Beating Retreat: From 'Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja' to 'Faulad ka Jigar', tunes that will echo at Vijay Chowk today

The Beating Retreat ceremony marks the formal conclusion of Republic Day celebrations. The event, to be attended by dignitaries including President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will feature music bands from the Indian Armed Forces playing 31 captivating Indian tunes

The Republic Day celebrations will culminate with the much-anticipated Beating Retreat ceremony at Vijay Chowk, New Delhi, today. The event, scheduled to take place in the presence of a distinguished audience, including President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, other Union Ministers, senior officials, and the general public, promises to be a captivating display of musical prowess.

According to a release from the Defence Ministry, the music bands representing the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will showcase their talents by playing a total of 31 captivating and foot-tapping Indian tunes.

The ceremony is set to commence with the massed band's powerful 'Shankhnaad' tune, followed by a series of enthralling melodies such as 'Veer Bharat,' 'Sangam Dur,' 'Deshon ka Sartaj Bharat,' 'Bhagirathi,' and 'Arjuna' by the Pipes and Drums band. The CAPF bands will contribute to the musical spectacle with renditions of 'Bharat Ke Jawan' and 'Vijay Bharat,' among others.

The Indian Air Force band will play tunes like 'Tiger Hill,' 'Rejoice in Raisina,' and 'Swadeshi.' Meanwhile, the Indian Navy band will present a variety of tunes, including 'INS Vikrant,' 'Mission Chandrayaan,' 'Jai Bharati,' and 'Hum Tayyar Hain.' The Indian Army band is scheduled to perform hits like 'Faulad Ka Jigar,' 'Agniveer,' 'Kargil 1999,' and 'Taqat Watan,' among others.

The principal conductor of the ceremony, Lt Col Vimal Joshi, will lead the orchestration, with Subedar Major Moti Lal, MCPO MUS II M Antony, and Warrant Officer Ashok Kumar serving as conductors for the Army, Navy, and Air Force bands, respectively. 

Constable GD Ranidevi will conduct the CAPF band, while Buglers will perform under the leadership of Naib Subedar Umesh Kumar, and Pipes and Drums band under the instructions of Subedar Major Rajender Singh. The ceremony will conclude with the ever-popular tune of 'Sare Jahan se Acha,' leaving the audience with a sense of patriotic pride and musical delight.