Beating Retreat: Drone show, laser mapping add colour to vibrant ceremony

NEW DELHI: New attractions like a thousand drones lighting up the sky in various formations over Vijay Chowk left the audience spellbound at the 73rd Beating Retreat ceremony on Saturday.

This year the main attraction of the ceremony was the drone and laser show following the commentary in the backdrop telling details of sacrifices made by freedom fighters for achieving Independence. Patterns varied from the Tricolour to Mahatma Gandhi's image was made in the sky by the luminating drones. All these drones are made in India.

The 10-minute drone show was planned to commemorate 75 years of Independence.

A projection mapping show on the walls of North Block and South Block telling the story of sacrifices made by freedom fighters to get Independence from Britishers added colours to the ambience.

Massed band played Tunes of newly-inducted "Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon" and it touched the heart of visitors at the ceremony. The song was composed by C Ramchandra and lyrics by Kavi Pradeep. The song was written to commemorate the supreme sacrifice made by the Indian soldiers during the 1962 India-China war.

The Beating Retreat ceremony's hymns 'Abide With Me' has been replaced with 'Ae Mere Watan ke Logon'.

#WATCH | Drone show during the Beating Retreat ceremony at Vijay Chowk, Delhi pic.twitter.com/rRDhDsPevc

— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2022

"Beating Retreat" is a centuries-old military tradition dating from the days when troops disengaged from the battle at sunset. As soon as the buglers sounded the "Retreat", the troop ceased fighting, sheathed their arms and withdrew from the battlefield.
It is for this reason that the custom of standing still during the sounding of 'Retreat' has been retained to this day. Colours and Standards are cased and flags lowered at "Retreat".

Drumbeats recall the days when troops, billeted in towns and cities, were recalled to their quarters at an appointed time in the evening.

Based on these military traditions, the ceremony of "Beating Retreat" creates a mood of nostalgia for the times gone by.