Wagah Border Beating Retreat Ceremony

A Trip to Amritsar is incomplete without visiting the ceremony at Wagah Border, which separates India and Pakistan. It represents the countries’ attitudes and brotherhood towards each other. It holds an amazing retreat ceremony that attracts tourists from all over the world. This place has a high surrounded and scrutinized degree of security and also has BSF(Border security force) in the area thoroughly.

History

The Wagah Border Ceremony, which is popularly known as the Beating Retreat Ceremony, was started in 1959 that was agreed upon by the government of both countries. This stands as a symbol of the rivalry, cooperation, and brotherhood between the two nations. Since July 2011, women guards of BSF have also been a part of this ceremony.

The Ceremony

The lowering of the flags ceremony at the Wagah border has become a daily practice or ritual that security forces of India (Border Security Force, BSF) and Pakistan (Pakistan Rangers). Moreover, The Flag Code of India has mandated that the national flag shall be flown only from sunrise to sunset. The Indian Flag is hoisted after sunrise and lowered at sunset. This martial ceremony at Attari Wagah Border has become a part of respect and gratitude towards the mother country. The ceremony is conducted with great pomp and energy.

The ceremony starts with a boasting parade by the soldiers from both nations and ends up in the perfectly coordinated lowering of the two nations’ flags. The BSF and Pakistan Rangers compete to kick as much higher as they can i.e Goose Marching, march harder, and shout for a longer duration in a bid to surpass each other. Further even people attending this ceremony compete with the people of the opposite nation by cheering up for their respective nations. It is often regarded as using the bodies rather than their weapons to demonstrate how angry you can get without hitting anyone. The ceremony is followed by rapid dance-like maneuvers.

The BSF and Pakistani Rangers march towards the gates of the border from their respective sides. The soldiers salute each other after the gate is thrown open and start lowering the flags. Moreover, the flags are carefully folded and carried back to the respective sides. The soldiers return to the borderline again for the final handshake. In last, as the ceremony comes to an apogee, people are seen shouting Jai Hind and Vande Mataram. The end of the ceremony is marked by the blowing of the bugle.

Watch the beating ceremony at https://www.instagram.com/p/CZJr69vIoyK/

Facts About Wagah Border

• The Beating Retreat Ceremony starts at 5:15 PM in summer and 4:15 PM in winter. You can also book your seats in advance by going to BSF kent. Carrying ID proof is mandatory.
• Proper seating arrangements have been made to enable spectators to watch the ceremony comfortably. There are special seats that are exclusively reserved for women. Note that, in the general seating, only men are allowed as it tends to get very crowded and congested. Special passes are required for VIP seating which is closest to the gates.
• The seats of the stadium are limited so everyone can’t get in. And hence the seats are allocated on a “first come first serve basis”. However, people can also watch the ceremony on the screen that is placed outside the stadium.

• The country appoints the soldiers for this ceremony and they are specially trained for this auspicious event. They also have a beard and mustache policy for which they are paid extra remuneration.
• The flagpole on the Attari site is the largest and the flagpole on the Wagha side is the tallest in the whole of South Asia.
• Only transparent bags are allowed to carry inside, nobody is allowed to carry opaque bags.
• Nobody needs a ticket to watch the ceremony, not even tourists and there is no ticket price for it.
• Mobile phones are allowed to carry inside but there is no mobile service as there are many jammers in the area.
• In last, beware of the pickpockets.

Places Nearby

• Golden Temple: Golden Temple is one of the sacred spots in India and is famous for its golden dome. People from all over the world come to this place to get into the silent and spiritual realm. It is also famous for the Langar, which serves more than 50,000 people per day.

• Jallianwala bagh: Located 1 km away, Jallianwala Bagh is a public garden where one of the most tragic events took place in the history of India. Moreover, This garden is preserved in the memory of those wounded and killed patriots in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919
• Partition Museum: This museum is considered the world’s first museum dedicated to the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, which was one of the most defining events in Indian history. Further, It stores the stories, documents, and materials related to post-partition riots.
• Durgiana temple: Durgiana temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Goddess Durga. The structure of this temple is inspired by Golden Temple.
• Gurdwara Tarn Taran Sahib: This Gurdwara was established by the fifth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Arjan Dev in the city of Tarn Taran Sahib. It has the largest pond of all Gurdwaras.

And from this we come to end of the Wagah Border Retreating Ceremony. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog.

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