Wagah border ceremony
The Wagah border closing ‘lowering of the flags’ ceremony is a daily military practice that the security forces of India (Border Security Force) and Pakistan (Pakistan Rangers) have followed since 1959. This ceremony takes place every evening before sunset at the Wagah border, which as part of the Grand Trunk Road was the only road link between these two countries before the opening of the Aman Setu in Kashmir in 1999. The ceremony starts with a blustering parade by the soldiers from both the sides and ends up in the perfectly coordinated lowering of the two nations flags, it is called the beating retreat border ceremony on the international level. One infantryman (Jawan) stands at attention on each side of the gate. As the sun sets, the iron gate at the border is opened and the flags are lowered. The flags are folded and the ceremony ends with a retreat that involves a brusque handshake between soldiers from either side. The spectacle of the ceremony attracts many visitors from both sides of the border, as well as international tourists.
In October 2010, Major General Yaqub Ali Khan of the Pakistan Rangers decided to end the ceremonial theatrics.
We like to thank Photographers genericavatar, Michael Foley Photography, kevin.j, appaji, lukexmartin and Camphor for sharing their work.
Baba Mehar Din, the 81-year-old lead soldier who has been performing the flag-lowering ceremony at dusk every day at Wagah on the India-Pakistan border for the last 40 plus years.
His smart drill excites the visitors on the Pakistani side to shout the patriotic ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ and the religious cry ‘Allah-o-Akbar. The drill at the Wagah Post, the principal entry-exit point on the India-Pakistan border is performed by contingent from the Pakistan Rangers at Dusk.
The mystery of Wahgah. The flag lowering ceremony at the Indo Pak border is a phenomenon worth seeing, and pondering on. Why do they do this? Why practice together for a ceremony that has this mix of handshake and scorn? The flag carrier taunts the Indian audience across the border and the partisan crowd roar P A K I S T A N while roars of H I N D U S T A N come from the other side as if they were mortal enemies, one cannot help feeling that there is a mourning there for lost brotherhood.
