Christian hymn ‘Abide with Me’ Missing From Beating Retreat
Mobilenews24x7 Bureau
New Delhi, Jan 22 : Famous Christian hymn ‘Abide with Me’ has been dropped from Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29 this year. The song has not found a mention in the official list of 26 tunes played in the Beating Retreat ceremony for 2022 released to the media.
‘Abide with Me’ has long been played at the end of Beating Retreat ceremony which officially denotes the end of Republic Day festivities in India.
However, ‘Sare Jahan Se Achcha Hindosta Hamara’ written by Mohammed Iqbal in 1905 will be played with the ‘Retreat By Buglers’ in the end. Similarly, patriotic song sung by Lata Mangeshkar Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon will also be played.
Total 44 buglers, 16 trumpeters and 75 drummers will participate in the ceremony.
The military bands will perform martial tunes, synchronised background music will also be played during the drone show, an official said.
The main attraction of this year’s Beating Retreat ceremony will be a show by 1000 drone hovering all over the sky. The drones have been developed by Botlab Dynamics in support of IIT Delhi and Department of Science and Technology.
During the ceremony, projection mapping laser show to commemorate 75 years of independence for duration of around 3-4 minutes would also be showcased on the walls of North and South Block before the ceremony concludes. The laser show will exhibit India’s 75 years of independence.
Beating Retreat ceremony is held every year on January 29 at Vijay Chowk with the President, Prime Minister and other officials in attendance. It marks an old military tradition in which the troops cease fighting, withdraw from the battlefield and return to their camps at sunset with beats of military bands.