Last Update: January 19th, 2023, 09:20 AM IST
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to play four tunes for the ceremony based on ragas. (Reuters file)
The Beating the Retreat ceremony will be held at Vijay Chowk on January 27 and 28 and will end on January 29. Around 120 musicians from the Indian Air Force will participate in the event.
For the first time, the Beating the Retreat ceremony will have tunes based on Indian classical ragas, to make the ceremony more ‘desi’.
Over the years, the ceremony has undergone massive changes to imbibe the nationalistic flavour. Dropping from the classic ‘Abide With Me’ to ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logan’ Bollywood The typical ceremony is becoming more localized, moving towards songs and now Indian classical music.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to play four tunes for the ceremony based on ragas. IAF music director LS Roopchandra said, “We will play the tune to give it a more Indian feel and flavour.”
Promising a fusion of sorts, Roopchandra said: “One of the tunes we are playing is ‘Charkha’. It is based on raga Bhupali and mixed with another raga Mishra Khamaj. This will be the first time any will also play raga-based tunes for the force beating the retreat ceremony. Roopchandra has been participating in the ceremony as a troop since 2005 and took over as the music director in 2019.
Ragas can be defined as a set of musical notes mixed together in a singing style. The word is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘rang’ which means ‘colour’. There are 83 ragas and six primary ragas in Indian classical music.
Officials said the changes were introduced after getting approval from top officials. Bands from other forces such as the Army and Navy have not yet revealed their plans.
The Beating the Retreat ceremony will be held at Vijay Chowk on January 27 and 28 and will end on January 29. Around 120 musicians from the Indian Air Force will participate in the event.
Sources said other forces have also prepared tunes based on Indian music and more local themes. A statement from the Ministry of Defense said that “the ceremony of Beating Retreat creates a mood of nostalgia for times gone by when the colors and standards are covered and the flags are lowered”.
“‘Beating Retreat’ signifies a centuries-old military tradition, when soldiers stop fighting, lay down their weapons and withdraw from the battlefield and return to the camps at sunset to the sound of retreat. The colors and standards are hoisted and the flags are lowered.The ceremony is a reminiscence of times gone by.
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