India's 'biggest' drone show, classical ragas at mega Beating Retreat: Top 5

The ceremony will begin with ‘Agniveer’ tune, followed by captivating tunes like ‘Almora’, ‘Kedar Nath, ‘Sangam Dur’, ‘Queen of Satpura’, ‘Bhagirathi’, ‘Konkan Sundari’ by pipes and drums band.

Beating Retreat, the ceremony which marks the culmination of the four-day-long Republic Day celebrations, will be held on Sunday at the iconic Vijay Chowk in Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, will grace the mega event.

Rehearsal of Beating the Retreat Ceremony 2023 parade at Vijay Chowk, in Delhi, January 18.(PTI)

Five points about the ceremony this year:

1. The bands of Indian Armed forces (Army, Air force, Navy) along with the State Police and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will play over 29 Indian tunes. "Indian tunes based on Indian classical ragas will be the flavour of ‘Beating Retreat’ ceremony this year," a statement by the Ministry of Defence read.

2. India's biggest drone show, with over 3,500 indigenous drones, will light up the evening sky over the Raisina hills, displaying different national figures and events. Organised by Botlabs Dynamics, the show will "depict the success of start-up ecosystem, technological prowess of the country’s youth and pave the way for future path-breaking trends," the Defence Ministry further highlighted.

3. For the first time, a 3-D anamorphic projection will also be organised on the façade of the North and South Block.

4. The ceremony will begin with ‘Agniveer’ tune, followed by captivating tunes like ‘Almora’, ‘Kedar Nath, ‘Sangam Dur’, ‘Queen of Satpura’, ‘Bhagirathi’, ‘Konkan Sundari’ by pipes and drums band. "The principal conductor of the ceremony will be Flight Lieutenant Leimapokpam Rupachandra Singh. While the Army Band will be led by Sub Maj Diggar Singh, the Naval and Air Force band commanders will be M Anthoni Raj and Warrant Officer Ashok Kumar. The conductor of the State Police and CAPF bands will be Asstt Sub Inspector Prem Singh," the government stated.

5. The event will conclude with the tune of ‘Sare Jahan se Acha’, which replaced ‘Abide With Me’ last year, breaking a decades-old tradition.

Beating Retreat: History

Major Roberts of the Indian Army indigenously developed this unique ceremony of display by the massed bands in the 1950s. It marks a centuries-old military tradition, when the troops ceased fighting, sheathed their arms, and withdrew from the battlefield, returning to the camps at sunset at the sounding of the Retreat. The ceremony never fails to create nostalgia for the times gone by.