The ceremonial beating retreat at the three joint checkposts along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab — Attari-Wagah, Hussainiwala, and Sadki — resumed on Tuesday, nearly two weeks after it was suspended following Operation Sindoor.
According to sources, the ceremony recommenced under revised protocols and in a restricted format. Notably, the symbolic opening of the border gates and the customary handshake between the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Pakistan Rangers were omitted from the flag-lowering ceremony.
The traditional handshake had been suspended in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. A BSF official stated that Tuesday’s ceremony, held at 6 PM, was conducted exclusively for media personnel. The event will be open to the public starting Wednesday.
First introduced at the Attari-Wagah border in 1959, the beating retreat ceremony is a daily ritual jointly conducted by the BSF and Pakistan Rangers. It features synchronised marches, dramatic high-kicking maneuvers, and a coordinated lowering of flags just before sunset. On normal days, the spectacle attracts between 25,000 to 50,000 spectators.
An official from the BSF explained that while the ceremony was originally designed to be a show of strength, with armed soldiers enacting hostile stances and gestures, its tone has gradually softened over the years. In 2010, efforts to reduce overt hostility led to the introduction of a symbolic handshake at the end of the ceremony and the exchange of sweets during festivals such as Eid and Diwali.
“The opening of the gates and the handshake between the BSF and Pakistan Rangers guard commanders had been the signature elements of the daily ritual at Attari since its inception,” the BSF official noted. “This tradition was extended to the other two border points — Hussainiwala and Sadki — in later years.”
The resumption of the ceremony, the official added, comes as the situation along the border begins to stabilise.
Wagah, located in Pakistan, and Attari, in India, lie on either side of the India-Pakistan border, once the midpoint between Amritsar and Lahore prior to the Partition. During the mass migrations of 1947, both villages saw millions cross to the other side. Wagah was hastily designated as a joint checkpost, ultimately becoming an international border crossing.
Every evening before sunset, thousands of people — including domestic and foreign tourists — flock to the border from Amritsar and across Punjab to witness the ceremony. Spectators in Pakistan gather on their side as well. The viewing stands near the border have a combined capacity of approximately 30,000.
While the ceremony remains a major tourist attraction, it has also drawn criticism over the years. Detractors argue that the high-energy display resembles a “circus” and undermines the dignity of the armed forces, calling for the ritual to be discontinued altogether.
