Beating Retreat Ceremony To Get Indian Flavour With Classical Ragas

OB Bureau

January 19, 2023 10:33 am

Picture courtesy Twitter

New Delhi: The Beating the Retreat ceremony is becoming more Indianised year after year. In a bid to give it a nationalistic flavour, it will have tunes based on Indian classical ragas this year.

In the last few years, the classic ‘Abide With Me’ was replaced with ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’, and now it is moving towards Indian classical music.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to play four tunes for the ceremony based on the ragas. “We will be playing the tunes to give a more Indian feel and flavour to it,” Director of Music for IAF LS Rupachandra said, News 18 reported.

He said it will be a fusion of sorts, adding that a tune that will be played is ‘Charkha’. It is based on Raga Bhupali and mixed with another Raga Mishra Khamaj, making it the first time that any force plays raga-based tunes for the Beating the Retreat ceremony.”Rupachandra has been participating in the ceremony as contingent since 2005 and took over as Director of Music in 2019.

The officials said the changes had been introduced after getting approval from the top brass. Bands of other forces such as the Army and Navy have not yet revealed their plans, the report added.

The Beating the Retreat ceremony will be held at Vijay Chowk on January 27 and 28 and culminate on January 29. About 120 musicians of the IAF will participate in the event.

‘Beating Retreat’ 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 sounding of the Retreat. Colours and Standards are cased and flags lowered. The ceremony creates nostalgia for the times gone by.