depict the success of the startup ecosystem, and the technological prowess of the country’s youth and pave the way for future path-breaking trends. Botlabs Dynamics will organise the drone show.

For the first time, a 3D anamorphic projection will be organised during Beating Retreat Ceremony on the facade of the North and South Block.

Indian Air Force’s band will play ‘Aprajey Arjun’, ‘Charkha’, ‘Vayu Shakti’, ‘Swadeshi’, while ‘Ekla Cholo Re’, ‘Hum Taiyyar Hai’, and ‘Jai Bharati’ will be played by the band of Indian Navy.

The Indian Army’s band will play ‘Shankhnaad’, ‘Sher-e-Jawan’, ‘Bhupal’, ‘Agranee Bharat’, ‘Young India’, ‘Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja’, ‘Drummers Call’, and ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’.

The event will come to a close with the ever-popular tune of ‘Sare Jahan se Acha’.

The ceremony traces its origins to the early 1950s when Major Roberts of the Indian Army indigenously developed the unique ceremony of display by the massed bands. It marks a centuries-old military tradition when the troops ceased fighting, sheathed their arms and withdrew from the battlefield and returned to the camps at sunset at the sound of the Retreat. Colours and Standards are cased and flags are lowered. The ceremony creates nostalgia for the times gone by.