Republic Day 2023 Beating the Retreat: On January 26, 1950, Republic Day is celebrated with much fanfare due to the Indian Constitution coming into effect. The Beating the Retreat ceremony, which takes place every year on 29 January, is another commemoration associated with the Republic Day celebrations. The official end of Republic Day celebrations is with Beating the Retreat, which takes place at Vijay Chowk.
The Republic Day celebrations end with the Beating Retreat Ceremony. The President of India, who serves as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, presides over the ceremony. In the evening, flags are lowered as part of the ceremony. Rashtrapati Bhavan, North Block, South Block and Parliament House are all decorated with lights during Beating the Retreat.
Beating the Retreat 2023: History and Significance
The Beating the Retreat ceremony has been passed down through the generations, dating back to the time when soldiers retreated from battle after dusk. According to the Royal Irish Virtual Military Gallery, the drum was ordered to retreat at nightfall on June 18, 1690. Drums were very important at that time in telling soldiers to lower their weapons and retreat for the day.
The beating retreat was seen by the general public as a display of retreat from the battlefield as the flags were lowered to the first blasts of buglers and trumpets.
The ceremony is believed to have touched Indian soil in the early 1950s when the late Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip made their first visit to the country after India’s independence.
Beating the Retreat Ceremony is being organized this year
According to the media, this year India will have the largest drone display in the country during the Beating Retreat ceremony. This year’s Beating the Retreat will see a drone show which will reportedly see 3,500 indigenous drones in the night sky over Raisina Hill. Additionally, it is said that a 3D anamorphic projection will be installed at both North Block and South Block during the ceremony.