Navy Day is observed on 04 December every year to commemorate the Navy's stunning attack on Karachi that contributed crucially to India's victory in the Indo-Pakistan war 1971. As part of the celebrations, the traditional ‘Beating Retreat and Tattoo Ceremony’ was held at the iconic Gateway of India on 04 December 2021. The Hon'ble Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Bharat Singh Koshyari, was the Chief Guest. The event was hosted by Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command, and attended by dignitaries and senior officials from various organisations and walks of life, serving naval personnel and veterans, as well as military families.

The event included breath-taking performances by the naval band, a short operational demonstration, the Beating Retreat Ceremony, a fly-past by naval helicopters, continuity drill by naval personnel and the Sailor’s Hornpipe Dance by children of the Sea Cadet Corps.

The Beating Retreat Ceremony is a tradition since early days of military history when the Retreat was sounded every day as a signal for troops to disengage from combat as daylight faded, ordering them to withdraw to their camps for the night. The Tattoo Ceremony, on the other hand, has the band beating drums to various rhythms within soldiers' billets, ordering them to proceed to their quarters after a long day at the battlefield.

Continuity Drill performed on the occasion was a spectacular exhibition of a complex sequence of movements being executed without a single word of command. The higher purpose of drill and parade in the military is to inculcate qualities of good military bearing, pride in oneself, implicit obedience of orders, unity of purpose and esprit de corps.

The clockwork precision of naval aviators and daredevilry of Marine Commandos drew grand applause from a large gathering that assembled all around the Gateway of India. The delightful Hornpipe Dance by the young cadets of the Sea Cadet Corps was, however, the crowd favourite.

Later in the evening, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command hosted an at home function at the Navy House.

Marex Media