Beating the Retreat Border Ceremony

Went to the Beating the Retreat Ceremony at the Wagah Attari Border post - the border between India and Pakistan. One of the most fun and crazy things I’ve seen in a long while - a cross between a military parade and a rock concert with the military MC doing his best Freddie Mercury style call and response from the huge crowd. He even had a moustache.

There were thousands of people watching in stands built especially for the ceremony. This is the case every day apparently. The ceremony consists of the MC getting the crowds going with shouts and claps. Drums timed to coincide with the marching steps of the soldiers are played over the loudspeakers. And the marching ceremony is undertaken by soldiers wearing silly hats. It is also known as the silly walks ceremony. No doubt Monty Python take their cut (although the ceremony predates them - going back to 1959). Across the border the Pakistani troops perform a mirror image ceremony which culminates in a mutual lowering of their respective national flags right at the border line. A symbol of the friendship and rivalry between the two countries. Quite moving really.

Our guide was Vicky (a guy not a girl I think maybe his full name was Vikram but he was called Vicky) who drove 7 of us to the border and back in a tuk tuk. He was hilarious. This blog site only allows me to put one minute videos up but I’ll put a link to the whole ceremony on YouTube when I can.Read more