The Indian military bands consists of musicians from the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

and

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

. Indian military bands regularly participate in international festivals and take part in celebrations dedicated to various national events. These bands are permanent participants in the

Delhi Republic Day parade The Delhi Republic Day parade is the largest and most important of the parades marking the Republic Day (India), Republic Day celebrations in India. The parade takes place every year on 26 January at Rajpath, New Delhi. It is the main attractio ...

on the

Rajpath Rajpath, officially named Kartavya Path, and formerly known as Kingsway, is a ceremonial boulevard in New Delhi, India, that runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raisina Hill through Vijay Chowk and India Gate, National War Memorial to Nation ...

. Today, the Indian Armed Forces have more than 50 military brass bands and 400 pipe bands and

corps of drums A Corps of Drums, also sometimes known as a Fife and Drum Corps, Fifes and Drums or simply Drums is a unit of several national armies. Drummers were originally established in European armies to act as signallers. The major historical distin ...

. A Tri-Services Band refers to a joint Indian Armed Forces military band that performs together as a unit. At the Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, the band consisted of 7 officers and 55 musicians. The

Military Music Wing The Military Music Wing of the Army Education Corps is an educational institution that supports the Indian Army and all military bands and musicians in its ranks. Being part of the AEC, its facilities are located in Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh stat ...

of the Army Education Corps is the principal educational institution of the armed forces that provides instruction to musicians of all ranks. Instruction is also provided by the Military Music Training Center and the Indian Navy School of Music. In the

, the following commands maintain their own inspectorates for music: Eastern Command, Central Command, Northern Command, South Western Command, Southern Command, and the Western Command. The military bands in the Indian Armed Forces consist of a mix of instruments from the

woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed ...

family,

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...

family, and

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

family and sometimes are simply either brass bands or wind bands. The Indian military also has dedicated

pipe band A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of Bagpipes, pipers and drummers. The term pipes and drums, used by military pipe bands is also common. The most common form of pipe band consists of a section of pipers playing the Great Highland b ...

bands that serves as independent units and are maintained by all infantry regiments. Most senior military bands can be configured from a

marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, ofte ...

to a

concert band A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion famil ...

and can also form smaller ensembles to jazz ensembles, traditional music bands, brass quintets, woodwind and drumlines. A general military band consists of a band master and 33 musicians while a pipe band consists of a band master and 17 musicians. Bandsmen in the Indian Army are soldiers first, having the primary role in battle of medical assistants.

History

Indian infantry band 40th Pathans playing on a French farm (Photo 24-46)

Martial music has been a part of Indian culture since the era of the

Maratha Empire The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shi ...

in the 17th century. Organized military bands were brought to India by the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

as military bands early as the 1700s. In 1813, within a letter to the Military Secretary of the Commander-in-chief of

Fort St. George Fort St. George (or historically, White Town) is a fortress in the coastal city of Chennai, India. Founded in 1639, it was the first English (later British) fortress in India. The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further ...

, an army Colonel urged the formation of military bands in the native regiments of the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

as a means "of improving the appreciation of European music amongst the Indian population". Prior to World War I each battalion-sized regiment of the Indian Army had its own military band. There is no exact introduction year of pipe bands in the Indian military forces. When it was introduced it came into ethnically

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

, Gorkha, and Pathan regiments in the late 19th century. The first fully Sikh pipe band was established circa 1856 when the 45th Rattray Regiment was established in

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

. Since then, Sikh Pipe bands have been a part of the Sikh Regiments that were established under British rule.

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

n regiments with pipe bands included the Bombay Volunteer Rifles and the

Calcutta Scottish The Calcutta Scottish was a regiment of volunteers of Scottish descent raised in 1914 as an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. The regiment formed part of the army reserves of the Auxiliary Force, India (AFI). The regimental dress unifo ...

. The Military Music Wing came into fruition on 23 October 1950 under the patronage and supervision of

K. M. Cariappa ' Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa (28 January 1899 – 15 May 1993) was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Indian Army. He led Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. He was appoin ...

, the then C-in-C of the Army. In the early-mid 50s, the Indianization of formerly British military bands took place, with Harold Joseph, the then music director of the Indian Army, leading the revitalization of Indigenous tunes in the Indian military.

Primary bands

Indian Army Chief's Band

The

Indian Army Chief's Band The Indian Army Chief's Band is the Indian Army's full-time music band. It was founded in 1990 as the official band of the Indian Army and the foremost in the armed forces. It also, as its name implies, represents the Chief of the Army Staff at ...

was founded in 1990 as the official band of the

and the foremost in the armed forces. It also, as its name implies, represents the Chief of the Army Staff at events involving the COAS's presence. The band represents India in most important state events held in the Indian capital. It also has represented India at various military music festivals in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

and

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

Indian Naval Symphonic Band

Indian Navy Band in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2017 at United Kingdom (2)

The Indian Naval Symphonic Band has been considered as one of the best military bands in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

. It was founded in 1945. The Naval Musicians are known as unofficial ambassadors of the country. As Musician Officers they are responsible for conducting the Naval Band at ceremonies and symphonic band concerts in India and abroad.

No. 1 Air Force Band

The No. 1 Air Force Band (also known as the Indian Air Force Band) is the primary musical unit of the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...

. The first IAF military band was formed on 10 June 1944 as the RIAF Central Band and is currently stationed in

Jalahalli Jalahalli is a suburb in northern part of Bengaluru is one of the greenest areas of Bengaluru. It is mainly divided into Jalahalli East and Jalahalli West. Gangamma Circle is the junction between the roads connecting Jalahalli East, Jalahalli ...

. The

unit of the IAF Band is the Air Warrior Symphony Orchestra (AWSO), formed in June 2002. The AWSO has performed at many concerts across the world in countries like

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

, and

. The AWSO consists of hand-picked musicians from various Air Force Bands.

Other bands

Southern Naval Command Band Marching Past the Saluting Dais

Army bands

Army bands are directly reporting units of their regimental center or part of the educational institution: * Artillery Centre Band Nasik *

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

Artillery Center Band *Band of the Brigade of the Guards Training Centre *Band of the Rajputana Rifles Centre * Madras Regiment Band * The Grenadiers Regimental Centre Brass Band * Maratha Light Infantry Band * Jat Regiment Centre Band *

Ladakh Scouts The Ladakh Scouts is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, nicknamed the "Snow Warriors" or "Snow Leopards". The regiment specialises in mountain warfare, and its primary role is to guard India's borders in the high altitudes of the Union ...

Centre Band * 1 EME Band * Corps of Signals Training Centre Band * Bombay Engineer Group and Centre Band * Madras Engineer Group and Centre Band * Mechanised Infantry Regiment Centre Band *

Dogra Regiment The Dogra Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its roots directly from the 17th Dogra Regiment of the British Indian Army. When transferred to the Indian Army like its sister regiments, the numeral prefix ...

Band * The Garhwal Rifles Band * Bengal Engineer Group Centre Band * Parachute Regimental Centre Band *Dogra Scouts Band *39 Gorkha Training Centre Band *

11th Gorkha Rifles The 11 Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha regiment of the Indian Army that was re-raised after independence. The regiment consists of primarily the Kirant Tribes Rai, Limbu, Yakkha, Sunuwar of Eastern Nepal, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Dooars of West Benga ...

Centre Band *14 Gorkha Training Centre Band *58 Gorkha Training Centre Band * Indian Military Academy Band * Officers Training Academy Band * Territorial Army Bands under various TA battalions *Indian Army Grand Symphony Band * Armoured Corps Centre & School Band *1 Signal Training Centre Band (

Jabalpur Jabalpur is a city situated on the banks of Narmada River in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. According to the 2011 census, it is the third-largest urban agglomeration in Madhya Pradesh and the country's 38th-largest urban agglomeration. J ...

) *

Mahar Regiment The Mahar Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Although it was originally intended to be a regiment consisting of troops from the Mahar community of Maharashtra, today the Mahar Regiment is composed of different communities from ...

Band * Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Band * Pioneer Corps Training Center Band * Corps of Military Police Band * Army Service Corps North Band

Navy Bands

Indian Naval Academy Ball Autumn Term - 2016 (4)

The following bands operate in the country: *

Eastern Naval Command The Eastern Naval Command is one of the three command-level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The command is responsible for the all naval forces in the Bay of Bengal and parts of the Indian Ocea ...

Band * Western Naval Command Band * Southern Naval Command Band * INS Chilka Band (

Orissa Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of Sch ...

), serves the sailor training establishment on base * INS Cicars Band (

Fort Cochin Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...

), serves the Gunnery Training School *

INS Dronacharya INS Dronacharya is the gunnery school of the Indian Navy. It is located in Kochi, Kerala. It is responsible for training 820 officers and 2100 ratings per year in small-arms, naval missiles, artillery, radar and defensive countermeasures. See a ...

Band (

Fort Kochi Fort Kochi, Fort Cochin in English, Cochim de Baixo ("Lower Kochi") in Cochin Portuguese creole, is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort ...

) * INS Hamla Band ( Marve), serves under the Logistic, EDP and Cookery schools * INS India Band (

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

) * INS Jarawa Band (

Port Blair Port Blair () is the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India in the Bay of Bengal. It is also the local administrative sub-division (''tehsil'') of the islands, the headquarters for the district of South And ...

) * INS Kunjali Band (

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

), serves in an official capacity as the Indian Navy Central Band * INS Mandovi Band (

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

), serves the Indian Naval Academy * INS Shivaji Band ( Lonavla), serves under the Engineering Training School *

INS Valsura INS ''Valsura'' is a "stone frigate" (shore establishment) of the Indian Navy in Jamnagar, Gujarat. A premier technological training institution, it houses the Electrical school of the Indian Navy. History During World War II, a need was felt to ...

Band (

Jamnagar Jamnagar () is a city located on the western coast of India in the state of Gujarat of Saurashtra (region), Saurashtra region. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jamnagar district and the fifth largest city in Gujarat. The city lies ...

), serves at the Electrical Training School *

INS Venduruthy INS Venduruthy is an Indian Navy base located on Willingdon Island in Kochi, Kerala. It serves as the Headquarters of the Southern Naval Command. It is the largest training establishment of the Indian Navy. INS Garuda is a naval air station l ...

Band (

Cochin Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

) *INS Viraat Band Bands often embarks on goodwill visits to different countries by means of its ship base. All navy musicians must have a bachelor’s degree from recognized university and can play at least one military sponsored instrument.

Air Force Bands

Since 1944, eight regional bands have operated in the country: * No.1 Air Force Band (Formed 10 June 1944, stationed in

) * No.2 Air Force Band (Formed 22 July 1949, stationed in

) * No.3 Air Force Band (Formed 28 April 1961, stationed at the

Dundigal Dundigal, officially Dundigal Gandimaisamma, is a city and a municipality in Medchal-Malkajgiri district in the Indian state of Telangana. It is the mandal headquarters of Dundigal mandal in Malkajgiri revenue division of Medchal-Malkajgiri dis ...

) * No.4 Air Force Band (Formed 28 April 1961, stationed in

Bamrauli Allahabad Airport , officially known as Deendayal Upadhyay Airport, is a military airbase and public airport serving the city of Allahabad, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in Bamrauli Prayagraj, from Prayagraj city and s ...

) * No.5 Air Force Band (Formed 28 April 1961, stationed in

Nagpur Nagpur (pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nag ...

) * No.6 Air Force Band (Formed 13 January 1969, stationed in

Palam Palam (phonetically Pālam) is a major residential colony located in South West Delhi. The Indira Gandhi International Airport, formerly known as ''Palam Airport'', the main airport of National Capital Region is situated here. It is one of 70 Vidh ...

) * No.7 Air Force Band (Formed 13 January 1969, stationed in

Guwahati Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...

) * No.8 Air Force Band (Formed 1999, stationed in Gandhinagar) The current director of music for the Indian Air Force is Flight Lieutenant LS Rupachandra.

Air Force Academy Band

The No.3 Air Force Band is attached to the Indian Air Force Academy, and has been configured that way since 1971. Musicians are required to read and write in English and have a height of 167 cm. Musicians must be aged between 17 and 22 years old at the time of their employment. In December 1996, 20 members of the band died in a plane crash involving a

Hawker Siddeley HS 748 The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed and initially produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Avro. It was the last aircraft to be developed by Avro prior to its absorption by Hawker Siddeley. ...

Pipe bands

The Indian Army Band performs the Indian national anthem during the opening ceremony of Yudh Abhyas 2015

* Madras Regiment Pipes and Drums *

Punjab Regiment Punjab Regiment may refer to the following existing units: *Punjab Regiment (India) *Punjab Regiment (Pakistan) From 1922 to 1947, the British Indian Army included 6 numbered Punjab Regiments: *1st Punjab Regiment * 2nd Punjab Regiment *8th Punj ...

Pipes and Drums * The Garhwal Rifles Pipes and Drums *Pipes and Drums of Indian Army Gorkha Rifle Regiments ** Pipes and Drums of 1st Gorkha Rifles ** Pipes and Drums of 3rd Gorkha Rifles ** Pipes and Drums of 5th Battalion, 4 Gorkha Rifles ** Pipes and Drums of 5th Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) ** Pipes and Drums of 11th Gorkha Rifles *14 Gorkha Training Centre Pipes and Drums *

Assam Regiment The Assam Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regiment consists of 25 battalions: 15 regular battalions, 3 Rashtriya Rifles battalions, 5 Territorial Army battalions (including 2 ecological battalions). It recruits exclusiv ...

Pipes and Drums *

Sikh Regiment The Sikh Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Sikh regiment is the highest decorated regiment of the Indian Army and in 1979, the 1st battalion was the Commonwealth's most decorated battalion with 245 pre-independence and 82 ...

Pipes and Drums * Rajputana Rifles Pipes and Drums * Kumaon Regiment Pipes and Drums *

Pipes and Drums *Pipes and Drums of The Grenadiers *Pipes and Drums of the

Jammu and Kashmir Rifles The Jammu and Kashmir Rifles is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. Its origins lay in the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. After the accession of the state to the Indian Union in October 1947, ...

*Pipes and Drums of the 12th Assam Rifles In December 2018, the British Band Instrument Company announced a new agreement with the Indian Army to supply all Regimental Centres with modern bagpipes and percussion instruments for their pipe bands. The new bagpipes were played for the first time on Republic Day 2019.

Youth cadet bands

The

National Cadet Corps National Cadet Corps may refer to: *Bangladesh National Cadet Corps *National Cadet Corps (Ghana) *National Cadet Corps (India) *National Cadet Corps (Pakistan) *National Cadet Corps (Singapore) *National Cadet Corps (Sri Lanka) The National ...

maintains two cadet bands: the Boys Band of the NCC and the Girls Band of the NCC. They are commonly formed up during the NCC Republic Day Camp in late January, during which the bands participate in the Republic Day Parade on 26 January and the Prime Minister's Rally on 28 January.

Paramilitary bands

The following Indian paramilitary forces maintain military bands: *

Central Reserve Police Force The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is a federal police organisation in India under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India. It is one among the Central Armed Police Forces. The CRPF's primary role li ...

Brass Band *

Central Industrial Security Force The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is a federal police organisation in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is one among the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). CISF provides security to over 356 industrial units (including 1 ...

Band *

Border Security Force The Border Security Force (BSF) is India's border guarding organisation on its border with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India, and was raised in the wake of the 1965 war on 1 December 1 ...

Brass Band * Border Security Force Camel Band *Band and Pipes and Drums of the Assam Rifles *Other Assam Rifles Bands *

Indo-Tibetan Border Police The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is a border patrol organization of India deployed along its borders with Tibet Autonomous Region. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces, established in 1962 in the aftermath of the Sino-Indian ...

Central Band * Bihar Military Police Band *

Kolkata Armed Police Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

Band

Central Reserve Police Force Brass Band

The Central Reserve Police Force Brass Band, which consists of 38 musicians, was raised in 1961. A pipe band was established earlier in the CRPF in 1952. At a large parade, the band can increase its size three-fold.

BSF Mounted Band

The 36-member camel mounted band of the

is one of two official bands in the BSF. It is the only camel mounted military band in the world, and is mentioned in

Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

as such. It is one of the unique sights of the Delhi Republic Day parade and has been an annual participant since 1990. The only time it has missed a parade was in 2016 due to a lack of preparation.

Bands of the Assam Rifles

Different units of the Assam Rifles maintain battalion jazz and pipe bands. For example, the 12 Assam Rifles has a pipe band that was raised in Wokha in 1959. In 2011, the 43 Assam Rifles began its own jazz band in a remote village in Senapati as a means to bring music to the people of that area. Brass bands are maintained at the Assam Rifles Training Centre and School. With the sanction of the Commandant of the Assam Rifles, bands can engage in events hosted by private entities. The band of a unit is managed by a committee of three officers that are appointed quarterly. When massed bands are on parade, the senior bandmaster normally conducts (with the exception of the parade commander changing him/her at their discretion). All bands are provided with copies of ''

Jana Gana Mana "" (Sanskrit: जन गण मन) is the national anthem of the Republic of India. It was originally composed as '' Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata'' in Bengali by polymath Rabindranath Tagore. The first stanza of the song ''Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata' ...

'' and all regimental marches in the Assam Rifles. As a matter of tradition, all bands adhere to high pitch when performing.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police Band

The

Brass Band was raised in 1973 and has been participating in Republic Day Parade annually since 1977. It has won best marching contingent in parade during the year 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004 and 2011 by marching on brass band tunes.

Events

Republic Day parade

Indian military bands play an active role in the annual

on the

. It is the largest and central of the

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...

s marking the Republic Day celebrations in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The bands of nine to twelve different Army regiments, as well as bands from the Navy and the Air Force march in the parade. Sub Lieutenant Ramesh Chand Katoch has set a record for leading a band contingent on the Rajpath the most, leading the Navy Band in 20 out 30 consecutive parades.

Beating Retreat

The Beating Retreat is a massive gathering of Indian military bands held on Republic Day in the capital of

. It is organized by Section D of the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

. It is based on a 16th-century military ceremony in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

that was first used to recall nearby patrolling units to their castle. The ceremony happens at

Vijay Chowk Vijay may refer to: People *Vijay (name) *Vijay (actor) (born 1974), an Indian Tamil actor *Vijay (director), Kannada film director Fiction * ''Vijay'' (1942 film), a 1942 Indian Hindi film * ''Vijay'' (1988 film), a 1988 Indian Hindi film direc ...

, and involves Indian military bands as well as the bands of the paramilitary services and the

Delhi Police The Delhi Police (DP) is the law enforcement agency for the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). Delhi Police comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India. In 2015, sanctioned strength of Delhi ...

Band. Brass bands, pipes bands, and buglers from various Army Regiments perform at the ceremony. National and religious pieces such as ''

Abide With Me "Abide with Me" is a Christian hymn by Scottish Anglican cleric Henry Francis Lyte. A prayer for God to stay with the speaker throughout life and in death, it was written by Lyte in 1847 as he was dying from tuberculosis. It is most often sung ...

'', '' Sare Jahan se Accha'' and

sunset Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spring ...

. The ceremony achieved a

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

mention for being the largest military band under one conductor, with its rendition of '' Amazing Grace'' including 4,459 musicians.

Independence Day

Military bands perform on

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

during the ceremony at the historical site of

Red Fort The Red Fort or Lal Qila () is a historic fort in Old Delhi, Delhi in India that served as the main residence of the Mughal Emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift hi ...

in Delhi.

Changing of the Guard

A ceremonial

changing of the guard Guard mounting, changing the guard, or the changing of the guard, is a formal ceremony in which sentries performing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries. The ceremonies are often elaborate a ...

is held at the

President of India The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...

's residence, the

Rashtrapati Bhavan The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; originally Viceroy's House and later Government House) is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India. Rashtrapati Bh ...

. It is held with the participation of supporting Indian military bands as well as President's Body Guard and the Brigade of the Guards. As the sentries are nominated and inspected by their officers, the band plays ' Sammaan Guard' (The Honour Guard) as a slow march before following that up with a formal march into the forecourt of the palace with the band playing "Sher-E-Jawan" (Tiger of a soldier). Other notable protocol tunes played at the ceremony include "Robinson" and "

Saare Jahan Se Achcha "Sare Jahan se Accha" (Urdu: ; ''Sāre Jahāṉ se Acchā''), formally known as "Tarānah-e-Hindi" (Urdu: , "Anthem of the People of Hindustan"), is an Urdu language patriotic song for children written by poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal in the ...

" (Better than any nation). Once they assume charge, the New Guard marches off along with the band playing "Amar Jawan" (Immortal Soldier).

Military Band Concert

The Military Band Concert is an annual event that is part of the Vijay Diwas celebrations organized to commemorate the victory in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and the

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...

. Apart from marching tunes, Bengali and Bangladeshi songs are also performed by band members.

Passing out parades

Bands commonly perform at Passing out parades for military cadets. Throughout the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...

, the traditions for these ceremonies are the same,

Auld Lang Syne "Auld Lang Syne" (: note "s" rather than "z") is a popular song, particularly in the English-speaking world. Traditionally, it is sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. By extension, it is also often ...

by Robert Burns often being played. At the Indian Military Academy, before the cadets begin the passing out parade ceremony, the band plays a melody (''

aarti ''Arti'' (Sanskrit: Ārātrika, Hindi: Ārtī) is a Hindu ritual employed in worship, often part of '' puja'', in which light (usually from a flame) is offered to one or more deities. ''Arti(s)'' also refers to the songs sung in praise of the d ...

'')'','' allowing the cadets to pray to their respective god.

Foreign tattoos and parades

In July 2009, Indian military bands marched down the Champs-Élysées with contingents from their respective services during the Bastille Day military parade to the sound of the military bands playing Indian martial tunes including ''

'', ''Haste Lushai'' and ''

Kadam Kadam Badaye Ja "Qadam Qadam Badhaye Ja" (Hindi: क़दम क़दम बढ़ाये जा; Urdu: قدم قدم بڑھائے جا) was the regimental quick march of Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army. Written by Vanshidhar Shukla and composed ...

''. The same band took part in the

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an annual series of military tattoos performed by British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and international military bands, and artistic performance teams on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle in the capital of S ...

and the Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo in 2017. In December 2019, for the first time, an Indian Army Band took part in the

Victory day of Bangladesh Victory Day ( bn, বিজয় দিবস ''Bijôy Dibôsh'') is a public holiday, national holiday in Bangladesh celebrated on 16 December to commemorate the defeat of the Pakistan Armed Forces in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 and th ...

parade.

Notable military music personnel

*Lieutenant Colonel Girish Kumar Unnikrishnan, Director of Music of the Tri-Services Band in

*Warrant Officer 2nd rank Suresh Kumar, director of the Indian Army Chief's Band from 1988 *Captain S.S. Nagra, former Inspector of Army Bands *Harold Joseph, former music director of the Indian Army *Jerome Rodrigues, LMME LTCL former music director of the Indian Navy *Commander Sebastian Anchees, former music director of the Indian Navy *Major Nazir Hussain, was the Advisor in Military Music at the Army Headquarters from 1997 to 2004 *Major Karun Khanna, director of the Beating Retreat from 1974 to 1976 *Warrant Officer Ashok Kumar, Band Master of the IAF Band since 2008 *J.N. Roy Choudhary, instructor of music at the

and composer of ''

Deshon Ka Sartaj Bharat Deshon Ka Sartaj Bharat ("India, Crown of the World") is a march played by the military of India, primarily the Indian Army. It was composed by J.N. Roy Choudhary, who was an instructor of music at the Military Music Wing, Army Education Corps Cen ...

'' *M.S. Neer, VSM, LMME-LTCL, Former Music Director, Indian Navy *L.B. Gurung *Nirmal Chandra Vij *Master Chief Petty Officer 1st Class and Honorary Lieutenant Ramesh Chand Katoch, Band Master of the Indian Navy Band until 2018 *Master Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class and Honorary Sub-Lieutenant Vincent Johnson, Band Master of the Indian Navy Band since 2018 *Wing Commander Gopalakrishnan Jayachandran, Director of Music and Principal Conductor for No. 1 Air Force Band

Marches

The band performs a number of slow and quick marches such as: * '' Sare Jahan se Accha'' (Patriotic March) * ''

Qadam Qadam Badaye Ja "Qadam Qadam Badhaye Ja" (Hindi: क़दम क़दम बढ़ाये जा; Urdu: قدم قدم بڑھائے جا) was the regimental quick march of Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army. Written by Vanshidhar Shukla and compos ...

'' (Army Quick March) * '' Samman Guard'' (Army Slow March) * ''Desh Pukare Jab Sab Ko'' (Air Force Quick March) * ''Vayu Sena Nishaan'' (Air Force Slow March) * ''Jai Bharati'' (Navy Quick March) * ''Anand Lok'' (Navy Slow March) * ''

Vande Mataram ''Vande Mataram'' (Sanskrit: वन्दे मातरम् IAST: , also spelt ''Bande Mataram''; বন্দে মাতরম্, ''Bônde Mātôrôm''; ) is a poem written in sanskritised Bengali by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in the ...

'' * ''

'' * ''General Salute'' * ''Naval Ensign'' * ''Sea Lord'' * ''Indian Fleet'' * ''Voice of the Guns'' * ''Have the NCC Spirit in You * ''Bravo Warriors'' * ''Flying Star'' * ''Battle of the Sky'' * ''Stride'' * ''Gulmarg'' * ''Benihaal'' * ''Nirmaljit'' * ''Amar Senani'' (The Immortal Soldier) * ''Dhwaj Ka Rakshak'' (Defenders of the Flag) * ''Uthari Seemaye'' (The Northern Frontiers) * ''Suvruth'' (The Holy Oath) * ''Vijayi Bharath'' (India, the Victorious) * ''Hind Maha Sagar'' (The mighty Indian Ocean) * ''Nabh Rakshak'' (Defenders of the Air) * ''Antariksh Baan'' (Arrow in the Air) * ''Dhwani Avrodh'' (Sound Barrier) * ''Siki Amole'' (Precious Coins)

Gallery

File:US Navy 040909-N-1212B-002 Musician 3rd Class Jesse Carmona, third from right, assigned to the Pacific Fleet rock band, Tsunami, plays with the Indian Navy Band.jpg File:Indian Army band with ASEAN flag bearer contingent passes through the Rajpath, on the occasion of the 69th Republic Day Parade 2018, in New Delhi on January 26, 2018.jpg, Indian Army bands marching behind an

ASEAN ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...

flag bearer contingent through the

File:The President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind with the Indian Army Band Contingents (participants of the Beating Retreat Ceremony) and Provost Outrides, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on January 30, 2018.jpg, Members of the Band of the Rajputana Rifles File:Border Security Force Band marching contingent playing ‘Vijay Bharat’ passes through the Rajpath during the 63rd Republic Day Parade-2012, in New Delhi on January 26, 2012.jpg, BSF band marching contingent during the 63rd Republic Day Parade

Videos

Tri Services Band ConcertThe Band Spasskaya Tower in 2009Indian Air Force band performs at Beating Retreat ceremony in DelhiMilitary music is alive and flourishing in the Indian armed forces!

Sources

External links

* * * * {{Military of India Military units and formations of India Indian music Military of India Indian ceremonial units

History

Primary bands

Indian Army Chief's Band

Indian Naval Symphonic Band

No. 1 Air Force Band

Other bands

Army bands

Navy Bands

Air Force Bands

Air Force Academy Band

Pipe bands

Youth cadet bands

Paramilitary bands

Central Reserve Police Force Brass Band

BSF Mounted Band

Bands of the Assam Rifles

Indo-Tibetan Border Police Band

Events

Republic Day parade

Beating Retreat

Independence Day

Changing of the Guard

Military Band Concert

Passing out parades

Foreign tattoos and parades

Notable military music personnel

Marches

Gallery

See also

Videos

Sources

External links