Last Updated on January 29, 2026 11:12 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ

Staff Reporter / New Delhi

Beating Retreat ceremony, marking the culmination of the 77th Republic Day celebrations, was held at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on Thursday. The ceremony was attended by President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Ministers.


The bands of the armed forces mesmerized the audience by playing tunes on patriotic songs such as Vande Mataram, Bharat Ke Shaan, Aye Watan, Aye Watan and Sare Jahan Se Acha. The ceremony also witnessed a special formation by the Indian Air Force band on Operation Sindoor, honouring the valour and sacrifice of the armed forces during the operation. It featured bands from the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and Central Armed Police Forces.


The ceremony began with the Massed band’s Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja followed by melodious tunes by the Pipes and Drums band such as Atulya Bharat, Veer Sainik, Mili Jhuli, Nritya Sarita, Marooni, and Jhelum. The Central Armed Police Forces bands played Vijay Bharat, Hathrohi, Jai Ho and Veer Seepahi. The Indian Air Force played tunes including Brave Warrior, Twilight, Alert, and Flying Star, while the Indian Navy band played the tunes, including Namaste, Sagar Pawan, Matribhumi, Tejasvi, and Jai Bharati. Indian Army band played ‘Vijayee Bharat’, ‘Aarambh Hai, Prachand Hai’, ‘Aye Watan, Aye Watan’, ‘Anand Math’, ‘Sugamya Bharat’, and ‘Sitare Hind’. This was followed by the Massed Bands which played tunes including ‘Bharat Ke Shaan, Vande Mataram and Drummers Call. The event concluded with the ever-popular tune of Sare Jahan Se Acha played by the Buglers.


This year, the seating enclosures at Vijay Chowk were named after Indian musical instruments including Bansuri, Damaru, Ektara, Esraj, Mridangam, Nagada, Veena among others, highlighting the country’s rich cultural heritage.