Wagah Border Ceremony - Daily Patriotic Fervor
This small village has gained a prominent place in Indian tourism owing to the flag lowering ceremony that takes place here at the border everyday before sunset on both sides of the nations.
The Wagah Border Ceremony, more popularly known as Beating Retreat Ceremony, was started in 1959. The occasion is to symbolically close the border for the night and lower the National Flags of both nations. The Flag Lowering Ceremony is done everyday before sunset.
Free entry starts on the Indian side at around 4 PM into a large semi-circular open stadium built specially for the ceremony. There is a smaller stadium built on the Pakistani side as well. Visitors from both nations start filling up their respective stadiums, with the Indian side outnumbering the Pakistani side by the hundreds.
There is strict security & checking before visitors are allowed to enter. Entry is also on first-come basis till the stadium is full. Make sure you reach there by 3:30 PM during summers and by 2:30 PM during Winters. Carry umbrellas, caps & water bottles as most parts of the open stadium are exposed to the harsh sunlight. Variety of transport options are available from Amritsar, including buses, autorickshaws and taxis.
Free entry starts on the Indian side at around 4 PM into a large semi-circular open stadium built specially for the ceremony. There is a smaller stadium built on the Pakistani side as well. Visitors from both nations start filling up their respective stadiums, with the Indian side outnumbering the Pakistani side by the hundreds.
There is strict security & checking before visitors are allowed to enter. Entry is also on first-come basis till the stadium is full. Make sure you reach there by 3:30 PM during summers and by 2:30 PM during Winters. Carry umbrellas, caps & water bottles as most parts of the open stadium are exposed to the harsh sunlight. Variety of transport options are available from Amritsar, including buses, autorickshaws and taxis.
The build-up to the actual 45-min retreat ceremony starts with Bollywood patriotic songs being played on full volume. A Border Security Force officer doubles up as the master of ceremonies and whips up the crowd into a patriotic frenzy. Loud chants of "Vande Mataram" and "Hindustan Zindabad" fills the air. Women and children are welcomed center-stage to wave the Indian flag and dance to patriotic songs. There is a huge rush for it, with participants including foreign nationals jostling with each other to take up their places, yet making sure everything goes on peacefully.
Then the retreat ceremony starts which is a military practice carried out by the Indian Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers. The retreat is conducted with loud shouts and heavy foot stomping by the soldiers. A form of marching where soldiers lift up their legs very high - almost touching their foreheads - known as Goose Step is the hallmark of the Wagah Border Ceremony. The maneuvers & paces last for 45 minutes, ending with the lowering of the flags and closing of the border gates. The ceremony is well choreographed, and the soldiers are specially appointed and trained for the performance.
Then the retreat ceremony starts which is a military practice carried out by the Indian Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers. The retreat is conducted with loud shouts and heavy foot stomping by the soldiers. A form of marching where soldiers lift up their legs very high - almost touching their foreheads - known as Goose Step is the hallmark of the Wagah Border Ceremony. The maneuvers & paces last for 45 minutes, ending with the lowering of the flags and closing of the border gates. The ceremony is well choreographed, and the soldiers are specially appointed and trained for the performance.
The Wagah Border Ceremony is a great place to reconnect a sense of pride with India & instill patriotism in the young. It is also a place to reflect on the sacrifices done by the countless soldiers who protect the border.
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