World Heritage Week 2025: Students witness ‘Beating Retreat’ ceremony at Suchetgarh border

Jammu, Nov 23: On the fifth day of World Heritage Week 2025, the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums, J&K organized a meaningful visit to the Suchetgarh Border and Octroi Post for 51 students from Migrant School, Bohri on Sunday.

The group was led by Assistant Director, Dr Sangeeta Sharma.

The initiative, under the leadership of Director K K Sidha, aimed to give students a firsthand connection to India’s border heritage, patriotic traditions, and military discipline.

The visit began with the students witnessing the ‘Beating Retreat’ ceremony, which opened with patriotic songs performed by Kishore Kumar, energizing the audience and encouraging student participation through dance.

During the programme, Kalpana Chawla addressed the audience and shared insights about the strategic and cultural significance of the BSF Octroi Post.

The ceremony included a disciplined dog parade, the brass band led by Balwant Raj, the women’s marching band under Rita Choudhary, demonstrations by Veer Commandos, and coordinated performances supervised by Sub-Inspector Ashwani Kumar.

The ceremony concluded with the ceremonial lowering of the Indian flag by the Rashtriya Dhwaj Rakshak Toli under the command of Nandan Kumar.

After the parade, students visited the nearly 200-year-old Raghunath Ji temple, believed to date back to the era of Maharaja Gulab Singh.

“The experience left students enriched, emotional, and proud, offering them not just a history lesson, but a memory of national pride, security, and heritage that they are likely to cherish for years,” the department officials said.